JANE (startled).  What?

MELISANDE.  Don’t go, Jane.  Do sit down, won’t you, Mr.—­er——­

GERVASE.  Mallory.

MELISANDE.  Mr. Mallory.

GERVASE.  Thank you.

MELISANDE.  Where will you sit, Mr. Mallory? (She is still talking in an utterly expressionless voice.)

GERVASE.  Thank you.  Where are you——­ (he indicates the sofa.)

MELISANDE (moving to it, but still holding JANE).  Thank you.

(MELISANDE and JANE sit down together on the sofa.  GERVASE sits on a chair near.  There is an awkward silence.)

JANE (half getting up).  Well, I’m afraid I must——­

(MELISANDE pulls her down.  She subsides.)

MELISANDE.  Charming weather we are having, are we not, Mr. Mallory?

GERVASE (enthusiastically).  Oh, rather.  Absolutely top-hole.

MELISANDE (to JANE).  Absolutely top-hole weather, is it not, Jane?

JANE.  Oh, I love it.

MELISANDE.  You play golf, I expect, Mr. Mallory?

GERVASE.  Oh, rather.  I’ve been playing this morning. (With a smile)
Pretty rotten, too, I’m afraid.

MELISANDE.  Jane plays golf. (to JANE) You’re pretty rotten, too, aren’t you, Jane?

JANE.  Bobby and I were both very bad to-day.

MELISANDE.  I think you will like Bobby, Mr. Mallory.  He is staying with us just now.  I expect you will have a good deal in common.  He is on the Stock Exchange.

GERVASE (smiling).  So am I.

MELISANDE (valiantly repressing a shudder).  Jane, Mr. Mallory is on the Stock Exchange.  Isn’t that curious?  I felt sure that he must be directly I saw him.

(There is another awkward silence.)

JANE (getting up).  Well, I’m afraid I must——­

MELISANDE (pulling her down).  Don’t go, Jane.  I suppose there are a great many of you on the Stock Exchange, Mr. Mallory?

GERVASE.  Oh, quite a lot.

MELISANDE.  Quite a lot, Jane. . . .  You don’t know Bobby—­Mr. Coote?

GERVASE.  N—­no, I don’t think so.

MELISANDE.  I suppose there are so many of you, and you dress so much alike, and look so much alike, that it’s difficult to be quite sure whom you do know.

GERVASE.  Yes, of course, that makes it more difficult.

MELISANDE.  Yes.  You see that, don’t you, Jane? . . .  You play billiards and bridge, of course, Mr. Mallory?

GERVASE.  Oh yes.

MELISANDE.  They are absolutely top-hole games, aren’t they?  Are you—­pretty rotten at them?

GERVASE.  Well——­

MELISANDE (getting up).  Ah, here’s my father.

(Enter MR. KNOWLE)

MR. KNOWLE.  Ah, Mr. Mallory, delighted to see you.  And Sandy and Jane to entertain you.  That’s right.

(They shake hands)

GERVASE.  How do you do?

(ALICE comes in with tea)

MR. KNOWLE.  I’ve been wasting my day at a sale.  I hope you spent yours more profitably, (GERVASE laughs pleasantly) And what have you been doing, Sandy?