you every success. _(shakes hands
and goes up stage)_

Ruby. Good-bye! _(pause)_ Dear Jack! _(pause)_ I _(going to kiss
him, catches her father's eye, aside to Plant)_ I can't when
you're looking.

Plant. _(aside to her)_ Idiot! _(aloud)_ Come, my precious
jewels!

_(Puts his arms round them; swing Bus.)_

The sunshine of my widowed home, Jack, a humble place, but when
you come to visit us at Southsea, you will echo the words of the
immortal bard, and join with us in singing, _(sings)_ "Ours is a
happy little home!"

_(Exit Plant. Ruby and Pearl. _all quarrelling loudly_.)_

Doctor. _(alone)_ What a strange man! I wonder why he's pleaded
my cause with Aunt Susannah? _(looks at aunt's picture, sitting
end of sofa)_ Poor Aunt Susie, when she was quite a girl she fell
in love with a man who turned out all wrong; that's why she's
lived such a lonely life all these years. Dear Aunt Susie! I'll
do all I can to give you a good time, _(goes back to microscope)_

_(Enter Aurora.)_

Aurora. _(excitedly)_ If you please, doctor----

Doctor. Don't bother me now, Aurora. I'm busy.

Aurora. _(sadly)_ I don't want to bother you, sir, I've come to
give you _warning_.

Doctor. You want to leave me?

Aurora. _Never_, sir, not till I'm took feet front. I want to
warn you about that detective, sir, as the gent brought in his
pocket. His friend let it off at that picture, sir.

Doctor. _(mystified)_ Let _what_ off?

Aurora. Detective camera, sir, an' 'e's comin' back dressed up
like 'er.

Doctor. _(smiling)_ Who is?

Aurora. 'Im as 'is friend calls "Merry Andrew." sir.

Doctor. _(rubbing his hands)_ Oh, is he? It's my profession to
cure people, and I'll cure _you_, Master Merry Andrew. of this
insane love of practical joking, _(thumps on table)_

Aurora. _Do_, sir, I _don't believe_ there's no ailment, male nor
female, what you couldn't not cure, sir.

Doctor. Thank you, Aurora. _(crosses to fire)_

Aurora. Excuse the liberty I've took, sir, but I thought I'd best
warn you, sir, lest when 'e come dressed up, you might think it
was--it was _she_--and--and be disappointed, _(half crying)_

Doctor. So I should have been--_very_ disappointed. _(looking at
picture)_ Thank you very much.

Aurora. Still gazin' at 'is fancy! The time 'as come. It's now or
never--I'll struggle with yer! _(gets on chair, looks over into
mirror, takes combs from pocket, puts them on, pauses)_ I do
'ope Tupper was wrong; if 'e's gorn and