SCENE:- Russell Square.
The morning-room [on the ground floor]. A small, cheerful room, furnished in Chippendale, white panelled, with Adams fireplace in which a bright fire is burning. Two deep easy-chairs are before the fire. The window-curtains of red damask are drawn. An oval table occupies the centre of the room. The door at back opens upon the hall. Only one light burns, an electric lamp on a table just above the fire.
TIME:- Midnight.
[The door opens.GEOFFREY enters.He has left his out-door things in the hall.He crosses and rings the bell.A moment.]
[HAKE enters.]
GEOFFREYOh, you, Hake!There wasn't any need for you to have stopped.
HAKEI was not sure of your arrangements.I thought perhaps I might be wanted.
GEOFFREYSorry.I ought to have told you.
HAKEIt's been no inconvenience, sir.I told Mrs. Hake not to situp.
GEOFFREY[He is opening and reading his letters left for him onthe table.]Does she generally sit up for you?
HAKEAs a rule, sir.We like a little chat before going to bed.
GEOFFREY[His eyes on a letter.]What do you find to chat about?
HAKEOh, there is so much for a husband and wife to talk about. The-- As a rule.
[A clock on the mantelpiece strikes one.] GEOFFREYWhat's that?
HAKEQuarter past twelve, sir.
GEOFFREYHas your mistress come in?HAKENot yet, sir. Has the election gone all right, sir?
GEOFFREYFor Mrs. Chilvers, yes.She is now member for East Poplar.
HAKEI am sorry.It has been a great surprise to me. GEOFFREYThe result?
HAKEThe whole thing, sir.Such a sweet lady, we all thought her. GEOFFREYLife, Hake, is a surprising affair.
[A ring is heard.]
I expect that's she.She has forgotten her key. [HAKE goes out.]
[GEOFFREY continues his letters.A few moments pass; HAKE re- enters, closes the door.]
HAKE[He seems puzzled.]It's a lady, sir [GEOFFREY turns.]
HAKEAt least--hardly a lady.A Mrs. Chinn.
GEOFFREYMrs. Chinn![He glances at his watch.]At twelve o'clock at night.Well, all right.I'll see her.
[HAKE opens the door, speaks to MRS. CHINN.She enters, in bonnet and shawl.]
HAKEMrs. Chinn.
GEOFFREYGood evening, Mrs. Chinn. MRS. CHINNGood evening, sir.
GEOFFREYYou needn't stop, Hake.I shan't be wanting anything. HAKEThank you.GEOFFREYApologise for me to Mrs. Hake.
Good-night.
HAKEGood-night, sir.
[HAKE goes out.A minute later the front door is heard to slam.]
GEOFFREYWon't you sit down?[He puts a chair for her left of the table.]
MRS. CHINN[Seating herself.]Thank you, sir.
GEOFFREY[He half sits on the arm of the easy-chair below the fire.]What's the trouble?
MRS. CHINNIt's my boy, sir--my youngest.He's been taking money that didn't belong to him.
GEOFFREYUm.Has it been going on for long?
MRS. CHINN About six months, sir. I only heard of it to-night. You see, his wife died a year ago. She was such a good manager. And after she was gone he seems to have got into debt.
GEOFFREYWhat were his wages?
MRS. CHINNNineteen shillings a week, sir.And that with the rent and three young children--well, it wants thinking out.
GEOFFREYFrom whom did he take the money--his employers?
MRS. CHINNYes, sir.He was the carman.They had always trusted him to collect the accounts.
GEOFFREYHow much, would you say, was the defalcation? MRS. CHINNI beg pardon, sir.
GEOFFREYHow much does it amount to, the sums that he has taken?
MRS. CHINNSix pounds, sir, Mr. Cohen says it comes to. GEOFFREYWon't they accept repayment?
MRS. CHINNYes, sir.Mr. Cohen has been very nice about it. He is going to let me pay it off by instalments.
GEOFFREYWell, then, that gets over most of the trouble.
MRS. CHINNWell, you see, sir, unfortunately, Mr. Cohen gave information to the police the moment he discovered it.
GEOFFREYUmph!Can't he say he made a mistake?
MRS. CHINNThey say it must go for trial, sir.That he can only withdraw the charge in court.
GEOFFREYUm!
MRS. CHINNYou see, sir--a thing like that--[She recovers herself.] It clings to a lad.
GEOFFREYWhat do you want me to do?
MRS. CHINN Well, sir, I thought that, perhaps--you see, sir, he has got a brother in Canada who would help him; and I thought that if I could ship him off -GEOFFREY You want me to tip the wink to the police to look the other way while you smuggle this young malefactor out of the clutches of the law?
MRS. CHINN [Quite indifferent to the moral aspect of the case.] If you would be so kind, sir.
GEOFFREY Umph! I suppose you know what you're doing; appealing through your womanhood to man's weakness--employing "backstairs influence" to gain your private ends, indifferent to the higher issues of the public weal? All the things that are going to cease when woman has the vote.
MRS. CHINNYou see, sir, he's the youngest.
[Gradually the decent but dingy figure of MRS. CHINN has taken to itself new shape. To GEOFFREY, it almost seems as though there were growing out of the shadows over against him the figure of great Artemis herself--Artemis of the Thousand Breasts. He had returned home angry, bitter against all women. As she unfolds her ****** tale understanding comes to him. So long as there are "Mrs. Chinns" in the world, Woman claims homage.]
GEOFFREYHow many were there? MRS. CHINNTen altogether, six living.
GEOFFREYBeen a bit of a struggle for you, hasn't it?
MRS. CHINN It has been a bit difficult, at times; especially after their poor father died.
GEOFFREYHow many were you left with? MRS. CHINNEight, sir.
GEOFFREYHow on earth did you manage to keep them?
MRS. CHINN Well, you see, sir, the two eldest, they were earning a little. I don't think I could have done it without that.