MRS GILBEY. [excited] Thats the squiffer. Hes bought it for her.
GILBEY. Well, of all the scandalous— [Redoubled laughter from below].
KNOX. I'll put a stop to this. [He goes out to the landing and shouts] Margaret! [Sudden dead silence]. Margaret, I say!
MARGARET'S VOICE. Yes, father. Shall we all come up? We're dying to.
KNOX. Come up and be ashamed of yourselves, behaving like wild Indians.
DORA'S VOICE [screaming] Oh! oh! oh! Dont Bobby. Now—oh! [In headlong flight she dashes into and right across the room, breathless, and slightly abashed by the company]. I beg your pardon, Mrs Gilbey, for coming in like that; but whenever I go upstairs in front of Bobby, he pretends it's a cat biting my ankles; and I just must scream.
Bobby and Margaret enter rather more shyly, but evidently in high spirits. Bobby places himself near his father, on the hearthrug, and presently slips down into the arm-chair.
MARGARET. How do you do, Mrs. Gilbey? [She posts herself behind her mother].
Duvallet comes in behaving himself perfectly. Knox follows.
MARGARET. Oh—let me introduce. My friend Lieutenant Duvallet. Mrs Gilbey. Mr Gilbey. [Duvallet bows and sits down on Mr Knox's left, Juggins placing a chair for him].