JAWBONES To your appeal. Is she goin' to give 'em to yer ? You tike my tip: if yer in a 'urry, you get a bit on account--from Man. 'Ere. [He dives into his pocket, produces, wrapped up in tissue paper, a ring, which he exhibits to her.] That's a bit more in your line.
GINGER [Her eyes sparkle. She takes the ring in her hand. Then problems come to her.] Why do yer want me, William?
JAWBONES Because, in spite of all, I love yer.
GINGER [She looks into the future.] What will I be? A general servant, without wages.
JAWBONES The question, as it seems to me, is, which of us two is the biggest fool? Instead of thirty bob a week in my pocket to spend as I like--guess I'll 'ave to be content with three 'alf-crowns.
GINGER Seven an' six! Rather a lot, Bill, out o' thirty bob.
Don't leave much for me an' the children.
JAWBONES I shall 'ave to get my dinners.
GINGER I could mike yer somethin' tasty to tike with yer. Then with, say--three shillings -JAWBONES 'Ere--[He is on the point of snatching back the ring. He encounters her eyes. There is a moment's battle. The Eternal Feminine conquers.] Will yer always look as sweet as yer do now?
GINGER Always, Bill. So long as yer good to me!
[She slips the ring over her finger, still with her eyes drawing him. He catches her to him in fierce passion, kisses her.]
[A loud shrill female cheer comes from the crowd. The cheer is renewed and renewed.]
JAWBONES [He breaks away and goes to the window.] 'Ullo! What are they shoutin' about now? [He looks out.] It's the Donah!
GINGER Mrs. Chilvers?
JAWBONES Yus. Better not get wearin' it--may shock their feelings.
GINGER [She gazes rapturously at the ring as she draws it off.]
It is a beauty! I do love yer, Bill.
[There enter ANNYS and ELIZABETH. ANNYS is excited; she is laughing and talking.]
ANNYS [Laughing while she rearranges her hat and hair.] A little embarrassing. That red-haired girl--she carried me right up the steps. I was afraid she would -[JAWBONES has been quick enough to swing a chair into place just in time to receive her.]
[She recovers herself.] Thank you.
ELIZABETH [She hands ANNYS a smelling-bottle. To JAWBONES.] Open the window a few inches.
[He does so. Some woman, much interrupted, is ****** a speech.]
[JANET opens the door a little way and looks in.]
JANET Oh, it is you! I am glad!
[She goes out again.]
ELIZABETH Are the others all here?
GINGER 'Er ladyship is watching the counting. Miss Phoebe 'as just gone out -[PHOEBE enters.]
Oh, 'ere she is.
PHOEBE Hullo! [She is taking off her things.] Wherever have you been? We've been scouring the neighbourhood -[LADY MOGTON enters, followed by JANET.]
I say, you're looking jolly chippy.
ELIZABETH We had an extra enthusiastic meeting. She spoke for rather a long time. I made her come home with me and lie down. Ithink she is all right now.
LADY MOGTON Would you like to see a doctor?
PHOEBE There is a very good man close here. [She turns to JAWBONES, who is still near the window.] Gordon -ANNYS [Interrupting.] No. Please don't. I am quite all right.
I hate strange doctors.
PHOEBE Well, let me send for Whitby; he could be here in twenty minutes.
ANNYS I wish you would all leave me alone. There's absolutely nothing to fuss about whatever. We pampered women--we can't breathe the same air that ordinary mortals have to. We ought to be ashamed of ourselves.
PHOEBE [To herself.] Obstinate pig.
[She catches JAWBONES' eye; unnoticed by the others, she takes him aside. They whisper.]
ANNYS How is it going?
LADY MOGTON You must be prepared for winning. [She puts again the question that ANNYS has frequently been asked to answer during the last few days.] What are you going to do?
[MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS enters, as usual in a flutter of excitement.]
MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS Am I late?
[They brush her back into silence. ELIZABETH takes charge of her.]
ANNYS [She has risen.] You think it wise tactics, to make it impossible for Geoffrey to be anything else in the future but our enemy?
LADY MOGTON [Contemptuously.] You are thinking of him, and not of the cause.
ANNYS And if I were! Haven't I made sacrifice enough?--more than any of you will ever know. Ay--and would make more, if I felt it was demanded of me. I don't! [Her burst of anger is finished.
She turns, smiling.] I'm much more cunning than you think. There will be other elections we shall want to fight. With the Under-Secretary for Home Affairs in sympathy with us, the Government will find it difficult to interfere. Don't you see how clever I am?
[JAWBONES, having received his instructions from PHOEBE, has slipped out unobserved. He has beckoned to GINGER; she has followed him. PHOEBE has joined the group.]
MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS. There's something in that.
JANET Is Mr. Chilvers still in sympathy with us?
PHOEBE Of course he is. A bit rubbed up the wrong way just at present; that's our fault. When Annys goes down, early next mouth, to fight the Exchange Division of Manchester, we shall have him with us.
[A moment.]
LADY MOGTON Where do you get that from?
PHOEBE From St. Herbert. The present member is his cousin. They say he can't live more than a week.
MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS It really seems like Providence.
ANNYS [Has taken the opportunity of giving PHOEBE a grateful squeeze of the hand.].
LADY MOGTON You will fight Manchester?
ANNYS Yes. [Laughs.] And make myself a public nuisance if I win.
LADY MOGTON Well, must be content with that, I suppose. Better not come in; the room's rather crowded. I'll keep you informed how things are going.
[She goes out, followed by JANET.]
MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS I'll stay with you, dear.
PHOEBE I want you to come and be photographed for the Daily Mirror. The man's waiting downstairs.
ELIZABETH I'll stop with Annys.
MRS. MOUNTCALM-VILLIERS I'm not quite sure, you know, that I take well by flashlight.
PHOEBE You wait till you've seen mamma! We must have you. They want you for the centre of the page.