Mary Broome: A Comedy, in Four Acts

SHEILA. Come and look, Edgar.

ADA. He's only pretending not to care.

SHEILA. Lend me your knife. [_She takes it from him and cuts the string._] I brought this over without opening it just to let you see it too.

EDGAR. For Heaven's sake remember who sent them all.

SHEILA. It's all right. Ada's keeping a list.

EDGAR. Well, get all the fun out of it you can. You won't often have the chance of being married.

SHEILA. [_Opening the parcel._] Oh! how nice! What do you mean, Edgar? I've had lots of chances.

EDGAR. You can't go on having them now, though.

ADA. Let me see, Sheila.

SHEILA. No, that's why I want everything to be nice. Instead of all those chances I want one delightful reality. A sweet little tea caddy; that's two; the other was bigger. One delightful reality, Edgar. You've got to see to that.

EDGAR. Oh! I'll make a jolly good husband.

SHEILA. I wasn't thinking of that. I was only thinking of the wedding. One thing at a time. I want to have the prettiest wedding that ever was. Something that I can look back to. No hitches and stupidities and uglinesses.

ADA. Some people like Indian tea. You could have Indian tea in that one.

[_Enter MARY BROOME, the housemaid. She is a comely young woman in the housemaid's usual afternoon dress and with the housemaid's usual self-possession._]

MARY. A parcel for you, sir.

EDGAR. Thank you. Will you put it down--anywhere.

ADA. Another present! No.

EDGAR. Only my new silk hat.

SHEILA. Hurrah! That's right.

[_MARY puts the box on a chair and is going out when EDGAR speaks._]

EDGAR. Er--is Mr. Leonard in, do you know?

MARY. I think he went upstairs, sir.

ADA. What do you want with him?

SHEILA. Let's see you in the new hat.

EDGAR. It's just a notion I had. I'm afraid of forgetting. I wonder if he's done anything about clothes and things; he's fearfully casual.

MARY. Must I--? Do you want me, sir?

EDGAR. No, I think not, thank you.