The Great Adventure | Page 3

real pictures done by hand,
coloured----CARVE. Ah--yes.
JANET. (After a slight pause.) It struck me all of a sudden, while I was
waiting at the door, that it might have been left open on purpose.
CARVE. The front door? On purpose? What for?
JANET. Oh--for some one particular to walk in without any fuss. So in
I stepped.
CARVE. You're the young lady that Mr. Shawn's expecting----(Going
towards passage.)
JANET. (Stopping him.) It's shut now. You don't want everybody
walking in, do you?
CARVE. (Looking at JANET with pleasure.) So you're the young
lady--Mrs.--Miss----
JANET. (Ignoring his question.) Was it a message you had for me?
CARVE. No, no. Not a message.... But--the fact is, we're rather upset
here for the moment.
JANET. Yes. Illness.

CARVE. Now, if it isn't an indiscreet question, how did you know that
there was illness?
JANET. I was standing looking at this house and wondering whether I
shouldn't do better to go right back home there and then. But "No," I
said, "I've begun, and I'll go through with it."--Well, I was standing
there when what should I see but a parlour maid pop up from the area
steps next door, and she says to me over the railings, "The doctor's just
been." Just like that, excited. So I said, "Thank you, miss." I hope it's
nothing serious?
CARVE. Pneumonia.
JANET. Pneumonia. What a mercy!
CARVE. Mercy?
JANET. If you look at it sensibly it's about the best illness anybody
could have in hot weather like this. You've got to keep them warm. The
weather does it for you. If it was typhoid now, and you'd got to keep
them cool--that would be awkward. Not but it passes me how anybody
can catch pneumonia in August.
CARVE. Coming over from the Continent.
JANET. Oh! the Continent. It's not Mr. Shawn that's ill?
CARVE. (Hesitating.) Mr. Shawn? Oh no, no! It's Ilam Carve.
JANET. (Half whispering. Awed.) Oh, him! Poor thing. And nobody
but men in the house.
CARVE. And who told you that?
JANET. Well! (waves her hand to indicate the state of the room,
smiling indulgently) I always feel sorry for gentlemen when they have
to manage for themselves, even if they're well and hearty. But when it
comes to illness--I can't bear to think about it. Still, everybody has their
own notions of comfort. And I've no doubt he'll very soon be better.
CARVE. You think he will?
JANET. (Blandly cheerful.) As a general rule, you may say that people
do get better. That's my experience. Of course sometimes they take a
longish time. And now and then one dies--else what use would
cemeteries be? But as a general rule they're soon over it. Now am I
going to see Mr. Shawn, or shall I----
CARVE. Well, if you could call again----
JANET. You say you hadn't a message?
CARVE. Not precisely a message. But if you could call again----

JANET. When?
CARVE. (Rather eagerly.) Any time. Any time. Soon.
JANET. Night after to-morrow?
CARVE. Why not morning?
JANET. Perhaps morning is safer. Thank you. Very well, then. Day
after to-morrow.... I suppose Mr. Shawn has a rare fine situation here?
CARVE. (Shrugging his shoulders.) Nothing to complain of, if you ask
me.
(JANET offers her hand quite simply. The double doors open, CARVE
looks alarmed.)
JANET. Thank you very much. I think I can open the front door
myself.
CARVE. I say--you won't forget?
JANET. Well, what do you think?
(Exit, L.)
(Enter DR. PASCOE through double doors.)
PASCOE. (At double doors, to HORNING invisible behind.) Then
there's no reason why the nurse at Edith Grove shouldn't come along
here.
HORNING. (Off.) Yes. She'll be free in an hour.
PASCOE. All right. I'll look in there.
HORNING. (Nervous.) What am I to do if his respiration----
PASCOE. (Interrupting.) Don't worry. I'm not gone yet. I must just
clean up my hypodermic. Shut those doors.
(HORNING obeys.)
CARVE. What's this about a nurse?
PASCOE. (Busy with syringe, water, and syringe-case.) I'm sending
one in. (Ironically.) Do you see any objection?
CARVE. On the contrary, I should like him to be treated with every
care. He's invaluable to me.
PASCOE. (Staggered.) Invaluable to you! Of course in my line of
business I get used to meeting odd people----
CARVE. (Recovering from his mistake.) But you think I carry oddness
rather far?
PASCOE. The idea did pass through my mind.
CARVE. Nervousness--nothing but nervousness. I'm very nervous.
And then--you know the saying--like master, like man.

PASCOE. (Indicating back room with a gesture; in a slightly more
confidential tone as CARVE'S personal attractiveness gains on him.)
Mr. Carve odd?
CARVE. Oh, very. Always was. Ever since I've known him. You
remember his first picture at the Academy?
PASCOE. No, not exactly.
CARVE. Either you remember it exactly or