BRIAN (stiffly).  Sir Brian Strange, R.A., if you please, Miss Marden.  Sir Brian Strange, R.A., writes:  “Your Sanogene has proved a most excellent tonic.  After completing the third acre of my Academy picture ‘The Mayor and Corporation of Pudsey’ I was completely exhausted, but one bottle of Sanogene revived me, and I finished the remaining seven acres at a single sitting.”

OLIVIA (looking about her).  Brian, find my scissors for me.

BRIAN.  Scissors. (Looking for them) Sir Brian Strange, R.A., looks for scissors. (Finding them) Aha!  Once more we must record an unqualified success for the eminent Academician.  Your scissors.

OLIVIA.  Thank you so much.

DINAH.  Come on, Brian, let’s go out.  I feel open-airy.

OLIVIA.  Don’t be late for lunch, there’s good people.  Lady Marden is coming.

DINAH.  Aunt Juli-ah!  Help! (She faints in BRIAN’S arms) That means a clean pinafore.  Brian, you’ll jolly well have to brush your hair.

BRIAN (feeling it).  I suppose there’s no time now to go up to London and get it cut?

    [Enter ANNE, followed by PIM.

ANNE.  Mr. Pim!

DINAH (delighted).  Hullo, Mr. Pim!  Here we are again!  You can’t get rid of us so easily, you see.

PIM.  I—­er—­dear Miss Marden—­

OLIVIA.  How do you do, Mr. Pim?  I can’t get up, but do come and sit down.  My husband will be here in a minute.  Anne, send somebody down to the farm—­

ANNE.  I think I heard the Master in the library, madam.

OLIVIA.  Oh, will you tell him then?

ANNE.  Yes, madam.

    [ANNE goes out.

OLIVIA.  You’ll stay to lunch, of course, Mr. Pim?

DINAH.  Oh, do!

PIM.  It’s very kind of you, Mrs. Marden, but—­

DINAH.  Oh, you simply must, Mr. Pim.  You haven’t told us half enough about yourself yet.  I want to hear all about your early life.

OLIVIA.  Dinah!

PIM.  Oh, we are almost, I might say, old friends, Mrs. Marden.

DINAH.  Of course we are.  He knows Brian, too.  There’s more in Mr. Pim than you think.  You will stay to lunch, won’t you?

PIM.  It’s very kind of you to ask me, Mrs. Marden, but I am lunching with the Trevors.

OLIVIA.  Oh, well, you must come to lunch another day.

DINAH.  The reason why we like Mr. Pim so much is that he was the first person to congratulate us.  We feel that he is going to have a great influence on our lives.

PIM (to OLIVIA).  I, so to speak, stumbled on the engagement this morning and—­er—­

OLIVIA.  I see.  Children, you must go and tidy yourselves up.  Run along.

BRIAN.  Sir Brian and Lady Strange never run; they walk. (Offering his arm) Madam!

DINAH (taking it).  Au revoir, Mr. Pim. (Dramatically)
We—­shall—­meet—­again!

PIM (chuckling).  Good morning, Miss Dinah.