ESTELLE. [Enters, centre, with an armful of roses.] Ah! Mrs. Bagley-
Willis! Good evening!

MRS. B.-W. Good evening, Estelle.

EST. Good evening, father. Hello, Gerald.

GER. My, aren't we gorgeous to-night!

EST. Just aren't we!

MRS. B.-W. The adventure doesn't seem to have hurt you. Where is your
mother?

GER. She went into the drawing-room. [MRS. B.-W. and ISMAN go off,
right; ESTELLE is about to follow.] Estelle!

EST. What is it?

GER. What's this I hear about your adventure last night?

EST. [With sudden seriousness.] Oh, Gerald! [Comes closer.] It was a
frightful thing! I've hardly dared to think about it!

GER. Tell me.

EST. Gerald, that man was talking straight at me . . . he meant every
bit of it for me!

GER. Tell me the story.