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Fanny's first play and The dark lady of the sonnets
Fanny's first play and The dark lady of the sonnets Author:Bernard Shaw Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: FANNY'S FIRST PLAY INDUCTION The end of a saloon in an old-fashioned country house (Florence Towers, the property of Count O'Dowda) has been curtained off ... more »to form a stage for a private theatrical performance. A footman in grandiose Spanish livery enters before the curtain, on its O.P. side. Footman [announcing] Mr Cecil Savoyard. [Cecil Savoyard comes in: a middle-aged man in evening dress and a fur- lined overcoat. He is surprised to find nobody to receive him. So is the Footman]. Oh, beg pardon, sir: I thought the Count was here. He was when I took up your name. He must have gone through the stage into the library. This way, sir. [He moves towards the division in the middle of the curtains]. Savoyard. Half a mo. [The Footman stops]. When does the play begin? Half-past eight? Footman. Nine, sir. Savoyard. Oh, good, Well, will you telephone to my wife at the George that it's not until nine? Footman. Right, sir. Mrs Cecil Savoyard, sir? Savoyard. No: Mrs William Tinkler. Dont forget. The Footman. Mrs Tinkler, sir. Right, sir. [The Count comes in through the curtains]. Here is the Count, sir. [Announcing] Mr Cecil Savoyard, sir. He withdraws]. Count O'DowDA [A handsome man of fifty, dressed with studied elegance a hundred years out of date, advancing cordially to shake hands with his visitor] Pray excuse me, Mr Savoyard. I suddenly recollected that all the bookcases in the library were locked—in fact theyve never been opened since we came from Venice—and as our literary guests will probably use the library a good deal, I just ran in to unlock everything. Savoyard. Oh, you mean the dramatic critics. M'yes. I suppose theres a smoking room? The Count. My study is available. An old-fashioned house, you understand. Wont you sit down, Mr Savoyard? S...« less