Bennet appears in doorway.
BENNET [announces]. “Our Empire.”
Headed by “England,” the twelve girls, laughing, crowding, jostling one another, talking all together, swoop in.
ENGLAND [a lady with a decided Cockney accent]. Oh, my dear, talk about an afternoon! We ’ave ’ad a treat getting ’ere.
Fanny kisses her.
SCOTLAND [they also kiss]. Your boss told us you’d gone out.
FANNY. It was a slight—misunderstanding. Bennet, take away these things, please. And let me have half a dozen bottles of champagne.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS [a small girl at the back of the crowd—with a shrill voice]. Hooray!
BENNET [he is controlling himself with the supremest difficulty. Within he is a furnace]. I’m afraid I have mislaid the key of the cellar.
FANNY [she looks at him]. You will please find it—quickly. [Bennet, again from habit, yields. But his control almost fails him. He takes up the tray of unneeded tea-things from the table.] I shall want some more of all these [cakes, fruit, sandwiches, etc.]. And some people to wait. Tell Jane she must come and help.