Three Plays by Granville-Barker Part 85

AMY. How are you, Dr. Wedgecroft? [_then to_ TREBELL.] Did you have a good holiday? London pulls one to pieces wretchedly. I shall give up living here at all.

WEDGECROFT. You look very well.

AMY. Do I!

TREBELL. A very good holiday. Sit down . . he won't be a minute.

_She sits on the nearest chair._

AMY. You're not ill . . interviewing a doctor?

TREBELL. The one thing Wedgecroft's no good at is doctoring. He keeps me well by sheer moral suasion.

KENT _comes out of his room and is off downstairs_.

TREBELL _calls to him_.

TREBELL. Mrs. O'Connell's here.

KENT. Oh! [_He comes back and into the room._] Miss Trebell hasn't got there yet.

WEDGECROFT _has suddenly looked at his watch_.

WEDGECROFT. I must fly. Good bye, Mrs. O'Connell.

AMY. [_Putting her hand, constrained by its glove, into his open hand._]

I am always a little afraid of you.

WEDGECROFT. That isn't the feeling a doctor wants to inspire.

KENT. [_To_ TREBELL.] David Evans--

TREBELL. Evans?

KENT. The reverend one . . is downstairs and wants to see you.

WEDGECROFT. [_As he comes to them._] Hampstead Road Tabernacle . . Oh, the mammon of righteousness!

TREBELL. Shut up! How long have I before Lord Charles--?

KENT. Only ten minutes.

MRS. O'CONNELL _goes to sit at the big table, and apparently idly takes a sheet of paper to scribble on_.

TREBELL. [_Half thinking, half questioning._] He's a man I can say nothing to politely.

WEDGECROFT. I'm off to Percival's now. Then I've another case and I'm due back at twelve. If there's anything helpful to say I'll look in again for two minutes . . not more.

TREBELL. You're a good man.

WEDGECROFT. [_As he goes._] Congratulations, Kent.

KENT. [_Taking him to the stairs._] Thank you very much.

AMY. [_Beckoning with her eyes._] What's this, Mr. Trebell?

TREBELL. Eh? I beg your pardon.

_He goes behind her and reads over her shoulder what she has written._ KENT _comes back_.

KENT. Shall I bring him up here?

TREBELL _looks up and for a moment stares at his secretary rather sharply, then speaks in a matter-of-fact voice_.

TREBELL. See him yourself, downstairs. Talk to him for five minutes . .

find out what he wants. Tell him it will be as well for the next week or two if he can say he hasn't seen me.

KENT. Yes.

_He goes._ TREBELL _follows him to the door which he shuts. Then he turns to face_ AMY, _who is tearing up the paper she wrote on_.

TREBELL. What is it?

AMY. [_Her steady voice breaking, her carefully calculated control giving way._] Oh Henry . . Henry!

TREBELL. Are you in trouble?

AMY. You'll hate me, but . . oh, it's brutal of you to have been away so long.

TREBELL. Is it with your husband?

AMY. Perhaps. Oh, come nearer to me . . do.

TREBELL. [_Coming nearer without haste or excitement._] Well? [_Her eyes are closed._] My dear girl, I'm too busy for love-making now. If there are any facts to be faced, let me have them . . quite quickly.

_She looks up at him for a moment; then speaks swiftly and sharply as one speaks of disaster._

AMY. There's a danger of my having a child . . your child . . some time in April. That's all.

TREBELL. [_A sceptic who has seen a vision._] Oh . . it's impossible.

AMY. [_Flas.h.i.+ng at him, revengefully._] Why?

TREBELL. [_Brought to his mundane self._] Well . . are you sure?

AMY. [_In sudden agony._] D'you think I want it to be true? D'you think I--? You don't know what it is to have a thing happening in spite of you.

TREBELL. [_His face set in thought._] Where have you been since we met?