GEORGIANA. [Laughing.] Bella, you’re a wonderful shopper!

BELLA.  And this is a copy of Homer’s Iliad for my sister.  Do you know it?  Is it nice?  Anything like Hall Caine’s works, or Mary Corelli’s?  She’s always been my sister’s favorite writeress.  You see they’ve got a whole counter of these beautifully bound in red and gold, and only nineteen cents.  But it’s so hard to decide which to buy.  I’ve about decided now to take this back and change it for Lucille.  Which do you think my sister’d like best, Homer’s Iliad or Lucille?

GEORGIANA.  I believe she’d prefer Lucille, and besides half the fun in shopping is in the changing one’s mind and taking things back, don’t you think so?

BELLA.  Yes, ma’am, I think so.

[MOLES enters Left.

MOLES.  Mr. Coast to see Miss Georgiana, please.

[BELLA rises.

GEORGIANA.  Did you say I was in?

MOLES.  Yes, miss.

GEORGIANA.  What a bore!  Very well, Moles.

[He goes out.

BELLA.  I’ll be going up to Mrs. Carley, now.

[Goes toward the door Right.

GEORGIANA.  Wait a minute, Bella.  I want you to do something for me. 
Entertain Sammy, Louise, till I come back.

[She goes out with BELLA.

LOUISE.  I never was able to entertain Sammy, but I’ll do my best.

[COAST enters, announced by MOLES, who immediately exits.

COAST. Hello, Lou, how goes it?

LOUISE.  Beastly!

COAST. Where’s Miss Georgiana?

LOUISE.  She’ll be down in a minute.  Sam, do you know what’s the matter with Steve?

COAST. Probably he’s been losing.

LOUISE.  Whose money?

COAST. Everybody’s.

LOUISE.  But can’t you help him?

COAST. No; it’s not my business.

[Sits on the sofa, putting the pillows out of his way.

LOUISE.  But he’s my husband, and you’re my cousin.

COAST. What’s the difference?  Twenty years ago, when your father was rich as Croesus and my guv’ner and I up a stump for—­tobacco, anyway, if not for bread, did he lift a finger to help us? not on your life!  That lets me out!  Every man for himself—­and listen, if I wanted to starve I could lose a real good fortune through Steve Carley, without any outside help.

LOUISE.  I told mother you’d be like that.

COAST. We’re all pretty much alike; she’d recognize the Coast family.

LOUISE.  If you were married to Georgiana, you couldn’t ignore her brother.  She isn’t like us.

COAST. Well, if I could get Georgiana, [Going to LOUISE.] I’d be willing to do a good deal.  She’s the only woman I can see in this world my size.

LOUISE.  So I guessed, but if Dick Coleman proposes before he goes to the
Philippines, I wouldn’t give much for your chances.