MR. KNOWLE.  I’m afraid you have.  Collingham.  You oughtn’t to have come within five miles of us.

GERVASE.  I suppose I oughtn’t.

MR. KNOWLE.  Well, all the more reason for having a drink now that you are here.

GERVASE.  It’s awfully kind of you.

(ALICE comes in.)

MR. KNOWLE.  Ah, here we are. (ALICE puts down the whiskey.) You’ve told Peters?

ALICE.  Yes, sir.  He’s looking after it now.

MR. KNOWLE.  That’s right, (ALICE goes out.) You’ll have some whiskey, won’t you?

GERVASE.  Thanks very much.

(He comes to the table.)

MR. KNOWLE.  And do take your coat off, won’t you, and make yourself comfortable?

GERVASE.  Er—­thanks.  I don’t think——­ (He smiles to himself and keeps his cloak on.)

MR. KNOWLE (busy with the drinks).  Say when.

GERVASE.  Thank you.

MR. KNOWLE.  And soda?

GERVASE.  Please. . . .  Thanks!

(He takes the glass.)

MR. KNOWLE (giving himself one).  I’m so glad you came, because I have a horror of drinking alone.  Even when my wife gives me cough-mixture, I insist on somebody else in the house having cough-mixture too.  A glass of cough-mixture with an old friend just before going to bed——­ (He looks up) But do take your coat off, won’t you, and sit down and be comfortable?

GERVASE.  Er—­thanks very much, but I don’t think——­ (With a shrug and a smile) Oh, well! (He puts down his glass and begins to take it off.  He is in fancy dress—­the wonderful young Prince in blue and gold of MELISANDE’S dream.)

(MR. KNOWLE turns round to him again just as he has put his cloak down.  He looks at GERVASE in amazement.)

MR. KNOWLE (pointing to his whiskey glass).  But I haven’t even begun it yet. . . .  Perhaps it’s the port.

GERVASE (laughing).  I’m awfully sorry.  You must wonder what on earth I’m doing.

MR. KNOWLE.  No, no; I wondered what on earth I’d been doing.

GERVASE.  You see, I’m going to a fancy dress dance at Collingham.

MR. KNOWLE.  You relieve my mind considerably.

GERVASE.  That’s why I didn’t want to come in—­or take my cloak off.

MR. KNOWLE (inspecting him).  It becomes you extraordinarily well, if I may say so.

GERVASE.  Oh, thanks very much.  But one feels rather absurd in it when other people are in ordinary clothes.

MR. KNOWLE.  On the contrary, you make other people feel absurd.  I don’t know that that particular style would have suited me, but (looking at himself) I am sure that I could have found something more expressive of my emotions than this.

GERVASE.  You’re quite right.  “Dress does make a difference, Davy.”

MR. KNOWLE.  It does indeed.

GERVASE.  I feel it’s almost wicked of me to be drinking a whiskey and soda.

MR. KNOWLE.  Very wicked. (Taking out his case) Have a cigarette, too?