Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honor Part 34

Don't be such a fool. You're not going to use that?

LADY MERESTON.

I am indeed.

FOULDES.

Your blood be upon your own head. Unless I'm vastly mistaken you'll suffer the greatest humiliation that you can imagine.

LADY MERESTON.

That's absurd. I have nothing to fear.

LADY FREDERICK. _comes in._

MERESTON.

I'm so sorry to disturb you. I hope you don't mind?

LADY FREDERICK.

Not at all. I knew you wouldn't have sent for me in that fas.h.i.+on without good cause.

MERESTON.

I'm afraid you'll think me dreadfully impertinent.

LADY MERESTON.

Really you need not apologise so much, Charlie.

MERESTON.

My mother has something to say against you, and I think it right that she should say it in your presence.

LADY FREDERICK.

That's very nice of you, Charlie--though I confess I prefer people to say horrid things of me only behind my back. Especially if they're true.

FOULDES.

Look here, I think all this is rather nonsense. We've most of us got something in our past history that we don't want raked up, and we'd all better let bygones be bygones.

LADY FREDERICK.

I'm waiting, Lady Mereston.

LADY MERESTON.

It's merely that I thought my son should know that Lady Frederick had been the mistress of Roger Bellingham. [LADY FREDERICK _turns quickly and looks at her_; _then bursts into a peal of laughter_. LADY MERESTON _springs up angrily and hands her a letter_.] Is this in your handwriting?

LADY FREDERICK.

[_Not at all disconcerted._] Dear me, how did you get hold of this?

LADY MERESTON.

You see that I have ample proof, Lady Frederick.

LADY FREDERICK.

[_Handing the letter to_ MERESTON.] Would you like to read it? You know my writing well enough to be able to answer Lady Mereston's question.

[_He reads it through and looks at her in dismay._

MERESTON.

Good G.o.d!... What does it mean?

LADY FREDERICK.

Pray read it aloud.

MERESTON.

I can't.

LADY FREDERICK.

Then give it to me. [_She takes it from him._] It's addressed to my brother-in-law, Peter Berolles. The Kate to whom it refers was his wife.

[_Reads._] Dear Peter: I'm sorry you should have had a row with Kate about Roger Bellingham. You are quite wrong in all you thought. There is absolutely nothing between them. I don't know where Kate was on Tuesday night, but certainly she was not within a hundred miles of Roger. This I know because....

MERESTON.

[_Interrupting._] For G.o.d's sake don't go on.

[LADY FREDERICK _looks at him and shrugs her shoulders_.

LADY FREDERICK.

It's signed Elizabeth Berolles. And there's a postscript: You may make what use of this letter you like.

MERESTON.

What does it mean? What does it mean?

LADY MERESTON.