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Part 50

The 'mind the Paint' Girl · Arthur Wing Pinero — chapter 50 of 86 · ~509 words · public domain

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LUIGI.

Oh, you are spoiling them.

THE BEARDED WAITER.

LUIGI.

THE BEARDED WAITER.

LUIGI.

See you at lunch, Captain?

JEYES.

Probably. [Nodding.] Good-night. Good morning. [He slouches away to the door on the left and there stops, listening. There is the sound of people approaching, singing uproariously and shouting and laughing.] Hullo!

LUIGI.

LILY.

HENEAGE AND GRIMWOOD.

FULKERSON.

JIMMIE.

LILY.

Ha, ha, ha! You'll drop me! Oh----!

END OF THE SECOND ACT.

THE THIRD ACT

The scene is LILY'S boudoir-- a room upon the second floor of her house, adjoining her bedroom. The decorations, though delicate, are gay, with a good deal of pink in them.

In the wall facing the spectator are two doors, one on the left, the other in the centre. The left-hand door opens into the room from the landing, where the staircase is shown; the centre door admits to the bedroom. In the right-hand wall there are two sash-windows giving a view of the tops of trees growing in a square; in the opposite wall, the grate hidden by a low, painted screen, is the fireplace.

A prettily designed "fitment" runs along the left-hand wall and the further wall, taking in the fireplace and doors as part of its scheme. On either side of the fireplace there is a cupboard with drawers beneath it; between the door on the left and the door in the centre is a similar cupboard; and on the right of the centre door, extending to the right-hand wall, there is a wardrobe with sliding doors. The cupboard doors are glazed and curtained in pink silk.

In the middle of the room, a little to the right, there is a large and comfortable settee, and on the left of the settee is a table littered with books, magazines, a scent-atomizer, a small silver-framed mirror, a case of manicure instruments, a box of cigarettes and a match-stand, and other odds and ends. Behind the table there is a fauteuil-stool, and on the right of the table a cosy arm-chair. A second arm-chair stands apart, between the table in the centre and the fireplace.

On the extreme left of the room, on the nearer side of the fireplace, there is a box-ottoman; on the other side of the room, by the nearer window, are a small writing-table and chair; standing across the right-hand corner, the key-board towards the further window, are a cottage-piano and a music-stool; and at the back of the piano there is another small chair, with some soiled gloves upon it.

A quantity of music is heaped untidily on the top of the piano; one of the wardrobe doors is open, revealing some dresses hanging within; and the edge of a lace petticoat, with its insertion of coloured ribbon, peeps out from under the carelessly-closed lid of the box-ottoman. Two milliner's hat-boxes are on the floor by the ottoman, and a pair of satin slippers are lying, one here, one there, under the centre table.

The window-blinds are down but the daylight is seen through them.

LILY.

FULKERSON.

JIMMIE.

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