ERN (grinning).  ’Ad my breakfast.

GERVASE.  You’ve had yours?  You selfish brute! . . .  Of course, you’re wondering why I haven’t had mine.

ERN.  Bacon fat. (He makes reminiscent noises.)

GERVASE.  Don’t keep on going through all the courses.  Well, what happened was this.  My car broke down.  I suppose you never had a motor car of your own.

ERN.  Don’t like moty cars.

GERVASE.  Well, really, after last night I’m inclined to agree with you.  Well, no, I oughtn’t to say that, because, if I hadn’t broken down, I should never have seen Her.  Ernest, I don’t know if you’re married or anything of that sort, but I think even your rough stern heart would have been moved by that vision of loveliness which I saw last night. (He is silent for a little, thinking of her.) Well, then, I lost my way.  There I was—­ten miles from anywhere—­in the middle of what was supposed to be a short cut—­late at night—­Midsummer Night—­what would you have done, Ernest?

ERN.  Gone ’ome.

GERVASE.  Don’t be silly.  How could I go home when I didn’t know where home was, and it was a hundred miles away, and I’d just seen the Princess?  No, I did what your father or your Uncle George or any wise man would have done, I sat in the car and thought of Her.

ERN.  Oo!

GERVASE.  You are surprised?  Ah, but if you’d seen her. . . .  Have you ever been alone in the moonlight on Midsummer Night—­I don’t mean just for a minute or two, but all through the night until the dawn came?  You aren’t really alone, you know.  All round you there are little whisperings going on, little breathings, little rustlings.  Somebody is out hunting; somebody stirs in his sleep as he dreams again the hunt of yesterday; somebody up in the tree-tops pipes suddenly to the dawn, and then, finding that the dawn has not come, puts his silly little head back under his wing and goes to sleep again. . . .  And the fairies are out.  Do you believe in fairies, Ernest?  You would have believed in them last night.  I heard them whispering.

ERN.  Oo!

GERVASE (coming out of his thoughts with a laugh).  Well, of course, I can’t expect you to believe me.  But don’t go about thinking that there’s nothing in the world but bacon fat and bull’s-eyes.  Well, then, I suppose I went to sleep, for I woke up suddenly and it was morning, the most wonderful sparkling magical morning—­but, of course, you were just settling down to business then.

ERN.  Oo! (He makes more reminiscent noises.)

GERVASE.  Yes, that’s just what I said.  I said to myself, breakfast.

ERN.  ’Ad my breakfast.