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[Exit BENHAM.

TENTERDEN. How do you do, Mrs.—ah—Broxopp? (Metaphorically they all stand to attention.)

NANCY. How do you do, Sir Roger?

TENTERDEN. How do, Broxopp? Ah, Jack—Iris.

NANCY. Where will you sit, Sir Roger?

TENTERDEN. Don’t trouble, I beg you. (The best chair is ready for him.) I shall be all right here. (He sits down.) You will forgive me for intruding upon you in the morning, but having just heard the great news—well, we must congratulate each other—eh, Mrs.Broxopp? (He smiles pleasantly at her.)

NANCY (smiling too). Indeed, we must.

BROXOPP (flattered). That’s very good of you, Sir Roger. I need hardly say how delighted I am that Jack and—er—your Iris should have——

TENTERDEN. Quite so, quite so. Well, they’ve fixed it up between themselves without consulting us, Mrs.Broxopp—quite right too, eh, Iris?—eh, Jack?—(he gives them his pleasant smile)—but we old people must come in at the end and have our say. Eh, Broxopp?

BROXOPP. Very glad to talk over anything you like, Sir Roger. Of course, I should give Jack a suitable allowance——