Guy.  You said he was respectable.

Annie.  Oh! yes, sir; but not so respectable as that.

Athene.  Well, Annie, get your things off, and lay lunch.

Annie.  Oh! yes, Miss.

     She makes a little curtsey and passes through into the kitchen.

Guy.  Strength of mind!  Have a little, Athene won’t you? [He holds out the marriage licence before her].

Athene.  I don’t know—­I don’t know!  If—­it turned out—­

Guy.  It won’t.  Come on.  Must take chances in this life.

Athene. [Looking up into his face] Guy, promise me—­solemnly that you’ll never let me stand in your way, or stand in mine!

Guy.  Right!  That’s a bargain. [They embrace.]

     Athene quivers towards him.  They embrace fervently as Annie enters
     with the bread pan.  They spring apart.

Annie.  Oh!

Guy.  It’s all right, Annie.  There’s only one more day’s infection before you.  We’re to be married to-morrow morning.

Annie.  Oh! yes, sir.  Won’t Mr Builder be pleased?

Guy.  H’m!  That’s not exactly our reason.

Annie. [Right] Oh! no, sir.  Of course you can’t be a family without, can you?

Guy.  What have you got in that thing?

     Annie is moving across with the bread pan.  She halts at the bedroom
     door.

Annie.  Oh! please, ma’am, I was to give you a message—­very important—­ from Miss Maud Builder “Lookout!  Father is coming!”

     She goes out.

     The curtain falls.

ACT II

     Builder’sstudy.  At the table, Maud has just put a sheet of paper
     into a typewriter.  She sits facing the audience, with her hands
     stretched over the keys.

Maud. [To herself] I must get that expression.

Her face assumes a furtive, listening look.  Then she gets up, whisks to the mirror over the fireplace, scrutinises the expression in it, and going back to the table, sits down again with hands outstretched above the keys, and an accentuation of the expression.  The door up Left is opened, and Topping appears.  He looks at Maud, who just turns her eyes.

Topping.  Lunch has been ready some time, Miss Maud.

Maud.  I don’t want any lunch.  Did you give it?

Topping.  Miss Athene was out.  I gave the message to a young party.  She looked a bit green, Miss.  I hope nothing’ll go wrong with the works.  Shall I keep lunch back?

Maud.  If something’s gone wrong, they won’t have any appetite, Topping.

Topping.  If you think I might risk it, Miss, I’d like to slip round to my dentist. [He lays a finger on his cheek].