FLORA David … ?

DURANCE You’re up!

FLORA Up with the dawn. What on earth are you doing?

DURANCE (Approaching) I’m afraid I came to wake you. Don’t you sleep?

FLORA Yes, I slept early and woke early.

DURANCE I promised you a turn with the Daimler—remember?

FLORA Yes.

DURANCE I wanted to show you the sunrise. There’s a pretty place for it only ten minutes down the road. Will you come?

FLORA Can I go in my dressing-gown?

DURANCE Well … better not.

FLORA Right-o. I’ll get dressed.

DURANCE Good.

FLORA Come up. (Durance comes up the verandah steps.) I’ll be quick.

She goes into the bedroom. She hurriedly puts on a dress.

DURANCE (Calling from the verandah) The damnedest thing happened to me just now.

FLORA Can’t hear you!

Durance steps closer, outside the bedroom door.

DURANCE That fellow Das was on the road. I’m sure it was him.

FLORA (Dressing) Well … why not?

DURANCE He cut me.

FLORA What?

DURANCE I gave him a wave and he turned his back. I thought—’well, that’s a first!’

FLORA Oh! There’s hope for him yet.

DURANCE They’ll be throwing stones next. (Then registering her remark) What?

FLORA Come in, it’s quite safe.

Durance enters the bedroom. Flora, dressed, puts on her shoes, drags a hairbrush through her hair … Durance picks up Flora’s book from beside the unmade bed.

DURANCE Oh … ! You’re reading Emily Eden. I read it years ago.

FLORA We’ll miss the sunrise.

DURANCE (With the book) There’s a bit somewhere … she reminds me of you. ‘Off with their heads!’

FLORA Whose heads?

DURANCE Hang on, I’ll find it—it was Queen Victoria’s birthday … Oh!

FLORA What?

DURANCE Nothing. I found your bookmark.

FLORA I’m ready. It’s not my bookmark, I put it there for safe keeping.

DURANCE Where did you get such a thing?

FLORA His Highness gave it to me.

DURANCE Why?

FLORA Because I ate an apricot. Because he is a Rajah. Because he hoped I’d go to bed with him. I don’t know.

DURANCE But how could he … feel himself in such intimacy with you? Had you met him before?

FLORA No, David—

DURANCE But my dear girl, in accepting a gift like this don’t you see—(Pause) Well, it’s your life, of course …

FLORA Shall we go?

DURANCE … but I’m in a frightfully difficult position now.

FLORA Why?

DURANCE Did he visit you?

FLORA I visited him.

DURANCE I know. Did he visit you?

FLORA Mind your own business.

DURANCE But it is my business.

FLORA Because you think you love me?

DURANCE No, I … Keeping tabs on what His Highness is up to is one of my … I mean I write reports to Delhi.

FLORA (Amused) Oh heavens!

DURANCE You’re a politically sensitive person, actually, coming here with an introduction from that man Chamberlain … I mean this sort of thing—

FLORA Oh, darling policeman.

DURANCE How can I ignore it?

FLORA Don’t ignore it. Report what you like. I don’t mind, you see. You mind. But I don’t. I have never minded. (Flora steps on to the verandah.) (In despair) Oh—look at the sky! We’re going to be too late!