[_They talk in undertones. BLORE enters to remove the tea-tray._
[_Jumping up excitedly--to SALOME._] Eh? Oh, certainly--delighted! [_Singing to himself._] "Come into the garden, Maud, for the black bat----"
I'm always dreadfully excited when I'm asked to sing. It's as good as a carbonate of soda lozenge to me to be asked to sing. [_To BLORE._] My music is in my overcoat pocket.
[_In a rage, glaring at DARBEY._] Hah! There now!
[_To BLORE._] You'll find it in the hall.
[_BLORE goes out. THE DEAN dozes in a chair. SALOME and SHEBA talk to GEORGIANA at the table._
[_To himself._] He always presumes with his confounded fiddle when I'm going to entertain. He knows that his fiddle's never hoarse and that I am, sometimes.
[_To himself._] Tarver always tries to cut me out with his elderly Chest C. He ought to put it on the Retired List.
I'll sing him off his legs to-night--I'm in lovely voice.
[_He walks into the Library and is heard trying his voice, singing "Come into the garden, Maud."_
[_To himself._] He needn't bother himself. While he was dozing in the carriage I threw his music out of the window.
_BLORE re-enters, carrying a violin-case and a leather music roll. DARBEY takes the violin-case, opens it, and produces his violin and music. BLORE hands the music roll to TARVER and goes out._
[_To SALOME, trembling with excitement._] My tones are like a beautiful bell this evening. I'm so glad, for all our sakes. [_As he takes the leather music roll from BLORE._] Thank you, that's it.
"Come into the garden, Maud." I've begun with "Corne into the garden, Maud" for years and years. [_He opens the music roll--it is empty._] Oh! Miss Jedd, I've forgotten my music!
[_TARVER with a groan of despair sinks on to the settee._
[_Tuning his violin._] Will you accompany me?
[_Raising her eyes._] To the end of the world.
My mother says that my bowing is something like Joachim's, and she ought to know.
[_DARBEY plays and SHEBA accompanies him. SALOME sits beside TARVER._
[_To herself._] Well, after all, George, my boy, you're not stabled in such a bad box! Here is a regular pure, simple, English Evening at Home!
[_Mumbling to himself._] A thousand pounds to the Restoration Fund and all those bills to settle--oh dear! oh dear! What shall I do?
