A waiter brings a note to Pike, and leaves.

PIKE (Reading the note) He’s coming down. I thought maybe he’d ask us up to the penthouse.

DILIP Don’t be offended.

PIKE I’m not offended.

DILIP He is not the Rajah now, he is an ordinary politician. He has your letter. I hope he can help you. In any case, it is better if I leave you so he does not need to wear two hats.

PIKE What do I call him?

DILIP Your Highness. He will correct you.

Dilip leaves.

Flora enters, dressed for tiffin with his Highness the Rajah of Jummapur.

FLORA ‘I was let off church parade, being a suspected Bolshie, and I was writing on my verandah after my early-morning ride when what should turn up but a Rolls Royce circa 1912 but brand new, as it were, with a note from his Highness the Rajah of Jummapur going on about my spiritual beauty and inviting me to tiffin.’

RAJAH (Entering) The spiritual beauty of Jummapur has been increased a thousandfold by your presence, Miss Crewe!

FLORA ‘Well, what is a poor girl to do? Hop into the back of the Rolls, that’s what.’

The RAJAH shakes hands with Flora who has stood up.

RAJAH How delightful that you were able to come! I understand you are a connoisseur of the automobile.

FLORA Oh, how sweet of you to ask me … your Highness.

RAJAH Unfortunately I cannot show them all at once because I have many more motor cars than mechanics, of course. But we can sit and chat between the scenes.

FLORA I would be happy to walk around them, your Highness.

RAJAH Oh, but that would deny them their spiritual essence. They would not be automobiles if we did the moving and they did the sitting.

A stately concours d’elegance of motor cars, as distinguished as they are invisible, begins to pass in front of them.

FLORA Oh—! What a beauty! A Duesenberg! And what’s that?—Oh, my goodness, it’s a Type 41 Bugatti! I’ve never seen one! And a … is it an Isotta-Fraschini?

RAJAH Possibly. I acquired it by way of settlement of a gambling debt at Bendor Westminster’s. Do you know him?

FLORA I don’t know any dukes.

RAJAH He’s my neighbour in the South of France. I go to the South of France every year, you see, for my health. (He laughs.) But you have come to India for your health!

FLORA (Not pleased) Well … yes, Your Highness. Everybody seems to know everything about me.

RAJAH Mr Churchill was in Bendor’s house party. He paints. Like your friend Mr Das. Do you know Mr Churchill?

FLORA Not very well.

RAJAH I was at school with him, apparently. I can’t remember him at all. But I read Mr Churchill’s speeches with great interest, and … oh—look at that one! I couldn’t resist the headlamps. So enormous, like the eggs of a chromium bird.

FLORA Yes—a Brancusi!

RAJAH You know them all, Miss Crewe! … Yes, Mr Churchill is perfectly right, don’t you agree, Miss Crewe?