Description
One-Act Play Collection 007
THE STEPMOTHER
a farce in one-act
by Arnold Bennett
[Mrs. Prout’s study: luxuriously furnished; large table in centre, upon which are a new novel, press-cuttings, and the usual apparatus of literary composition. Christine is seated at the large table, ready for work, and awaiting the advent of Mrs. Prout. To pass the time she picks up the novel, the leaves of which are not cut, and glances at a page here and there. Enter Mrs. Prout, hurried and preoccupied; the famous novelist is attired in a plain morning gown, which in the perfection of its cut displays the beauty of her figure. She nods absently to Christine, and sits down in an armchair away from the table.]
CHRISTINE: Good morning, Mrs. Prout. I’m afraid you are still sleeping badly?
MRS. PROUT: Do I look it, girl?
CHRISTINE: You don’t specially look it, Mrs. Prout. But I observe. You are my third novelist, and they have all taught me to observe. Before I took up novelists I was with a Member of Parliament, and he never observed anything except five-line whips.
MRS. PROUT: Really! Five-line whips! Oblige my by putting that down in Notebook No. 2. There will be an M.P. in that wretched thirty-thousand word thing I’ve promised for the Christmas number of the New York Surpriser and it might be useful. I might even make an epigram out of it.
CHRISTINE: Yes, Mrs. Prout. [Writes.]
MRS. PROUT: And what are your observations about me?
CHRISTINE: [while writing] Well, this is twice in three weeks that you’ve been here five minutes late in the morning.
MRS. PROUT: Is that all? You don’t think my stuff’s falling off?
CHRISTINE: Oh, no, Mrs. Prout! I know it’s not falling off. I was just going to tell you. The butler’s been in, and wished me to inform you that he begged to give notice. [looking up] It seems that last night you ordere
Product ID: 9781776765119
Sku: 9781776765119
