



Produced by Curtis A. Weyant, Stan Goodman, Charles Franks,
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team











BELINDA

An April Folly in Three Acts

BY

A. A. MILNE




CHARACTERS



Produced by Mr. Dion Boucioault at the New Theatre, London, on April 8,
1918, with the following cast:--

    BELINDA TREMAYNE.......... _Irene Vanbrugh_.
    DELIA (her Daughter)...... _Isabel Elsom_.
    HAROLD BAXTER............. _Dion Boucicault_.
    CLAUDE DEVENISH........... _Dennis Neilson-Terry_.
    JOHN TREMAYNE............. _Ben Webster_.
    BETTY..................... _Anne Walden_.

The action takes place in Belinda's country-house in Devonshire at the
end of April, the first act in the garden and the second and last acts
in the hall



[Illustration]



BELINDA



ACT I


_It is a lovely April afternoon--a foretaste of summer--in_
BELINDA'S _garden_.

BETTY, _a middle-aged servant, is fastening a hammock--its first
appearance this year--to a tree down_ L. _In front there is a
garden-table, with a deck-chair on the right of it and a straight-backed
one to the left. There are books, papers, and magazines on the
table_. BELINDA, _of whom we shall know more presently, is on the
other side of the open windows which look on to the garden, talking
to_ BETTY, _who crosses to_ R. _of hammock, securing it to
tree_ C.

BELINDA (_from inside the house_). Are you sure you're tying it up
tightly enough, Betty?

BETTY (_coming to front of hammock_). Yes, ma'am; I think it's
firm.

BELINDA. Because I'm not the fairy I used to be.

BETTY (_testing hammock_). Yes, ma'am; it's quite firm this end
too.

BELINDA (_entering from portico with sunshade open_). It's not the
ends I'm frightened of; it's the middle where the weight's coming.
(_Comes down_ R. _and admiring_.) It looks very nice. (_She crosses
at back of wicker table, hanging her hand-bag on hammock. Closes and
places her sunshade at back of tree_ C.)

BETTY. Yes, ma'am.

BELINDA (_trying the middle of it with her hand_). I asked them at
the Stores if they were quite _sure_ it would bear me, and they
said it would take anything up to--I forget how many tons. I know I
thought it was rather rude of them. (_Looking at it anxiously, and
trying to get in, first with her right leg and then her left_.) How
does one get in! So trying to be a sailor!

BETTY. I think you sit in it, ma'am, and then (_explaining with her
hands_) throw your legs over.

BELINDA. I see. (_She sits gingerly in the hammock, and then, with a
sudden flutter of white, does what_ BETTY _suggests_.) Yes.
(_Regretfully_.) I'm afraid that was rather wasted on you, Betty.
We must have some spectators next time.

BETTY. Yea, ma'am

BELINDA. Cushions.

(BETTY _moves to and takes a cushion from deck-chair_. BELINDA
_assists her to place it at back of her head_. BETTY _then goes
to back of hammock and arranges_ BELINDA'S _dress_.)

There! Now then, Betty, about callers.

BETTY. Yes, ma'am.

BELINDA. If Mr. Baxter calls--he is the rather prim gentleman--

BETTY. Yea, ma'am; the one who's been here several times before.
(_Moves to below and_ L. _of hammock_.)

BELINDA (_giving_ BETTY _a quick look_). Yes. Well, if he
calls, you'll say, "Not at home."

BETTY. Yes, ma'am.

BELINDA. He will say (_imitating_ MR. BAXTER), "Oh--er--oh--er--
really." Then you'll smile very sweetly and say, "I beg your pardon, was
it Mr_. BAXTER_?" And