Four Short Plays

Name: Four Short Plays
Author: John Galsworthy

by John Galsworthy

Pages: about 43
Category: Literature & Fiction
Language: English
Reading time: 47 min at 250 wpm

Start readingThe whole book, as cards or one word at a time. 26 min at 450 wpm in Read mode.

From the opening

The room is pleasant, and along the back, where the verandah runs, it seems all window, both French and casement. There is a door right and a door left. The day is bright; the time morning.
[HERSELF, dripping wet, comes running along the verandah, through the French window, with a wet Scotch terrier in her arms. She vanishes through the door left. A little pause, and LADY ELLA comes running, dry, thin, refined, and agitated. She halts where the tracks of water cease at the door left. A little pause, and MAUD comes running, fairly dry, stolid, breathless, and dragging a bull-dog, wet, breathless, and stout, by the crutch end of her 'en-tout-cas'].
LADY ELLA. Don't bring Hannibal in till I know where she's put Edward!
LADY ELLA. Maud, do take him out! Tie him up. Here! [She takes out a lace handkerchief ] No--something stronger! Poor darling Edward! [To HANNIBAL] You are a bad dog!
LADY ELLA. Tie him up outside. Here, take my scarf. Where is my poor treasure? [She removes her scarf] Catch! His ear's torn; I saw it.
[Their husbands, THE SQUIRE and THE RECTOR, come hastening along the verandah.]
MAUD. [To THE RECTOR] Smell him, Bertie! [To THE SQUIRE] You might have that pond drained, Squire!
[She takes HANNIBAL out, and ties him to the verandah. THE SQUIRE and RECTOR Come in. LADY ELLA is knocking on the door left.]
[LADY ELLA recoils. THE SQUIRE and RECTOR make an involuntary movement of approach.]
LADY ELLA. Hannibal would have killed him, if she hadn't rushed in!
LADY ELLA. I can't think how she got Edward out of Hannibal's awful mouth!
MAUD. [Without--to HANNIBAL, who is snuffling on the verandah and straining at the scarf] Bad dog!
LADY ELLA. We must simply thank her tremendously! I shall never forget the way she ran in, with her skirts up to her waist!

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Four Short Plays

From the opening

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