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The Master of Mrs。 Chilvers
by Jerome K。 Jerome
THE FIRST ACT
SCENE： Drawing…room； 91； Russell Square。
TIME： 3 p。m。
THE SECOND ACT
SCENE： Liberal Committee Room； East India Dock Road。
TIME： 5 p。m。
THE THIRD ACT
SCENE： The Town Hall； East Poplar。
TIME： 10 p。m。
THE FOURTH ACT
SCENE： Russell Square
TIME： Midnight
THE CAST OF 〃THE MASTER OF MRS。 CHILVERS〃
AS IT WAS PRODUCED AT THE ROYALTY THEATRE； LONDON； ON APRIL 26TH；
1911； UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF MESSRS。 VEDRENNE & EADIE。
Lady Mogton Mary Rorke
Annys Chilvers Lena Ashwell
Phoebe Mogton Ethel Dane
Janet Blake Gillian Scaife
Mrs。 Mountcalm Villiers Sarah Brooke
Elizabeth Spender Auriol Lee
Rose Merton Esme Beringer
Mrs。 Chinn Sydney Fairbrother
Geoffrey Chilvers； M。P。 Dennis Eadie
Dorian St。 Herbert Leon Quartermaine
Ben Lamb； M。P。 A。 E。 Benedict
William Gordon Edmund Gwenn
Sigsby Michael Sherbrooke
Hake H。 B。 Tabberer
Mr。 Peekin Gerald Mirrielees
Mr。 Hopper Stanley Logan
Mrs。 Peekin Rowena Jerome
Miss Borlasse Cathleen Nesbitt
Miss Ricketts Hetta Bartlett
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY
GEOFFREY CHILVERS； M。P。 ＇President Men's League for the Extension
of the Franchise to Women＇ A loving husband； and （would…be）
affectionate father。 Like many other good men； he is in sympathy
with the Woman's Movement： 〃not thinking it is coming in his
time。〃
ANNYS CHILVERS ＇nee Mogton； Hon。 Sec。 Women's Parliamentary
Franchise League＇ A loving wife； and （would…be） affection mother。
Many thousands of years have gone to her making。 A generation ago；
she would have been the ideal woman： the ideal helpmeet。 But new
ideas are stirring in her blood； a new ideal of womanhood is
forcing itself upon her。
LADY MOGTON ＇President W。P。F。L。＇ She knows she would be of more
use in Parliament than many of the men who are there； is naturally
annoyed at the Law's stupidity in keeping her out。
PHOEBE MOGTON ＇Org。 Sec。 W。P。F。L。＇ The new girl； thinking more of
politics than of boys。 But that will probably pass。
JANET BLAKE ＇Jt。 Org。 Sec。 W。P。F。L。＇ She dreams of a new heaven
and a new earth when woman has the vote。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM VILLIERS ＇Vice…President W。P。F。L。＇ She was getting
tired of flirting。 The Woman's Movement has arrived just at the
right moment。
ELIZABETH SPENDER ＇Hons。 Treas。 W。P。F。L。＇ She sees woman
everywhere the slave of man： now pampered； now beaten； but ever
the slave。 She can see no hope of freedom but through warfare。
MRS。 CHINN A mother。
JAWBONES A bill…poster。 Movements that do not fit in with the
essentials of life on thirty shillings a week have no message so
far as Jawbones is concerned。
GINGER Whose proper name is Rose Merton； and who has to reconcile
herself to the fact that so far as her class is concerned the
primaeval laws still run。
DORIAN ST。 HERBERT ＇Hon。 Sec。 M。L。E。F。W。＇ He is interested in all
things； the Woman's Movement included。
BEN LAMB； M。P。 As a student of woman； he admits to being in the
infants' class。
SIGSBY An Election Agent。 He thinks the modern woman suffers from
over…indulgence。 He would recommend to her the teachings of St。
Paul。
HAKE A butler。 He does not see how to avoid his wife being
practically a domestic servant without wages。
A DEPUTATION It consists of two men and three women。 Superior
people would call them Cranks。 But Cranks have been of some
service to the world； and the use of superior people is still to be
discovered。
THE FIRST ACT
SCENE：… Drawing…room； 91； Russell Square。
TIME：… Afternoon。
＇MRS。 ELIZABETH SPENDER sits near the fire； reading a book。 She is
a tall； thin woman； with passionate eyes； set in an oval face of
olive complexion； the features are regular and severe； her massive
dark hair is almost primly arranged。 She wears a tailor…made
costume； surmounted by a plain black hat。 The door opens and
PHOEBE enters； shown in by HAKE； the butler； a thin； ascetic…
looking man of about thirty； with prematurely grey hair。 PHOEBE
MOGTON is of the Fluffy Ruffles type； petite； with a retrousse
nose； remarkably bright eyes； and a quantity of fluffy light hair；
somewhat untidily arranged。 She is fashionably dressed in the
fussy； flyaway style。 ELIZABETH looks up； the two young women
shake hands。＇
PHOEBE Good woman。 'Tisn't three o'clock yet； is it？
ELIZABETH About five minutes to。
PHOEBE Annys is on her way。 I just caught her in time。 ＇To
HAKE。＇ Put a table and six chairs。 Give mamma a hammer and a
cushion at her back。
HAKE A hammer； miss？
PHOEBE A chairman's hammer。 Haven't you got one？
HAKE I'm afraid not； miss。 Would a gravy spoon do？
PHOEBE ＇To ELIZABETH； after expression of disgust。＇ Fancy a house
without a chairman's hammer！ ＇To HAKE。＇ See that there's
something。 Did your wife go to the meeting last night？
HAKE ＇He is arranging furniture according to instructions。＇ I'm
not quite sure； miss。 I gave her the evening out。
PHOEBE 〃Gave her the evening out〃！
ELIZABETH We are speaking of your wife； man； not your servant。
HAKE Yes； miss。 You see； we don't keep servants in our class。
Somebody's got to put the children to bed。
ELIZABETH Why not the manoccasionally？
HAKE Well； you see； miss； in my case； I rarely getting home much
before midnight； it would make it so late。 Yesterday being my
night off； things fitted in； so to speak。 Will there be any
writing； miss？
PHOEBE Yes。 See that there's plenty of blotting…paper。 ＇To
ELIZABETH。＇ Mamma always splashes so。
HAKE Yes； miss。 ＇He goes out。＇
ELIZABETH Did you ever hear anything more delightfully naive？ He
〃gave〃 her the evening out。 That's how they think of usas their
servants。 The gentleman hasn't the courage to be straightforward
about it。 The butler blurts out the truth。 Why are we meeting
here instead of at our own place？
PHOEBE For secrecy； I expect。 Too many gasbags always about the
office。 I fancyI'm not quite surethat mamma's got a new idea。
ELIZABETH Leading to Holloway？
PHOEBE Well； most roads lead there。
ELIZABETH And end thereso far as I can see。
PHOEBE You're too impatient。
ELIZABETH It's what our friends have been telling usfor the last
fifty years。
PHOEBE Look here； if it was only the usual sort of thing mamma
wouldn't want it kept secret。 I'm inclined to think it's a new
departure altogether。
＇The door opens。 There enters JANET BLAKE； followed by HAKE； who
proceeds with his work。 JANET BLAKE is a slight； fragile…looking
creature； her great dark eyesthe eyes of a fanaticemphasise the
pallor of her childish face。 She is shabbily dressed； a plain；
uninteresting girl until she smiles； and then her face becomes
quite beautiful。 PHOEBE darts to meet her。＇ Good girl。 Was
afraidI say； you're wet through。
JANET It was only a shower。 The 'buses were all full。 I had to
ride outside。
PHOEBE Silly kid； why didn't you take a cab？
JANET I've been reckoning it up。 I've been half over London
chasing Mrs。 Mountcalm…Villiers。 Cabs would have come； at the very
least； to twelve…and…six。
PHOEBE Well …
JANET ＇To ELIZABETH。＇ WellI want you to put me down as a
contributor for twelve…and…six。 ＇She smiles。＇ It's the only way I
can give。
PHOEBE ＇She is taking off JANET'S cloak； throws it to HAKE。＇ Have
this put somewhere to dry。 ＇She pushes JANET to the fire。＇ Get
near the fire。 You're as cold as ice。
ELIZABETH All the seats inside； I suppose； occupied by the
chivalrous sex。
JANET Oh； there was one young fellow offered to give me up his
place； but I wouldn't let him。 You see； we're claiming equality。
＇Smiles。＇
ELIZABETH And are being granted itin every direction where it
works to the convenience of man。
PHOEBE ＇Laughs。＇ Is she comingthe Villiers woman？
JANET Yes。 I ran her down at lastat her dress…maker's。 She
made an awful fuss about it； but I wouldn't leave till she'd
promised。 Tell me； it's something quite important； isn't it？
PHOEBE I don't know anything； except that I had an urgent telegram
from mamma this morning to call a meeting of the entire Council
here at three o'clock。 She's coming up from Manchester on purpose。
＇To HAKE。＇ Mrs。 Chilvers hasn't returned yet； has she？
HAKE Not yet； miss。 Shall I telephone …
PHOEBE ＇Shakes her head。＇ No； it's all right。 I have seen her。
Let her know we are here the moment she comes in。
HAKE Yes； miss。 ＇He has finished the arrangements。 The table has
been placed in the centre of the room； six chairs round it； one of
them being a large armchair。 He has placed writing materials and a
large silver gravy spoon。 He is going。＇
PHOEBE Why aren't you sure your wife wasn't at the meeting last
night？ Didn't she say anything？
HAKE Well； miss； unfortunately； just as she was starting； Mrs。
Comerfordthat's the wife of the party that keeps the shop
downstairslooked in with an order for the theatre。
PHOEBE O