of hats which
ladies--

[_Sweeping a descriptive motion with his hand, he gives the
paper to_ CYNTHIA, _then moves his glass, reads, and sips._

CYNTHIA. The lamp, Thomas.

THOMAS _blows out the alcohol lamp on the tea-table with
difficulty. Blows twice. Movement of_ PHILIP _each time.
Blows again._

PHILIP. [_Irritably._] Confound it, Thomas! What are you puffing and
blowing at--?

THOMAS. It's out, ma'am--yes, sir.

PHILIP. You're excessively noisy, Thomas!

THOMAS. [_In a fluster._] Yes, sir--I am.

CYNTHIA. [_Soothing_ THOMAS'S _wounded feelings._] We don't need you,
Thomas.

THOMAS. Yes, ma'am.

PHILIP. Puffing and blowing and shaking and quaking like an automobile
in an ecstasy! [THOMAS _meekly withdraws._

CYNTHIA. [_Not unsympathetically._] Too bad, Philip! I hope my
presence isn't too agitating?

PHILIP. Ah--it's just because I value this hour with you,
Cynthia--this hour of tea and toast and tranquillity. It's quite as if
we were married--happily married--already.

CYNTHIA. [_Admitting that married life is a blank, begins to look
through paper._] Yes, I feel as if we were married already.

PHILIP. [_Not recognizing her tone._] Ah! It's the calm, you see.

CYNTHIA. [_Without warmth._] The calm? Yes--yes, it's--it's the calm.

PHILIP. [_Sighs._] Yes, the calm--the Halcyon calm of--of second
choice. H'm! [_He reads and turns over the leaves of the paper._
CYNTHIA _reads. There is a silence._] After all, my dear--the feeling
which I have for you--is--is--eh--the market is in a shocking
condition of plethora! H'm--h'm--and what are you reading?

CYNTHIA. [_Embarrassed._] Oh, eh--well--I--eh--I'm just running over
the sporting news.

PHILIP. Oh! [_He looks thoughtful._

CYNTHIA. [_Beginning to forget_ PHILIP _and to remember more
interesting matters._] I fancied Hermes would come in an easy winner.
He came in nowhere. Nonpareil was ridden by Henslow--he's a rotten bad
rider. He gets nervous.

PHILIP. [_Still interested in his newspaper._] Does he? H'm! I suppose
you do retain an interest in horses and races. H'm--I trust some day
the--ah--law will attract--Oh [_Turning a page._], here's the report
of my opinion in that dressmaker's case--Haggerty _vs._ Phillimore.

CYNTHIA. [_Puzzled._] Was the case brought against you?

PHILIP. Oh--no. The suit was brought by Haggerty, Miss Haggerty, a
dressmaker, against the--in fact, my dear, against the former Mrs.
Phillimore. [