Act V - Page 2

there he is. You knew him
here, I suppose.

THE SECRETARY. Oh, we knew him. Better than she did, Sir Colenso,
in some ways, perhaps.

RIDGEON. So did I. [They look significantly at one another]. I'll
take a look round.

The Secretary puts on the shining hat and goes out. Ridgeon
begins looking at the pictures. Presently he comes back to the
table for a magnifying glass, and scrutinizes a drawing very
closely. He sighs; shakes his head, as if constrained to admit
the extraordinary fascination and merit of the work; then marks
the Secretary's list. Proceeding with his survey, he disappears
behind the screen. Jennifer comes back with her book. A look
round satisfies her that she is alone. She seats herself at the
table and admires the memoir--her first printed book--to her
heart's content. Ridgeon re-appears, face to the wall,
scrutinizing the drawings. After using his glass again, he steps
back to get a more distant view of one of the larger pictures.
She hastily closes the book at the sound; looks round; recognizes
him; and stares, petrified. He takes a further step back which
brings him nearer to her.

RIDGEON [shaking his head as before, ejaculates] Clever brute!
[She flushes as though he had struck her. He turns to put the
glass down on the desk, and finds himself face to face with her
intent gaze]. I beg your pardon. I thought I was alone.

JENNIFER [controlling herself, and speaking steadily and
meaningly] I am glad we have met, Sir Colenso Ridgeon. I met Dr
Blenkinsop yesterday. I congratulate you on a wonderful cure.

RIDGEON [can find no words; makes an embarrassed gesture of
assent after a moment's silence, and puts down the glass and the
Secretary's list on the table].

JENNIFER. He looked the picture of health and strength and
prosperity. [She looks for a moment at the walls, contrasting
Blenkinsop's fortune with the artist's fate].

RIDGEON [in low tones, still embarrassed] He has been fortunate.

JENNIFER. Very fortunate. His life has been spared.

RIDGEON. I mean that he has been made a Medical Officer of
Health. He cured the Chairman of the Borough Council very
successfully.

JENNIFER. With your medicines?

RIDGEON. No. I believe it was with a pound of ripe greengages.

JENNIFER [with deep gravity] Funny!

RIDGEON. Yes. Life does not cease to be funny when people die any
more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.

JENNIFER. Dr Blenkinsop said one very strange thing to me.

RIDGEON. What was that?

JENNIFER. He said that private practice in medicine ought to be
put down by law. When I asked him why, he said that private
doctors were ignorant licensed murderers.