_The First Three Acts take place in Carlyon's country house in England._ _The Fourth Act in a bungalow in the Ghautgherry Hills, India._
_Carlyon is pronounced like the two words "car-lion," the accent being on the_ i. _The Indian form Kaliena, has the_ i _long and accented, the other syllables short_.
SIR DAVID CARLYON'S _country house_; VERA'S _sitting-room. Window right, behind window a curtain on a rod projecting into the room and forming a recess. By window table strewn with books and papers. The books chiefly foreign, with paper backs. On another table a very large birdcage covered with a tablecloth. Doors in the left corner of the back wall, and in the side wall, right._
ELIZABETH _discovered sitting in a large chair in the recess_. VERA _holding an ophthalmoscope_.
Yes, that's it. Just the same as before. [_Drawing the curtain so as to darken the recess._] Now, I must let the light fall full on your eye--just for a minute. Don't wink. That's all; now you can go right into the dark again, Elizabeth. [ELIZABETH _comes out rubbing her eyes_.] I'm afraid it hurt; it is so kind of you!
Not at all, dear. And it is all right as soon as I get into the dark again.
Should you like to see what the end of your optic nerve is like? There! [_Showing plate in a book._
Dear me, Vera; is there anything wrong with me?
Not a thing! That's a picture of a typical healthy eye. You are quite uninteresting, you and Father both!
I don't see how _his_ eyes can be uninteresting.
From Dr. Rheinhardt's point of view, quite. Here are two abnormal ones. See how different they are from yours.
[_Without interest._] Yes, dear. [_Hesitating._] I was wondering----
You see the depression of that line? That man died insane in two years. If ever one saw that, one would know---- [_Breaks off._] What did you say?
That poor bird: I wondered if I might feed him in here, where it's warm?
[_Suspiciously._] What are you going to feed him with?
[_Apologetically._] Well, you see, Vera, he is really ill. He won't eat anything at all unless it's alive.
Very well, dear. [_Goes and takes the great cage._] Do you know, Vera, I think you are really a little unkind about my eagles.
I can't think why father ever gave you such horrid things!