The Drone | Page 3

MARY. Well, you said he was coming here to see me, and he never
turned up yet.
DANIEL. Did I? Very possibly. I suppose he must have forgotten.
MARY (walking away to the left and then back again pouting). I'm
sick of the boys here. There's only Alick McCready that's anyway
passable. When will you see him again, uncle?
DANIEL. Well--possibly, when I go up to town again. Very soon,
perhaps. That is if your father, Mary, can spare the money.

MARY (thoughtfully). I don't know, uncle. You see that would be five
times now, and somehow you never seem to get anything done. That's
what he said, mind you, uncle.
DANIEL (mournfully). Well! Well! To think of me toiling and moiling
away in that workshop of mine, day after day, and week after week,
and year after year--and there's all the thanks you get for it.
MARY. Uncle?
DANIEL (somewhat irritably as he gets engrossed reading). Well?
MARY. Look, if you went up to Belfast again soon, won't you see that
boy? I wonder what he's like. (She gets close beside her uncle and
nestles beside him.) Is he dark or fair?
DANIEL. Yes, yes. I think so.
MARY. Dark?
DANIEL. Yes. I believe he is dark.
MARY. And tall?
DANIEL (trying vainly to read in spite of the interruptions). Very tall.
MARY. Oh, how nice! And uncle, is he good-looking?
DANIEL. Very. Fine looking fellow.
MARY. That's grand; and uncle, is he well to do?
DANIEL. He has every appearance of it.
MARY. Oh you dear old uncle! (She nestles closer to him.) But maybe
he wouldn't look at me when he has a whole lot of town girls to go
with.
DANIEL. My dear niece, you don't know what a very good-looking

young lady you are, and besides he saw your photograph.
MARY. Which photograph?
DANIEL (perplexed). Which photograph? Your own of course!
MARY. The one I got taken at Lurgan?
DANIEL. Yes. I think so.
MARY. Oh uncle! That horrid thing! Why didn't you show him the one
I got taken at Newcastle?
DANIEL. My mistake. Very sorry, indeed, Mary, I assure you. But I
tell you what, I'll take the album with me next time. Will that do?
MARY (laughing). There. Now you're only joking. (Suddenly.) What
do you do all the time you stay in Belfast, uncle?
DANIEL (uneasily). Um--um----Business, my dear girl, business. See
engineers and all that sort of thing, and talk things over. It takes time,
you know, Mary, time.
MARY. You've been an awful long time inventing, uncle, haven't you?
DANIEL. Well, you know, Mary dear--time--it takes time. You can't
rush an inventor.
MARY. Well look, uncle. You know I can just wheedle father round
my wee finger, can't I?
DANIEL. You can indeed.
MARY. Well, look: if you promise to bring down this boy you are
talking about, I'll get father to give you enough to have two weeks in
Belfast. There. It's a bargain.
DANIEL. Um--well--he may not be there you know.

MARY (disappointed). O uncle!
DANIEL. You see he travels a lot and he may be away. He may be in
London. In fact I think--yes. He said he would be going to London.
MARY. Then why not go to London?
DANIEL (starting up and speaking as if struck with delight at the
possibility). Eh? I never thought of that! (He collapses again.) But no.
Your father, Mary. He would never give me the money. No.
MARY. But you're more likely to meet people there who'd take it up,
aren't you, uncle?
DANIEL. It's the place for an inventor to go, Mary. The place. (Pauses.)
But I'm afraid when John hears about it----(he becomes very dubious
and shakes his head).
MARY. Well, look here, uncle. Do you mind the last time when he
would not give you money to go up to Belfast about your patent.
DANIEL (sadly). I do.
MARY. You remember you got a letter a few days after asking you to
come up at once and you had to go then. Hadn't you?
DANIEL. I had.
MARY. Well, couldn't we do the same this time?
DANIEL (looking at her uneasily). Eh?
MARY. Couldn't we get someone to send a letter. (Pausing and
thinking, then suddenly). Oh, the very thing! You know that silly Alick
McCready that comes running after me. Well, look, I'll get him to send
a letter.
DANIEL. No good, my dear. I did it before----I mean letters on plain
notepaper don't carry much weight. No.

MARY. What about----oh, I know! Uncle, a telegram!
DANIEL. Great idea! It is in soul!
MARY. And we'll put something on it like "come to London at once to
see about the patent," or something like that. And he'd have to let you
go then.
DANIEL. Mary, you're really a