FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39  
40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   >>   >|  
n maid; she helps the vegetable maid. It is she, my lady, who conveys the dishes from the one end of the kitchen table, where they are placed by the cook, to the other end, where they enter into the charge of Thomas and John. LADY MARY. I see. And you and Crichton are--ah--keeping company? (CRICHTON draws himself up.) TWEENY (aghast). A butler don't keep company, my lady. LADY MARY (indifferently). Does he not? CRICHTON. No, your ladyship, we butlers may--(he makes a gesture with his arms)--but we do not keep company. AGATHA. I know what it is; you are engaged? (TWEENY looks longingly at CRICHTON.) CRICHTON. Certainly not, my lady. The utmost I can say at present is that I have cast a favourable eye. (Even this is much to TWEENY.) LADY MARY. As you choose. But I am afraid, Crichton, she will not suit us. CRICHTON. My lady, beneath this simple exterior are concealed a very sweet nature and rare womanly gifts. AGATHA. Unfortunately, that is not what we want. CRICHTON. And it is she, my lady, who dresses the hair of the ladies'-maids for our evening meals. (The ladies are interested at last.) LADY MARY. She dresses Fisher's hair? TWEENY. Yes, my lady, and I does them up when they goes to parties. CRICHTON (pained, but not scolding). Does! TWEENY. Doos. And it's me what alters your gowns to fit them. CRICHTON. What alters! TWEENY. Which alters. AGATHA. Mary? LADY MARY. I shall certainly have her. CATHERINE. We shall certainly have her. Tweeny, we have decided to make a lady's-maid of you. TWEENY. Oh lawks! AGATHA. We are doing this for you so that your position socially may be more nearly akin to that of Crichton. CRICHTON (gravely). It will undoubtedly increase the young person's chances. LADY MARY. Then if I get a good character for you from Mrs. Perkins, she will make the necessary arrangements. (She resumes reading.) TWEENY (elated). My lady! LADY MARY. By the way, I hope you are a good sailor. TWEENY (startled). You don't mean, my lady, I'm to go on the ship? LADY MARY. Certainly. TWEENY. But--(To CRICHTON.) You ain't going, sir? CRICHTON. No. TWEENY (firm at last). Then neither ain't I. AGATHA. YOU must. TWEENY. Leave him! Not me. LADY MARY. Girl, don't be silly. Crichton will be--considered in your wages. TWEENY. I ain't going. CRICHTON. I feared this, my lady. TWEENY. Nothing'll budge me. LADY MARY. Leave the room.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39  
40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

TWEENY

 

CRICHTON

 
AGATHA
 

Crichton

 

company

 

alters

 

Certainly

 

ladies

 

dresses

 

undoubtedly


increase
 

gravely

 

Tweeny

 

decided

 

CATHERINE

 

socially

 

position

 

resumes

 

considered

 

feared


Nothing

 

Perkins

 

arrangements

 

character

 

chances

 

reading

 

elated

 

startled

 

sailor

 
scolding

person

 
simple
 

butler

 

indifferently

 

ladyship

 

aghast

 

keeping

 

butlers

 

engaged

 

gesture


kitchen

 

dishes

 

conveys

 

vegetable

 

charge

 

Thomas

 

longingly

 
utmost
 

Unfortunately

 

womanly