The 'Mind the Paint' Girl Part 50

LILY.

Ah--! [_Raising her fist._] Ah-h-h-h----!

FARNCOMBE.

Miss Parradell----!

LILY.

[_Restraining herself with difficulty and pacing the room._] Oh, the cur! The cur! The cur!

FARNCOMBE.

[_To JEYES, looking at him steadily._] Captain Jeyes----

LILY.

The low cur!

FARNCOMBE.

Captain Jeyes, do you happen to know where I lodge?

JEYES.

No; I don't know where your sty is.

FARNCOMBE.

St. James's Place-- forty-seven. I shall be in at twelve o'clock.

[_Picking up his hat and overcoat._] From the tone this gentleman adopts, Miss Parradell, I a.s.sume that he considers himself ent.i.tled to concern himself in your affairs. [_Moving over to the left where LILY joins him._] Perhaps it will make it easier for you if I----

LILY.

[_Clutching his arm._] Ah, I'm so indignant, Eddie! I-- I-- I----!

JEYES.

Eddie! _Eddie!_

LILY.

[_Turning upon JEYES in a fury._] Yes, you cad-- Eddie, _Eddie_, EDDIE! You cad! You sneak! You idler! You waster! I've stood it long enough. This is the last straw! I've done with you! I'm sick to death of you! How I've tolerated you all these years is a mystery to me!

After this, get out of my sight and never show yourself to me again!

JEYES.

[_Grasping her wrist, fiercely._] Lily----!

LILY.

[_Wrenching herself free._] _What!_ [_Losing control over herself utterly._] You'll spy on me, will you, you shabby loafer! You'll peep at me while I'm eating my supper, and count the dances I choose to give that boy over there, will you! And then you'll break into my house, and insult my friends behind their backs, and insinuate foul things against my poor old mother-- you d.a.m.ned coward!-- and against me, [_pointing to FARNCOMBE_] and _him_! Why, you're not fit to black his boots, and you never were-- never-- you-- you-- you sc.u.m! Here!

[_Taking FARNCOMBE'S note from her bosom and thrusting it at JEYES._]

Read that! [_Sitting in the arm-chair by the centre table._] Read it!

Read it! Read it! [_JEYES reads to himself._] Out loud!

JEYES.

[_Mumbling._] "Dear Miss Parradell. Will you allow me----?"

LILY.

Louder!

JEYES.

"Will you allow me to remain behind for a few minutes with Miss Jimmie after the others have gone? I know I am presuming a lot, but I cannot leave you till I have asked you the most important question a man can put to a woman. Farncombe."

LILY.

[_Breathless._] Written here-- on my note-paper-- while I was out of the room! It came on me like a thunder-clap! Ah! Ah! Ah! [_JEYES sits upon the settee, staring at the carpet._] And Morrie Cooling and Lal will tell you that I hadn't a notion that Lord Farncombe was to be at the supper last night, or any of the boys; not a notion.

I blackguarded 'em both for deceiving me, and causing me to deceive _you_. [_Taking the scent-atomizer from the table and spraying her face with it._] Now! What have you to say now! Ah! Ah! Ah!

JEYES.

[_Huskily._] Why-- why the devil did you let Jimmie go? Why did you let her go? It was knowing that you and Farncombe were alone that-- that made me----

LILY.

Oh, if I'd suspected that a private detective was hovering around, I'd have kept the whole lot of my friends! As it was, Jimmie was looking dead, and--! [_in disdain._] Pah!

[_There is a pause and then JEYES sits upright and draws his hand wearily across his eyes._

JEYES.

[_To LILY._] Well, I-- I beg your pardon. [_LILY continues to spray herself energetically._] I'm not so completely _sc.u.m_ as not to see that I ought to beg your pardon. [_Humbly._] I beg your pardon.

LILY.

[_Softening by degrees._] You-- you drive me mad sometimes-- positively frantic!

JEYES.

[_Partly to himself._] Mad! [_To FARNCOMBE._] And you, Farncombe-- I hope you'll accept my apologies. I offer them unreservedly.

[_FARNCOMBE bows, somewhat stiffly._

LILY.