Quality Street Page #3

OH, NO. NOT ALWAYS.

YOU DON'T KNOW HOW

I'VE REBELLED AT TIMES.

SUSAN, I HAVE A PICTURE

OF MYSELF AS I USED TO BE.

I SOMETIMES:

LOOK AT IT.

I SOMETIMES KISS I AND SAY,

"POOR GIRL, THEY'VE ALL

FORGOTTEN YOU, BUT I REMEMBER."

I DO NOT RECALL IT.

I KEEP IT LOCKED

AWAY IN MY ROOM.

WOULD YOU LIKE:

TO SEE IT?

I SHALL BRING I DOWN TO YOU.

YOU STAND GAZING AT THE FOOLISH

CREATURES WHO CROWD TO A BALL.

I'M NOT, MUM. I'M GAZING

AT MY SWEETHEART.

YOUR SWEETHEART?

I DIDN'T KNOW

YOU HAD ONE.

NOT EVER, AYE, MUM,

AS YET.

BUT AT ANY MOMENT, HE

MAY TURN THE CORNER.

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR HIM

TO OBLIGE THESE 15 YEARS.

15 YEARS

AND YOU'RE STILL HOPEFUL?

THERE'S NOT A MORE HOPEFUL WOMAN

IN ALL THE KINGS' DOMINIONS.

YOU ARE SO MUCH OLDER

THAN MISS PHOEBE.

YES, MA'AM. I HAVE THE

ADVANTAGE BY 10 YEARS.

IT WOULD BE IDLE TO PRETEND

THAT YOU ARE ESPECIALLY HANDSOME.

WELL, THAT MAY BE, MUM,

BUT MY FACE IS MY OWN.

THE MORE I SEE IT IN THE

GLASS, THE MORE IT PLEASES ME.

I NEVER LOOK AT IT,

BUT I SAY TO MYSELF,

"WHO'S TO BE

THE LUCKY MAN?"

'TIS WONDERFUL.

OH, THIS WILL BE A GREA YEAR FOR FEMALES, MUM.

THINK HOW MANY OF

THE MEN WHO MARCH

STRUTTING OFF TO THE WAR

TO HAVE COME BACK LIMPING.

WHO'S TO TAKE OFF

THEIR WOODEN LEGS

EVERY EVENING, MISS

SUSAN? YOU, MUM OR ME?

PATTY!

OR MISS PHOEBE, MUM?

THE PRETTY THING THA SHE WAS, MISS SUSAN.

DO YOU REMEMBER, PATTY?

AM I AS CHANGED:

AS HE SAYS I AM?

YOU ALMOST FRIGHTEN ME.

ONE DANCE FOR:

PHOEBE OF THE RINGLETS

THEN I SHALL PUT HER

AWAY IN A BOX:

AND NEVER:

LOOK AT HER AGAIN.

WILL YOU CELEBRATE

WATERLOO, MUM?

MISS PHOEBE!

NOT MISS PHOEBE, PATTY.

I'M NOT MYSELF TONIGHT.

I AM, LET ME SEE,

I AM MY NIECE.

MISS SUSAN, IT'S CAPTAIN

BROWN. HE'S AT THE DOOR.

PATTY, WAIT!

STOP!

IT'S CAPTAIN BROWN.

I VENTURED TO COME BACK

BECAUSE I-

I BEG YOUR PARDON, MA'AM. I THOUGH IT WAS MISS SUSAN OR MISS PHOEBE.

'TIS MY MISTRESS'

NIECE, SIR.

SHE'S ON A VISI HERE.

OH, PATTY, I OBTAINED THIS AT THE

APOTHECARY FOR MISS PHOEBE'S HEADACHE.

IT SHOULD BE TAKEN

AT ONCE.

MISS PHOEBE'S

LIED DOWN, SIR.

PATTY, TAKE I TO AUNT PHOEBE AT ONCE.

YES, MA'AM.

PERHAPS I MAY VENTURE TO

INTRODUCE MYSELF, MISS, UH?

MISS, UH, LIVVY,

SIR.

I'M CAPTAIN BROWN,

MISS LIVVY.

AN OLD FRIEND:

OF BOTH YOUR AUNTS.

OH! I HEARD THEM SPEAK

OF A DASHING MR. BROWN,

BUT I THINK I CANNOT BE THE SAME.

WHY NOT, MA'AM?

I BEG YOUR PARDON.

I WAS SURE:

YOU MUST BE RELATED.

FOR A MOMENT,

THE LIKENESS-

LA, SIR. YOU MEAN

I'M LIKE AUNT PHOEBE?

EVERYONE SAYS SO, AND

INDEED, THERE'S NO COMPLIMENT.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN

A COMPLIMENT ONCE.

MISS LIVVY, ARE YOU

GOING TO THE BALL?

ALAS, SIR,

I HAVE NO CARD.

I HAVE 2 CARDS

FOR YOUR AUNTS.

AND SINCE MISS PHOEBE

HAS A HEADACHE,

MISS SUSAN MUS TAKE YOU TO THE BALL.

OH, DO YOU THINK, SIR,

THAT SOME HANDSOME GENTLEMAN

MIGHT BE PARTIAL

TO ME AT THE BALL?

IF THAT'S YOUR WISH.

I SHOULD LOVE, SIR,

TO INSPIRE FRENZY

IN THE REST OF THE MALE.

OH, I DARE NOT GO.

I CANNOT GO.

LOOK, MISS LIVVY.

OH, MISS SUSAN.

I VENTURED TO INTRODUCE

MYSELF TO YOUR CHARMING NIECE.

AUNT SUSAN, DO NOT BE

ANGRY WITH YOUR LIVVY.

YOUR LIVVY, AUNT SUSAN.

THIS GENTLEMAN SAYS THA HE IS THE DASHING MR. BROWN,

AND THAT HE HAS CARDS FOR US

TO GO TO THE BALL.

OF COURSE, WE CANNOT GO.

WE DARE NOT GO.

OH, AUNTIE,

HASTEN INTO YOUR BOMBAZINE.

PHOEBE!

AUNT PHOEBE:

WANTS ME TO GO.

IF I SAY SHE DOES,

YOU KNOW SHE DOES.

I SHALL SEE TO IT,

MISS SUSAN,

THAT YOUR NIECE:

HAS A CHARMING EVENING.

HE MEANS THAT HE WILL

FIND ME CHARMING PARTNERS.

NO, MA'AM. I MEAN

I'LL BE YOUR PARTNER.

AUNT SUSAN,

HE STILL DANCES.

STILL, MA'AM?

PRAY NOT TO SCOWL.

I COULD NOT AVOID

NOTICING THEM.

NOTICING WHAT,

MISS LIVVY?

THE, UM, GRAY HAIRS, SIR.

COME ON, SUSAN.

THINK, MY DEAR, THINK.

WE DARE NOT!

NO, NO, WE DARE NOT.

WE CANNOT GO.

INDEED, MA'AM.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.

WHERE'S MY CLOAK?

'TIS BUT A NEW VEIL, SIR.

THERE'S NO CAUSE FOR ALARM.

MARY, SURELY IT ISN' THE GALLANT CAPTAIN BROWN.

OH, HOW DO YOU DO,

MY DEAR LADIES.

WELCOME BACK, SIR.

WE'RE VERY HAPPY

TO SEE YOU AGAIN, SIR.

AND HAVE YOU SEEN

MISS PHOEBE?

I'VE HAD THE HONOR.

I REGRET TO SAY:

THAT MISS PHOEBE

IS LYING DOWN NOW

WITH A HEADACHE.

A HEADACHE?

HMM. MORE LIKELY

HEARTACHE.

YOU DON'T FAVOR THE BALL

TONIGHT?

WE NEVER ATTEND:

THEM, SIR.

WE SHOULD PROBABLY SPEND

THE EVENING HERE

WITH MISS SUSAN:

AT THE CARD TABLE.

MISS SUSAN'S GOING

TO THE BALL WITH ME.

OH, I HOPE

THERE'S NO IMPROPRIETY.

MISS LIVVY:

WILL ACCOMPANY HER.

MISS LIVVY?

THEIR VERY CHARMING

NIECE.

NIECE?

THEY HAD NOT TOLD US

THAT THEY HAD A VISITOR.

WE'RE GOING TO THE BALL.

OH, I SEE.

I, UH, CANNOT REMEMBER,

SUSAN,

THAT YOUR ESTIMABLE

BROTHER HAD A DAUGHTER.

I THOUGHT, UH,

ALL THE 3 WERE SONS.

3 SONS

AND A DAUGHTER.

WELL, SURELY YOU REMEMBER

LITTLE LIVVY, MARY?

NO, SUSAN, I DO NOT.

OH, WELL, I MUST GO.

AH, HERE'S MISS LIVVY.

THIS IS MY NIECE

MISS LIVVY.

MISS WILLOUGHBY, MISS HENRIETTA,

AND MISS BETTY WILLOUGHBY.

3 SONS AND A DAUGHTER.

MAY I ASK, MISS LIVVY, HOW

MANY BROTHERS DO YOU HAVE?

2!

I THANK YOU.

EXCLUDING:

THE UNHAPPY THOMAS.

WE NEVER MENTION

HIM.

LADIES,

PARDON MY IMPATIENCE.

WHAT HAS THOMAS DONE?

PHOEBE,

IT'S YOUNG BLADES.

OH, MY HEART.

LET US ESCAPE AT ONCE.

SUSAN, DON'T BUDGE.

MISS SUSAN,

ONCE YOUR PUPIL:

AND NOW YOUR MOS OBEDIENT, MA'AM.

MR. BLADES, I BELIEVE.

I HARDLY EXPECTED

TO FIND YOU AT THE BALL.

I SCARCELY EXPECTED I MYSELF.

I DO NOT SEE:

MISS PHOEBE WITH YOU.

DON'T YOU?

AUNTIE, WHY DON'T YOU

PRESENT YOUR OLD PUPIL?

ENSIGN BLADES,

MY NIECE MISS OLIVIA CROSSEL.

LIEUTENANT SWITZER.

BLAKE, 50th AT ARMS.

DAVIS WITH THE 109th.

OH!

UH, MAY I HAVE THE HONOR?

OH, AUNTIE, I SHOULD SO

ENJOY DANCING WITH AN ENSIGN.

HOW MUCH MORE THAN

DANCING WITH A LIEUTENANT?

WHY DON'T YOU TWO OLD FRIENDS

PLAY A HAND OF CRIBBAGE?

AND WE'LL GO OVER

TO MAKE MERRY:

AND WHEN WE'RE THERE,

WE'LL DRINK THE SHERRY

WHEN TOGETHER:

WE'RE SO GAY

ABOARD THE BOAT,

ACROSS THE PRAIRIE

WHEN TOGETHER WE'RE SO...

BEAUTIFULLY DONE!

AND WERE YOU REALLY

FRIGHTENED BY THEM, BLADES?

FRIGHTENED BY THEM?

OH, HOW BRAVE YOU ARE.

WELL, WE MARCHED ON

THAT NIGHT-

AND THEN?

YOURS?

NO, UH-

MINE.

OH.

I MISSED YOU...

ON PURPOSE.

YOU?

I MISSED YOU.

ON PURPOSE?

CHARMING,

LIEUTENANT SWITZER.

THE, UH, FIELD

IS YOURS, SIR.

RAIN! WE'LL GET WET!

YOU'RE AN AMAZINGLY

PRETTY GIRL, MA'AM,

BUT A SHOCKING FLIRT.

LA.

I SUPPOSE I AMUSES YOU

TO SEE THEM GO:

DOWN BEFORE YOU.

BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE

A KIND HEART.

THANK YOU, SIR.

YOU DON'T SEEM TO CARE WITH

WHOSE AFFECTIONS YOU TRIFLE.

LA, SO, WHY SHOULD I CARE?

I'LL TELL YOU WHY.

I MUST GO HOME.

IN THE RAIN?

YES. YES. I JUST REMEMBERED

AUNT PHOEBE IS ILL.

ILL? I THOUGHT HER

IMPROVED.

NO, SHE'S WORSE.

IT'S NOT SO BAD THAT YOU

MUST RISK YOUR OWN HEALTH.

OH, YES.

YES, INDEED.

SHE'S-SHE'S

DESPERATELY ILL.

GOOD HEAVENS! WHY WASN'T HER DOCTOR

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