Can't you stop her?
JOHN [soothingly]. She's meaning well. Maggie, I know it's natural to
you to value those things, because your outlook on life is bounded by
them; but all this jars on me.
MAGGIE. Does it?
JOHN. Why should you be so ready to go?
MAGGIE. I promised not to stand in your way.
JOHN [stoutly]. You needn't be in such a hurry. There are three days
to run yet. [The French are so different from us that we shall
probably never be able to understand why the COMTESSE laughed aloud
here.] It's just a joke to the Comtesse.
COMTESSE. It seems to be no joke to you, Mr. Shand. Sybil, my pet,
are you to let him off?
SYBIL [flashing]. Let him off? If he wishes it. Do you?
JOHN [manfully]. I want it to go on. [Something seems to have caught
in his throat: perhaps it is the impediment trying a temporary home.]
It's the one wish of my heart. If you come with me, Sybil, I'll do
all in a man's power to make you never regret it.
[Triumph of the Vere de Veres.]
MAGGIE [bringing them back to earth with a dump]. And I can make my
arrangements for Wednesday?
SYBIL [seeking the COMTESSE's protection]. No, you can't. Auntie, I
am not going on with this. I'm very sorry for you, John, but I see
now--I couldn't face it---
[She can't face anything at this moment except the sofa pillows.]
COMTESSE [noticing JOHN'S big sigh of relief].
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