Part 26

Marry me.

LILY.

JEYES.

Oh, I'd find a billet soon enough, Lil, if only I'd an incentive to hunt for it.

LILY.

Incentive! You had an incentive twelve months ago, when I was willing to engage myself to you absolutely if you could obtain a good secretaryship or something of the sort.

JEYES.

I-- I've no fancy for a beggarly secretaryship.

LILY.

No; all you've a fancy for, seemingly, is for living on your unfortunate people. [Throwing him his handkerchief and leaving him.] How a man of your age can rest satisfied with being a burden to others passes my dull comprehension!

JEYES.

I-- I have been a bit slack, I own-- I have been a bit leisurely; but----

LILY.

JEYES.

LILY.

I'm in earnest; you remove it from off my premises.

JEYES.

Lil-- [she returns to him] my eldest brother-- Robert-- [looking up at her] Bob-- [She nods inquiringly.] Bob's at me to go out to Rhodesia, to manage a group of stock farms he's interested in near Bulawayo.

LILY.

Oh, why don't you go?

JEYES.

LILY.

Don't be absurd.

JEYES.

LILY.

JEYES.

Ah, who! [His grip tightening on her.] Who!

LILY.