Mr Pim Passes By

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Mr Pim Passes By

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Title: Mr. Pim Passes By
Author: Alan Alexander Milne
Release Date: January, 2005 [EBook #7310] [This file was first posted on April 10, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: US-ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, MR. PIM PASSES BY ***

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MR. PIM PASSES BY
A Comedy in Three Acts
by
A. A. Milne

CHARACTERS The Original Cast at the Gaiety Theatre, Manchester
George Marden, J.P. . . . . . . . . . Mr. Ben Webster. Olivia (his Wife) . . . . . . . . . . Miss Irene Vanbrugh. Dinah (his Niece) . . . . . . . . . . Miss Georgette Cohan. Lady Marden (his Aunt) . . . . . . . . Miss Sybil Carlisle. Brian Strange . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Philip Easton. Carraway Pin . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Dion Boucicault. Anne . . . . . . . . . . Miss Ethel Wellesley.
The action takes place in the morning-room at Marden House, Buckinghamshire, on a day in July.
THE ORIGINAL LONDON CAST AT THE NEW THEATRE
George Marden, J.P. . . . . . . . . . Mr. Ben Webster. Olivia (his Wife) . . . . . . . . . . Miss Irene Vanbrugh. Dinah (his Niece) . . . . . . . . . . Miss Georgette Cohan. Lady Marden (his Aunt) . . . . . . . . Miss Ethel Griffes. Brian Strange . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Leslie Howard. Carraway Pin . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Dion Boucicault. Anne . . . . . . . . . . Miss Ethel Wellesley.

MR. PIM PASSES BY

ACT I

_The morning-room at Marden House (Buckinghamshire) decided more than a hundred years ago that it was all right, and has not bothered about itself since. Visitors to the house have called the result such different adjectives as "mellow," "old-fashioned," "charming"--even "baronial" and "antique;" but nobody ever said it was "exciting." Sometimes_ OLIVIA _wants it to be more exciting, and last week she rather let herself go over some new curtains; she still has the rings to put on. It is obvious that the curtains alone will overdo the excitement; they will have to be harmonized with a new carpet and cushions. OLIVIA has her eye on just the things, but one has to go carefully with GEORGE. What was good enough, for his great-great-grandfather is good enough for him. However, we can trust OLIVIA to see him through it, although it may take time._
A scene plot is given at the end of the play.
_There are three ways of coming into the room: by the open windows leading from the garden, by the doors to R., or by the staircase from up_ R, MR. PIM chooses the latter way--or rather ANNE _chooses it for him; and MR. PIM kindly and inoffensively follows her. She comes down steps and crosses to C., followed by_ MR. PIM.
ANNE (moves up, looking off L. and returning to PIM R.C.). I'll tell Mr. Marden you're here, sir. Mr. Pim, isn't it?
PIM (nervously). Yes--er--Mr. Pim--Mr. Carraway Pim. He doesn't know me, you understand, but if he could just spare me a few moments--er--- (He fumbles in his pockets.) I gave you that letter?
ANNE. Yes, sir, I'll give it to him.
PIM (_brings out a stamped letter which is not the one he was looking for, but which reminds him of something else he has forgotten. Looking at letter_). Oh! Dear me!
ANNE. Yes, sir?
PIM. Dear me. I ought to have posted this. (Looking at letter.) Oh, well, I must send a telegram. You have a telegraph office in the village?
ANNE. Oh, yes, sir. (Moving up to terrace up L. and pointing off L.) If you