ouse_ (_War Profiteer's wife, forlornly_). "THEY'VE JUST
TAKEN OUR THIRD FOOTMAN; AND IF ANY MORE OF OUR MEN HAVE TO GO WE SHALL
CLOSE THE HOUSE AND LIVE AT THE RITZ UNTIL THE WAR IS
OVER--(_brightly_)--HOWEVER, WE MUST ALL SACRIFICE SOMETHING."]

* * * * *

OVER-WEIGHT.

_Scene: A London Terminus_.

_Porter_ (_with an air of finality_). It weighs 'undred-and-four pounds.
You can't take it, mum.

_Lady Traveller_. Oh, I must take it.

[_Porter is obliged by an irritation of the head to remove his cap, but
does not speak._

_Lady Traveller_. It's all right. I know the manager of the line, and he
would pass it for me.

_Her Friend_. Isn't your friend manager of the Great Southern?

_Lady Traveller_ (_sharply_). He has a great deal to do with all these
railways now. (_To Porter, hopefully, but not very confidently_) That will
be all right.

_Porter_. Very sorry, mum. It can't be done.

_Lady Traveller_. My friend the manager would be very much annoyed at my
being stopped like this. Only four pounds, too. Why, it's nothing.

[_Porter removes his cap again on account of further irritation._

_Lady Traveller_ (_to her Friend_). I don't know what I'm to do. (_To
Porter_) What am I to do?

_Porter_ (_deliberately_). You must open it and take somethink out.

_Lady Traveller_. I can't open it here.

_Porter_ (_ignoring this_). Somethink weighing a bit over four pounds.

_Lady Traveller_. But I can't do it here.

_Porter_ (_ignoring this_). Pair o' boots or somethink.

_Lady Traveller_ (_to her Friend_). He seems to think my boots weigh four
pounds.

_Her Friend_. Haven't you got two pairs?

_Lady Traveller_ (_sourly_). Yes, but two pairs of my boots wouldn't weigh
four pounds.

_Porter_ (who has been quietly undoing the straps_). Is it locked, mum?

_Lady Traveller_ (_producing key and almost in tears_). It's too bad.

[_She dives into box and extracts two pairs of boots wrapped in
newspapers._

_Porter_ (_taking them and weighing them judiciously in his hands_). That's
all right, mum.

[_He pushes box on to weighing machine which registers under 100 lbs._

_Lady Traveller_. They're very thick boots, of course. Whatever am I to do
with them now?

_Her Friend_. We shall have to carry them. [_Takes one parcel._

_Lady Traveller_. Jane shall hear of this. I told her never to use
newspaper for packing.

_Her Friend_ (_suddenly_). There's Major Merriman.

_Lady