(He looks the other way, kisses the tips of his fingers, and flicks it carelessly in her direction.)
DINAH. That was a lovely one. Now here's one coming for you.
(He catches it gracefully and conveys it to his mouth.)
BRIAN (with a low bow). Madam, I thank you.
DINAH (curtseying). Your servant, Mr. Strange.
(OLIVIA comes in through the windows, followed by GEORGE and LADY MARDEN, the latter a vigorous young woman of sixty odd, who always looks as if she were beagling.)
OLIVIA. Aunt Julia wants to see the pigs, dear. I wish you'd take her down. I'm rather tired, and your uncle has some business to attend to.
LADY MARDEN. I've always said that you don't take enough exercise, Olivia. Look at me--sixty-five and proud of it.
OLIVIA. Yes, Aunt Julia, you're wonderful.
DINAH. How old would Olivia be if she took exercise?
GEORGE. Don't stand about asking silly questions, Dinah. Your aunt hasn't much time.
LADY MARDEN. Well, a little exercise wouldn't do _you_ any harm, Mr. Strange. You're an artist, ain't you?
DINAH. He sold a picture last March for--
LADY MARDEN. Unhealthy life. Well, come along.
[She strides out, followed by DINAH and BRIAN.
(GEORGE sits down at his desk with his head in his hand, and stabs the blotting-paper with a pen. OLIVIA takes the curtains with her to the sofa and begins to work on them.)
GEORGE (looking up and seeing them). Really, Olivia, we've got something more important, more vital to us than curtains, to discuss, now that we _are_ alone at last.
OLIVIA. I wasn't going to discuss them, dear.
GEORGE. I'm always glad to see Aunt Julia in my house, but I wish she hadn't chosen this day of all days to come to lunch.
OLIVIA. It wasn't Aunt Julia's fault. It was really Mr. Pim who chose the wrong day.
GEORGE (fiercely). Good Heavens, is it true?
GEORGE. You told me he was dead. You always said that he was dead. You--you--
OLIVIA. Well, I always thought that he was dead. He was as dead as anybody could be. All the papers said he was dead.
OLIVIA (as if this would settle it for GEORGE). The _Times_ said he was dead. There was a paragraph about him. Apparently even his death was fraudulent.
GEORGE. Yes, yes, I'm not blaming you, Olivia, but what are we going to do, that's the question, what are we going to do? My God, it's horrible! You've never been married to me at all! You don't seem to understand.