Read Priestley Plays Four for Free Online Page B

about?
    PEGGY:
(Pleading.)
Mr Dimmock, your health comes first. Business isn’t everything. Wouldn’t you like me to send for the car and then ring up Mrs Dimmock?
    DIMMOCK:
(Angrily.)
No, I wouldn’t. Just because I saw a rat!
    PEGGY: Not just the rat. You said you saw a dwarf –
    DIMMOCK: Well, I
did
see a dwarf. Now, you get on with your work, Peggy, and let me get on with mine.
(As she goes.)
And tell ’em next time I don’t want sandwiches that taste like sawdust.
    PEGGY:
(Turning at door, reproachfully.)
Oh – Mr Dimmock – it’s not the sandwiches – it’s
you –
    When she goes, he opens the cupboard cautiously. It is solidly filled with big books, files etc. as before. He stares at it thoughtfully, closes doors, then walks slowly away, and, turned away from the cupboard, tries his sandwiches and milk again. Out of the cupboard comes MELICENT, looking very beautiful, expectant, gay, in a costume we have not seen before. DIMMOCK turns and sees her and is astonished
.
    DIMMOCK: Now what’s this?
    MELICENT:
(Smiling sweetly.)
It’s me. Who are you?
    DIMMOCK: Seeing this is my room, I ought to be asking
you
that. However, as you’re new – I’ll tell you. I’m Mr Dimmock, one of the directors here. And though you look very nice, my dear, you must understand we can’t have models in costume roaming about just as they like.
    MELICENT: I’m looking for Sam.
    DIMMOCK: Oh – the
Damosel Stockings
job. Well, Sam
was
here, then he went off. But I sent Anne Dutton-Swift and Philip Spencer-Smith to bring him back, so he oughtn’t to be long. As soon as he comes, you’d better pose for him again.
    MELICENT: I think I love Sam.
    DIMMOCK: You’re not the first, so take it easy. What’s your name, dear?
    MELICENT: I am Princess Melicent –
    DIMMOCK: Doesn’t surprise me. We’d the granddaughter of a Russian Grandduchess working for us, last year.
And
an Italian
contessa
. Make good models too – you aristocratic girls – it’s the training, I suppose.
    But the drill starts up for a few moments. She is terrified and puts her hands to her ears
.
    DIMMOCK:
(When it stops.)
I ought to have warned you, dear. It’s only that pneumatic drill –
    MELICENT:
(Reproachfully.)
Why do you have such terrible things? We don’t have them in real life –
    DIMMOCK: In what?
    MELICENT: In real life. Have you seen Master Marlagram the enchanter?
    DIMMOCK: Never heard of him. Believe it or not, what I
have
seen is a large brown rat that went
he-he-he
or I’m barmy.
    MELICENT:
(Relieved.)
That’s Master Marlagram. He said he’d transform himself before he saw you.
    DIMMOCK:
(In despair.)
We’re off again. Hold it, dear.
(Into intercom.)
Peggy, I want you in here – sharp.
(To MELICENT.)
When my secretary comes in, just tell her what you’ve just told me. She thinks I ought to go home and lie down.
    MELICENT:
(Sympathetically.)
Because you have a sickness, poor man?
(She goes to him, looking at him closely.)
You have a kind face – but it is sad. I think you may have a sickness.
    She puts a hand on DIMMOCK’s forehead. He accepts the attention with a kind of fatuous approval. Peggy enters and does not like this business
.
    PEGGY:
(Acidly.)
Oh – I’ll come back later. I didn’t know you were busy.
    DIMMOCK:
(Bluffly.)
No – no – that’s all right. Peggy – this is – er – Princess Melicent – who’s been sitting for Sam. Now, Princess, you just tell Peggy what you told me – about Master Who’s-it –
    MELICENT:
(Staring at Peggy.)
Alison! How did
you
come here?
    PEGGY: How did
you
know my other name’s Alison? Oh – you must be the girl my cousin Audrey mentioned to me. But you oughtn’t have come in here. Oh – I suppose you haven’t a compact –
    MELICENT:
(Bewildered.)
A compact?
    PEGGY:
(Producing one.)
You know. Like this.
(She opens the compact and brings out powder puff and lipstick.)
    MELICENT:
(In ecstasy.)
Oh – how wonderful! Better than anything in real life. I must have one of