THE COUNT. I shall ask him to take you in to dinner.

FANNY. Yes, papa. Oh, I hope it will go off well.

THE COUNT. Yes, love, of course it will. Come along.

FANNY. Just one thing, papa, whilst we're alone. Who was the
Stagirite?

THE COUNT. The Stagirite? Do you mean to say you dont know?

FANNY. Havnt the least notion.

THE COUNT. The Stagirite was Aristotle. By the way, dont mention him
to Mr Trotter.

_They go to the dining-room._




THE PLAY



ACT I

_In the dining-room of a house in Denmark Hill, an elderly lady sits
at breakfast reading the newspaper. Her chair is at the end of the
oblong dining-table furthest from the fire. There is an empty chair