HARRY. Walter--
WALTER. I go, Harry. Rose!
ROSE. [_Aside, with a sudden thought_.] Go! Say nothing.
WALTER. Come, sir. [_To_ HARRY.
ROSE_ assumes an air of cool indifference, and flings herself
carelessly in a chair._ MAJOR CLEVELAND _appears astonished_. MR.
ELSWORTH _and the others look surprised and incredulous_.
PICTURE TO CLOSE OF ACT.
ACT II.
SCENE.--_A Garden.--House in the background, illuminated_.
_Enter_ ROSE _and_ MAJOR CLEVELAND _from house_, ROSE _hanging on the_
MAJOR'S _arm_.
ROSE. It was really absurd--was it not?--to think me the champion
of that country clown. Poor fellow! I couldn't bear his discomfited
looks, Major, and so, out of old companionship, what could I do less
than stand up for him? There won't be anything positively serious,
will there, eh? I should be sorry to have it so, inasmuch as he fell
into the trap under my father's roof. But don't you think I made a
good champion? It was really presumptuous for the fellow to come here,
though. These rustic clowns thrust themselves everywhere.
CLEVELAND. What, Miss Elsworth, Captain Armstrong, then, is nothing--
ROSE. Nothing in the world, I assure you, but a harmless country lad!
Do tell me, Major, am I not a good actor?
CLEVELAND. Excellent. I really could have supposed that this American
stood high in your esteem.
ROSE. Oh, I like him well enough. He is among the best the country
affords, but that is very bad, you know.
Pages:
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