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Page 70
But where? where can I--?
QUEX.
Run away to Mrs. Jack--ask her to let you share her room to-night.
[_Pointing to the writing-table._] Ah--! scribble a message--
[_The_ DUCHESS _seats herself at the writing-table and writes agitatedly
at his dictation._
QUEX.
[_Dictating._] "The Duchess of Strood has been seized with a dreadful
fit of nerves and has gone to Mrs. Eden's room. Come to her there at
eight." Lay that upon the bed. [_Indicating the bedroom._] Is there a
door in there?
DUCHESS.
[_Rising breathlessly._] Yes.
QUEX.
Locked?
DUCHESS.
Yes.
QUEX.
The key. [_Imperatively._] Give me the key. [_She runs into the bedroom
and, having laid the written message upon the bed, disappears for a
moment. He refills his tumbler and drinks, chuckling sardonically as he
does so._] Ha, ha, ha! [_She returns with the key, which he pockets._]
The bell that rings in your maid's room--? [_She points to the bell-rope
hanging beside the passage-door._] Good. [_Motioning to her to go_.]
Now--[_She is going towards the other door; he detains her._] Hist!
[_Thoughtfully._] If anything unusual should occur, remember that we
were simply discussing books and pictures in the Italian garden before
dinner.
DUCHESS.
[_Intently._] Books and pictures--of course. [_In an outburst._] Oh, you
are certain you can save my reputation?
QUEX.
[_Politely._] _Yours_ at least, my dear Duchess. Sleep well.
[_She is about to open the door when a thought strikes her and she again
runs up to the bed._
DUCHESS.
Ah--!
QUEX.
Hey?
[_She returns, carrying her night-dress case--a thing of white satin
with a monogram and coronet embroidered upon it. She holds it up to him
in explanation; he nods, and she lets herself out. He immediately locks
the door at which she has departed and slips the key into his waistcoat
pocket. This done, he pulls the bell-rope communicating with the maid's
room and takes up a position against the wall so that the opening of the
passage door conceals him from the view of the person entering. After a
pause the door is opened and_ SOPHY _appears. The frills of her
night-dress peep out from under the Mandarin's robe, and she is wearing
a pair of scarlet cloth slippers; altogether she presents an odd,
fantastic figure. She pauses in the doorway hesitatingly, then steadies
herself and, with a defiant air, stalks into the bedroom. Directly she
has moved away,_ QUEX _softly closes the door, locks it, and pockets the
key. Meanwhile_ SOPHY, _looking about the bedroom for the_ DUCHESS,
_discovers the paper upon the bed. She picks it up, reads it and
replaces it, and, coming back into the boudoir, encounters_ QUEX.
SOPHY.
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