LEBEN: Oh, I'm afraid Sir Webley, they're very bad indeed. There
are some quite unfortunate--er--references in them.

SIR WEBLEY: So I should have supposed. So I should have supposed.

NEEKS: Yes, yes, of course.

TRUNDLEBEN: For instance, in that play about that funny ship--I have a
list of the characters here--and I'm afraid, well--er,--er you see for
yourself. (_Hands paper._) You see that is, I am afraid, in very bad
taste, Sir Webley.

SIR WEBLEY: Certainly, Trundleben, certainly. Very bad indeed.

NEEKS (_peering_): Er--er, what is it, Sir Webley?

SIR WEBLEY (_pointing_): That, you see.

NEEKS: A--a drunken butler! But most regrettable.

SIR WEBLEY: A very deserving class. A--a quite gratuitous slight. I
don't say you mightn't see one drunken butler ...

TRUNDLEBEN: Quite so.

NEEKS: Yes, of course.

SIR WEBLEY: But to put it boldly on a programme like that is practically
tantamount to implying that all butlers are drunken.

TRUNDLEBEN: Which is by no means true.

SIR WEBLEY: There would naturally be a protest of some sort, and to have
a member of the Olympus mixed up with a controversy like that would
be--er--naturally--er--most ...

TRUNDLEBEN: Yes, of course, Sir Webley.

SIR WEBLEY: And then of course, if he does a thing like that once ...

NEEKS: There are probably other lapses just as deplorable.

TRUNDLEBEN: I haven't gone through his whole list, Sir Webley. I often
feel about these modern writers that perhaps the less one looks the less
one will find that might be, er ...

SIR WEBLEY: Yes, quite so.

NEEKS: That is certainly true.

SIR WEBLEY: Well, we can't wade all through his list of characters to
see if they are all suitable to be represented on a stage.

TRUNDLEBEN: Oh no, Sir Webley, quite impossible; there are--there are--I
might say--hundreds of them.

SIR WEBLEY: Good gracious! He must have been wasting his time a great
deal.

TRUNDLEBEN: Oh, a great deal, Sir Webley.

SIR WEBLEY: But we shall have to go further into this. We can't have ...

NEEKS: I see Mr. Gleek sitting over there, Sir Webley.

SIR WEBLEY: Why, yes, yes, so he is.

NEEKS: The _Banner and Evening Gazette_ would know all about him if
there's anything to know.

SIR WEBLEY: Yes, of course they would.

NEEKS: If we were to ask him.

SIR WEBLEY: Well, Trundleben, you may leave it to us. Mr. Neeks and I
will talk it all over and see what's to be done.

TRUNDLEBEN: Thank you, Sir Webley. I'm real