A
frightfully good fireside manner. Do get him here, Mabel, and have a
heart-to-heart talk, all three of you!
MABEL. [Suddenly] Listen! There's Ronny!
DANCY comes in.
DANCY. [With a smile] Very good of you to have come.
MARGARET. Yes. We're just going. Oh! Ronny, this is quite too--
[But his face dries her up; and sidling past, she goes].
LADY A. Charles sent his-love--[Her voice dwindles on the word, and she,
too, goes].
DANCY. [Crossing to his wife] What have they been saying?
MABEL. Ronny! Why didn't you tell me?
DANCY. I wanted to see De Levis again first.
MABEL. That wretch! How dare he? Darling! [She suddenly clasps and
kisses him. He does not return the kiss, but remains rigid in her arms,
so that she draws away and looks at him] It's hurt you awfully, I know.
DANCY. Look here, Mabel! Apart from that muck--this is a ghastly
tame-cat sort of life. Let's cut it and get out to Nairobi. I can scare
up the money for that.
MABEL. [Aghast] But how can we? Everybody would say--
RONNY. Let them! We shan't be here.
MABEL. I couldn't bear people to think--
DANCY. I don't care a damn what people think monkeys and cats.
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