Betty, about callers.

BETTY. Yes, ma'am.

BELINDA. If Mr. Baxter calls--he is the rather prim gentleman--

BETTY. Yes, ma'am; the one who's been here several times before.

BELINDA (giving BETTY a quick look). Yes. Well, if he calls, you'll say,
"Not at home."

BETTY. Yes, ma'am.

BELINDA. He will say, "Oh--er--oh--er--really." Then you'll smile very
sweetly and say, "I beg your pardon, was it Mr. _Baxter_?" And he'll
say, "Yes!" and you'll say, "Oh, I beg your pardon, sir; _this_ way,
please."

BETTY. Yes, ma'am.

BELINDA. That's right, Betty. Well now, if Mr. Devenish calls--he is the
rather poetical gentleman--

BETTY. Yes, ma'am; the one who's always coming here.

BELINDA (with a pleased smile). Yes. Well, if he calls you'll say, "Not
at home."

BETTY. Yes, ma'am.

BELINDA. He'll immediately throw down his bunch of flowers and dive
despairingly into the moat. You'll stop him, just as he is going in, and
say, "I beg your pardon, sir, was it Mr. _Devenish_?" And he will
say, "Yes!" and you will say, "Oh, I beg your pardon, sir; _this_ way,
please."

BETTY. Yes, ma'am. And suppose they both call together?

BELINDA. We won't suppose anything so exciting, Betty.

BETTY. No, ma'am. And suppose any other gentleman calls?

BELINDA (with a sigh). There aren't any other gentlemen.

BETTY. It might be a clergyman, come to ask for a subscription like.

BELINDA. If it's a clergyman, Betty, I shall--I shall want your
assistance out of the hammock first.

BETTY. Yes, ma'am.

BELINDA. That's all. To anybody else I'm not at home. (Trying to secure
book on table and nearly falling out of the hammock.) Oh, just give me
that little green book. (Pointing to books on the table.) The one at
the bottom there--that's the one. (BETTY gives it to her.) Thank you.
(Reading the title.) "The Lute of Love," by Claude Devenish. (To herself
as she turns the pages.) It doesn't seem much for half-a-crown when you
think of the _Daily Telegraph_. ... Lute... Lute.... I should have
quite a pretty mouth if I kept on saying that. (With a great deal of
expression.) Lute! (She pats her mouth back.)

BETTY. Is that all, ma'am?

BELINDA. That's all. (BETTY prepares to go.) Oh, what am I thinking of!
(Waving to the table.) I want that review; I think it's the blue one.
(As BETTY begins to look.) It has an article by Mr. Baxter on the "Rise
of Lunacy in the Eastern Counties"--yes, that's the one. I'd better have
that too; I'm just