The Dedication
By Fred M. Simpson
Persons Represented
Lucy Rimmerton.———Harold Sekbourne
Scene I—The period is 1863
The sitting-room in Lucy Rimmerton's lodgings. She is seated in front of the fire making some toast.
Lucy. There! I think that will do, although it isn't anything very great. [Rises.] What a colour I must have! Harold says I always manage to toast myself very much better than I do the bread. [Lights the gas, and begins arranging some flowers on the table.] His favourite flowers; I know he will be pleased when he sees them. How strange it is that he should really care for me!—I, who am so commonplace and ordinary, hardly pretty either, although he says I am. I always tell him he might have done so much better than propose to a poor governess without a penny.—Oh, if only his book proves a success!—a really great success!—how glorious it will be! Why doesn't the wretched publisher make haste and bring it out? I believe he is keeping it back on purpose. What dreadful creatures they are! At first—squabble, squabble, squabble; squabble about terms, squabble about this, another squabble about that, and then, when everything is finally arranged, delay, delay, delay. “You must wait for the publishing season.” As though a book were a young lady whose future might be seriously jeopardised if it made its début at an unfashionable time.
[The door opens, and Harold bursts into the room.]