Mrs. Ritter.—Excuse me, Florence. [Florence bows and smiles.] And you, too, Mr. Hossefrosse.
Hossefrosse. What brought you here tonight? [He turns to see the cause of the movement behind him.] Don’t mention it. [Mrs. Ritter places the chair in front of the partition where she has been sitting, then crosses to the piano and gets her sewing-basket, returning with it to the chair and sitting down to sew.]
Florence. Not to quarrel with you, for one thing.
Hossefrosse. You wanted to embarrass Mrs. Rush, that was it, wasn’t it?
Florence. Not at all,—you misunderstood me; I said, “I wanted to meet Mrs. Rush.” [Teddy comes in through the center-door from the right hallway and sits down on the partition-seat at the right. Teddy is a frail little wisp of a youth around twenty, in dinner clothes. He has big eyes and good teeth, and laughs on the slightest provocation. His forehead is defectively high, and his thin hair is plastered back and brilliantined. His type is always to be found draped upon the banisters or across the pianos in the houses of the rich,—a kind of social annoyance, created by wealthy connections and the usual lack of available men.]
Hossefrosse. What did you want to meet her for? [Twiller steps through the center-door from the right hallway and whispers something to Mrs. Ritter. She answers him, and he steps out into the hallway and fills himself out a glass of claret from the bowl, then goes up and sits on the landing of the stairway and watches the rehearsal.]
Florence. Why, I thought that we three might—reason together, [He holds her eye for a second, then turns away, and reaches in his various pockets for his cigarettes.] concerning our respective futures.
Hossefrosse. [In a lowered tone, to Mrs. Pampinelli] Forgot my cigarettes.
Mrs. Pampinelli. Never mind, I only want lines. Go on, Florence. [Hossefrosse takes an imaginary cigarette from an imaginary case, replaces the case, taps the cigarette on the back of his hand, puts it in his mouth, strikes an imaginary match on his shoe, and lights the cigarette.]
Florence. I’ve deferred the discussion for a long time, but it may as well be today as tomorrow.
Hossefrosse. Your plan didn’t work out very well, did it?