Mrs. Pampinelli. A very good change.
Twiller. [Very seriously] I felt that it got them.
Mrs. Pampinelli. Well, you see, it gave them the full benefit of your expression. [They nod agreement.]
Twiller. There’s a great deal of light and shade in that part, right in there.
Mrs. Pampinelli. [Deprecatingly] Ho! my dear,—it is all light and shade;—even to the gestures. [She makes a Delsartian movement with her arms and hands. Mrs. Fell comes forward a little further and observes the gesture keenly, through her lorgnon.] ....
Twiller. [Rather troubled, and shaking his head a bit] I’ve got to put in a lot of work on my gestures,—they’re bad, I know.
Mrs. Pampinelli. Well, I shouldn’t exactly say that your gestures were bad; but I think, perhaps——
Twiller. [Leaning heavily on his cane] I—ah—I think I try too hard to be natural.
Mrs. Pampinelli. [Smiling, biting her lip, and rolling her eyes] That’s exactly what I was going to say. Your gestures are, in a way, too natural. [She gives a little mirthless laugh, and, out of courtesy, he joins her.] Of course, that is a very virtuous fault; but it isn’t pretty, is it? [She laughs again.]
Twiller. No, it isn’t. [The stage manager gets up, stretches himself, and comes forward at the left.]