them facing the counter, the other
facing the spectator. LILY'S bouquet lies on the nearer of the two
settees, and upon the floor there is a fan, a red rose that has fallen
from a lady's corsage, and a pocket-handkerchief with a powder-puff
peeping from it. On the counter there are carafes of lemonade,
decanters of spirits and syphons of soda-water, a bowl of
strawberries-and-cream, various dishes of cakes, boxes of cigars and
cigarettes, a lighted spirit-lamp, and other adjuncts of a buffet.
COLONEL STIDULPH wanders in through the double-door as the waltz comes
to an end. Feebly and dejectedly he goes to the counter, takes a
cigarette, and is lighting it when LUIGI and the waiters enter the
door on the left. Two of the waiters are carrying bottles of champagne
in wine-coolers, another brings a tray on which are champagne-glasses
and tumblers, and the bearded waiter follows with a large dish of
sandwiches._

LUIGI.

[_Behind the counter-- to STIDULPH, familiarly._] Ain't you dancing,
Colonel?

STIDULPH.

Dancing-- I? [_Shaking his head._] No.

LUIGI.

[_Who speaks Cockney English with a slight foreign ascent-- cutting
the wire of a champagne bottle._] Why, you used to be a regular
slap-up dancing man when I first knew you.

STIDULPH.

[_Nodding._] Ah, ah; [_moving away_] my dancing days are done.

LUIGI.

Done! Oh, I like that! I bet you ain't sixty, come now, eh?

STIDULPH.

What's the time, Luigi? I haven't a watch on.

LUIGI.

Time, Colonel? [_Looking at his watch._] Twenty to three.

STIDULPH.

No later? [_Sitting on the settee on the right, with a sigh._] Oh,
dear!

[_One of the waiters goes out, in obedience to a direction from LUIGI,
at the door on the left as HENEAGE enters with ENID, GRIMWOOD with
NITA, and VON RETTENMAYER with MRS. STIDULPH at the right-hand door at
the back. A wisp of hair has fallen over HENEAGE'S forehead, GRIMWOOD
looks somewhat downcast, and VON RETTENMAYER is obviously bored by
MRS. STIDULPH._

ENID.

[_To HENEAGE, walking across to the left._] Never been to Ostend!
You've never been born, then. I'm counting the hours to my holiday.
[_Sitting in the chair on the nearer side of the fireplace._] Hotel de
la Plage. Why don't you run over while I'm there?

NITA.

[_To GRIMWOOD, following ENID._] My dear boy, I give you my solemn
word it wasn't you. It was that fool Bertie. Anyhow, it's a rotten old
frock. [_Showing a s