The 'Mind the Paint' Girl Part 18

LILY.

No; it's to be only the men in the theatre and the princ.i.p.al ladies.

JEYES.

_Roper's_ going.

LILY.

Uncle Lal? Oh, well, he's hardly from outside.

JEYES.

And de Castro.

LILY.

Sam?

JEYES.

I'm sure of it, from something I heard him say just now.

LILY.

Sam used to finance Carlton. I suppose they reckon _him_ one of us.

JEYES.

[_Sitting in the chair in the middle of the room._] Smythe might have extended the compliment to _me_, Lil. He knows how I stand towards you.

LILY.

Awfully sorry; _I_ can't help it.

JEYES.

[_Twining his fingers together._] You see, if Roper and de Castro are asked, there may be others.

LILY.

[_Changing her position._] Oh, lal, lal, lal, lal, la!

JEYES.

[_With a set jaw._] Some of the more juvenile "boys," perhaps.

[_Examining his nails._] Lil.

LILY.

What?

JEYES.

When did you make the acquaintance of the young sprig o' the n.o.bility who's been here this afternoon?

LILY.

Lord Farncombe? Bertie brought him and introduced him one day last week.

JEYES.

Ha! _He's_ at your feet now.

LILY.

Phuh!

JEYES.

Oh, you may "phuh"! He's in front every blessed night. There he sits, Row B., three stalls from the end, prompt side!

LILY.

There are a few good-looking girls at the Pandora besides your humble servant.

JEYES.

Rubbis.h.!.+ His gla.s.s follows you all over the stage. I watched him talking to you in this room----

LILY.

[_Raising herself._] Did you indeed!

JEYES.

[_Beating his clenched hands upon the arms of his chair._] G.o.d in heaven! First it's one, then it's another, chasing you!

LILY.

[_Putting her feet to the ground._] Oh, you're maddening, Nicko! You _are_; you're maddening. Last night it was Stewie Heneage you chose to be jealous of, simply because you'd heard him sounding my praises at Catani's! You almost broke the window of the car, you went on so!

JEYES.

I confess I object to Heneage, or any man, raving about you at the top of his voice in a public place.

LILY.