Free e-text of "The Skin Game (Fourth Series Plays)" by John Galsworthy.
PLAYS IN THE FOURTH SERIES
By John Galsworthy
THE SKIN GAME
(A TRAGI-COMEDY)
"Who touches pitch shall be defiled"
CHARACTERS
HILLCRIST ...............A Country Gentleman AMY .....................His Wife JILL ....................His Daughter DAWKER ..................His Agent HORNBLOWER ..............A Man Newly-Rich CHARLES .................His Elder Son CHLOE ...................Wife to Charles ROLF ....................His Younger Son FELLOWS .................Hillcrist's Butler ANNA ....................Chloe's Maid THE JACKMANS ............Man and Wife
AN AUCTIONEER A SOLICITOR TWO STRANGERS
ACT I. HILLCRIST'S Study
ACT II.
SCENE I. A month later. An Auction Room.
SCENE II. The same evening. CHLOE'S Boudoir.
ACT III
SCENE I. The following day. HILLCRIST'S Study. Morning.
SCENE II. The Same. Evening.
ACT I
HILLCRIST'S study. A pleasant room, with books in calf
bindings, and signs that the HILLCRIST'S have travelled, such
as a large photograph of the Taj Mahal, of Table Mountain, and
the Pyramids of Egypt. A large bureau [stage Right], devoted
to the business of a country estate. Two foxes' masks.
Flowers in bowls. Deep armchairs. A large French window open
[at Back], with a lovely view of a slight rise of fields and
trees in August sunlight. A fine stone fireplace [stage Left].
A door [Left]. A door opposite [Right]. General colour
effect--stone, and cigar-leaf brown, with spots of bright
colour.
[HILLCRIST sits in a swivel chair at the bureau, busy with
papers. He has gout, and his left foot is encased accord: He
is a thin, dried-up man of about fifty-five, with a rather
refined, rather kindly, and rather cranky countenance. Close
to him stands his very upstanding nineteen-year-old daughter
JILL, with clubbed hair round a pretty, manly face.]
JILL. You know, Dodo, it's all pretty good rot in these days.
HILLCRIST. Cads are cads, Jill, even in these days.
JILL. What is a cad?
HILLCRIST. A self-assertive fellow, without a sense of other people.
JILL. Well, Old Hornblower I'll give you.