A. A. Milne

“ DEVENISH. You are as old as the stars and as young as the dawn.
BAXTER. You are ten years younger than I am.
BELINDA. What sweet things to say! I don't know which I like best.
DEVENISH. Where will my lady sit!
BELINDA (with an exaggerated curtsy) . I will recline in the hammock, an it please thee, my lord—
(BAXTER goes to the right of the hammock, saying "Allow me." DEVENISH moves to the left of the hammock and holds it, takes up a cushion which BAXTER snatches from him and places in hammock again.) ”

“ BAXTER. If one began to ask oneself what the birds thought of things— (He pauses.)
DEVENISH. Well, and why shouldn't one ask oneself? It is better than asking oneself what the Stock Exchange thinks of things.
BAXTER. Well (looking up at DEVENISH'S extravagant hair) , it's the nesting season. Your hair! (Suddenly.) Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!
DEVENISH (hastily smoothing it down) . Really, Baxter, you're vulgar. (He turns away and resumes his promenading, going down R. and then round deck-chair to front of hammock. Suddenly he sees his book on the grass beneath the hammock and makes a dash for it.) ”

“ Devenish.
DEVENISH (excitedly) . Money—thank Heaven, I have no money. Reputation—thank Heaven, I have no reputation.
(BAXTER, very annoyed, moves down and sits on deck-chair.)
What can I offer you? Dreams—nothing but dreams. Come with me and I will show you the world through my dreams. What can I give you? Youth, freedom, beauty—
BAXTER. Debts.
BELINDA (still with her eyes shut) . You mustn't interrupt, Mr. Baxter.
DEVENISH (leaning across hammock) . Belinda, marry me and I will open your eyes to the beauty of the world. Come to me! ”

“ Oh, I said it to Betty, but she only said, "Yes, ma'am."
DELIA. Poor mother!
BELINDA (jumping up suddenly, crossing to L. of and kissing DELIA again) . I simply must have another one. And to think that you're never going back to school any more. (Looking at her fondly, and backing to L.) Darling, you are looking pretty.
DELIA. Am I?
BELINDA. Lovely. (She kisses her once more, then she takes the cushion from the hammock, moves at back of table and places it on the head of the deck-chair.) And now you're going to stay with me for just as long as you want a mother. ”

“ DELIA comes into the garden, from Paris. She is decidedly a modern girl, pretty and self-possessed. Her hair is half-way up; waiting for her birthday, perhaps. She sees her mother suddenly, stops, and then goes on tiptoe to the head of the hammock. She smiles and kisses her mother on the forehead. BELINDA, looking supremely unconscious, goes on sleeping. DELIA kisses her lightly again. BELINDA wakes up with an extraordinarily natural start, and is just about to say, "Oh, Mr. Devenish—you mustn't!"—when she sees DELIA.) Delia! (They kiss each other frantically.) ”

“ Darling one, I wonder if you'd mind—just at first—being introduced as my niece. (By now at foot of deck- chair.) You see, I expect they're in a bad temper already (now C.) , having come here together, and we don't want to spoil their day entirely.
DELIA (smiling, on BELINDA'S L.) . I'll be your mother if you like.
BELINDA. Oh no, that wouldn't do, because then Mr. Baxter would feel that he ought to ask your permission before paying his attentions to me. He's just that sort of man. A niece is so safe—however good you are at statistics, you can't really prove anything. ”

“ DEVENISH (grandly) . Faith! The faith which moves mountains.
BELINDA. Yes, and this is only just one small mole-hill, Mr. Baxter.
BAXTER. Yes, but still—
BELINDA. S'sh! here is Miss Robinson.
(BAXTER takes up his hat and moves below the deck-chair to R. to meet DELIA.)
If Mr. Devenish will hold the hammock while I alight—we don't want an accident—
(DELIA comes out of the house.)
—I can introduce you. (He helps her to get out, holding the hammock.) Thank you. Delia darling (DELIA moves down R.) this is Mr. Baxter,—and Mr. Devenish. ”

“ DEVENISH?" And he will say, "Yes!" and you will say, "Oh, I beg your pardon, sir; this way, please."
BETTY. Yes, ma'am. And suppose they both call together?
BELINDA (non-plussed for a moment) . We won't suppose anything so exciting, Betty.
BETTY. No, ma'am. And suppose any other gentleman calls?
BELINDA (with a sigh) . There aren't any other gentlemen.
BETTY. It might be a clergyman, come to ask for a subscription like.
BELINDA. If it's a clergyman, Betty, I shall—I shall want your assistance out of the hammock first.
BETTY. Yes, ma'am. ”

“ He has been knocking about the world for eighteen years, and is very much a man, though he has kept his manners. His hair is greying a little at the sides, and he looks the forty-odd that he is. Without his moustache and beard he is very different from the boy BELINDA married.)
TREMAYNE ( with his hat in his hand ) . I'm afraid I'm trespassing.
BELINDA (winningly, moving down R. a little ) . But it's such a pretty garden (turns away, dosing her parasol) , isn't it?
(TREMAYNE, half recognizing her, moves to back of hammock and leans across to obtain a better view of her.) ”

“ MR. BAXTER is forty-five, prim and erect, with close-trimmed moustache and side-whiskers. His clothes are dark and he wears a bowler-hat. MR. DEVENISH is a long-haired, good-looking boy in a n glig costume; perhaps twenty-two years old, and very scornful of the world. BAXTER crosses to L. below BETTY, and turns to her with a sharp inquiring glance. DEVENISH moves down R., languidly admiring the garden. ”

“ Baxter's hungry. (He sniggers approvingly.) Mr. Devenish scorns food, I expect.
DEVENISH (hurt) . Why do you say that?
DELIA. Aren't you a poet?
BELINDA. Yes, darling, but that doesn't prevent him eating. He'll be absolutely lyrical over Betty's sandwiches.
DEVENISH. You won't deny me that inspiration, I hope, Miss Robinson.
BELINDA (taking DELIA'S arm and moving with her to below deck- chair) . Well, let's go and see what they're like.
(DELIA moves up R.C. to below the porch, accompanied by BAXTER on her R. and DEVENISH, who follows her on her L. They all move towards the porch.) ”

“ All that I have, whether of material or mental endowment, I lay at your feet, together with an admiration which I cannot readily put into words. As my wife I think you would be happy, and I feel that with you by my side I could achieve even greater things. ”

“ Devenlsh. Keep it for your next volume. (He turns away and examines flowers on L. She sits on hammock.) One, two, three— (throws her legs over) — that was better than last time. (They turn round to see her safely in the hammock. DEVENISH leans against the L. tree at her feet, and BAXTER draws the deck-chair from the right side of the table and turns it round towards her. He presses his hat more firmly on and sits down.) ”