He
laughs, and laughs, staggers to the sofa, falls on it, rocks and
roars till the tears roll down his cheeks. He sways from side to
side, unable to control himself--his laughter is so colossal that
the infection catches the others; theirs becomes genuine too._
BETTY. [_With difficulty, trying to control herself._] The letter! Old
Gillingham! "His name, scoundrel, his name!"
WALTER. [_Gurgling._] With his hand at my throat! Sit there, villain, and
write!
BETTY. "I'll deal with _you_ presently! Wait till I've finished with
_him!_"
WALTER. "Into the street!" At least, they _do_ usually say "into the
night!"
HECTOR. [_Rubbing his eyes and panting for breath._] Oh, you pair of
blackguards! Too bad--no, really too bad! It was! I fell in, I did! Oh,
Lord, oh, Lord, what a nightmare! But it wasn't right, really it
wasn't--no really! My Lord, how I floundered--head and shoulders--
swallowed it all! Comes of reading that muck every day--never stopped to
think! I didn't! Walter, old chap! [_He holds out his hand._] Betty! My
poor Betty! [_He draws her towards him._] The things I said to you!
BETTY. [_Carelessly eluding the caress._] At least admit that you're
rather hard on the playwriting people!
HECTOR. [_Getting up and shaking himself._] Oh, they be blowed! Well, you
_have_ had a game with me! [_He shakes himself again._] Brrrrr! Oh, my
Lord! What I went through!
BETTY. It _was_ a lark! you should have seen yourself! Your eyes starting
out of your head! You looked like a murderer!
HECTOR.
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