Mrs. Pampinelli. Not very.
Hossefrosse. Hello, Nelly. How are you? [Mrs. Ritter gives him the claret, and he stands up at the center-door with her, drinking it. Teddy Spearing wanders in from the right hallway.]
Mrs. Pampinelli. [Passing below the little table below the piano and laying the manuscript on it] Here’s the manuscript, Nelly. [She continues to the arm-chair below the casement-window, and, picking up her note-book from the little table at her right, sits down and commences to make notes.]
Mrs. Fell. [Seeing Teddy Spearing, and starting towards the right partition] Oh, Teddy Spearing!
Teddy. Hello, Nelly.
Mrs. Fell. [Beckoning him with her fan] Come here, dear, I’ve got something to tell you. [Teddy leans over the partition at the right and Nelly kneels on the partition-seat and whispers something to him. Hossefrosse and Mrs. Ritter are conversing in the center-door, Mrs. Pampinelli is making notes down at the right, Ritter is standing over in front of the mantelpiece, smoking, and Spindler is standing just below him, to his left, watching him.]
Spindler. [In a sudden surge of courage, and taking a rather nonchalant step towards Ritter] Could you spare one of those cigars, please? [Ritter looks at him keenly, then reaches in his vest-pocket for a cigar.]
Ritter. Do you smoke?
Spindler. Semi-occasionally, yes. [Ritter hands him the cigar and he steps nonchalantly back to his former position, Ritter keeping one eye on him. He examines the cigar curiously, and, being apparently very near-sighted, seems to have considerable difficulty in deciphering the band-inscription.]
Ritter. You can light either end of it.