The Princess Casamassima. Frank J. Morlock

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      COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

      Copyright © 2012 by Frank J. Morlock

      Published by Wildside Press LLC

      www.wildsidebooks.com

      DEDICATION

      For Milan Jurecka

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Pinnie

      Hyacinth Robinson

      Mr. Vetch

      Mr. Poupin

      Madame Poupin

      Captain Sholto

      Millicent Henning

      Paul Muniment

      Rosy Muniment

      The Princess Casamassima

      The Prince

      Lady Aurora

      Madame Grandoni

      Seven women, six men.

      ACT I

      Scene 1. Pinnie’s Millinery shop.

      It is a poor seamstress’s shop in a London slum about 1885. Pinnie is a middle-aged woman, very thin, and possessed of a wiry, puritanical energy. Pinnie is puzzled by the appearance of the fashionably dressed, blowsy Millicent Henning. Indeed old Pinnie is in a state of partial shock, not knowing whether to admit the girl or not, or what she can possibly want of her.

      Milly

      Well, you’ll have to guess my name before I tell you. Won’t you let me in? I don’t want to order anything, I only came to inquire after your ’ealth. Now, tell me, how’s old Hyacinth? I should like so much to see him.

      Pinnie

      Old Hyacinth?

      Milly

      Perhaps you call him Mr. Robinson today—you always wanted him to hold himself so high. But to his face I’ll call him the way I always did, you wait and see.

      Pinnie

      Bless my soul, you must be that awful little ’Enning girl!

      Milly (indignant)

      Well! I’m glad you finally recognized me. I suppose I was awful. (brightly) But, I ain’t so bad now, hey? I has a call to make in these parts, and it came into my ’ead to look you up. I don’t forget old friends.

      Pinnie

      You’ve improved as I couldn’t have believed.

      Milly

      Well—you haven’t changed. You were always calling me something ’orrid.

      Pinnie

      I daresay it doesn’t matter to you now, does it?

      Milly

      Oh, I’m all right now.

      Pinnie

      You were a pretty child— I never said contrary to that. But I had no idea you’d turn out like this. You’re too tall for a woman.

      Milly

      Well, I enjoy beautiful ’ealth. Everyone thinks I’m at least twenty-two.

      Pinnie

      But how did you get so splendid?

      Milly

      Laws! Just luck. I got work as a shop girl in a fashionable store and now they use me as a model. We have to be beautifully dressed—I love to look nice.

      Pinnie

      And how are your parents?

      Milly

      Gone to ’Ell, I’m afraid. They drifted off years ago, and I’m on my own.

      Pinnie (suspiciously)

      You haven’t come here to see me.

      Milly

      I’m glad to see you. I told you I came to ask after my sweetheart. Wot’s become of him?

      Pinnie

      He’s an apprentice bookbinder.

      Milly

      In bookbinding? Laws! Do you mean he works? Well, I always knew he would have something to do with books. But, I didn’t think he would ever follow a trade.

      Pinnie

      A trade? Mr. Robinson considers it one of the fine arts.

      Milly

      Very likely it’s good work. Better than this, no doubt.

      Pinnie (crossly)

      I haven’t so much work as I used to have, if that’s what you mean. My eyes aren’t so good and neither is my health these days.

      Milly

      You need some new ideas about fashion. You need someone to help you. I can see you’re using the same old styles as ever.

      Pinnie

      I’ve had helpers in the past. None of them turned out any good.

      Milly

      Maybe I can get you some business—you always did excellent sewing—but, you ain’t got no sense of fashion. I’ll bring the patterns.

      Pinnie (some sense of Pinnie’s poverty can be gained from the fact that she would like to reject such help out of hand but swallows her pride and says quietly)

      That would be very kind.

      Milly

      Mind you give my love to Hyacinth. I don’t care if you know that the only reason I stopped was in hope of seeing him again. There’s no shame in wanting to see my childhood sweetheart. Do give him my best love, and tell him I hope he’ll come and see me. I can see you won’t tell him anything. What are you afraid of? I won’t hurt your precious Hyacinth. I’ll leave my card for him all the same. (extracting a visiting card from her purse)

      Pinnie (amazed at the little Henning girl’s social standing without being in any way delighted by it)

      My word!

      Milly

      What do you think I want to do with him? I could swallow him in one bite.

      Pinnie

      You needn’t think I shall put myself out to keep him in the dark. I shall certainly tell him you’ve been here, and exactly how you strike me.

      Milly

      Of course, you’ll say something nasty like you used to when I was a child. You used to let me ’ave it then, you know.

      Pinnie

      Ah, well, you’re very different now, when I think what you’ve come from.

      Milly

      What I’ve come from? Just because you’re stuck in this slum, don’t expect me to stay ’ere! You’ve had to stay in it yourself, so you might speak civilly of it! And pray, what have you come from yourself, and what has he come from? The mysterious Mr. Hyacinth Robinson, whose father was Lord Fredrick and whose mother was—

      Pinnie (jumping up)

      I’ve nothing to tell you. Leave my shop!

      (Hyacinth Robinson, a finely built, young man of about twenty enters unseen by Pinnie, but visible to Millicent.)

      Milly

      Gracious, Hyacinth Robinson—is that you?

      (Pinnie turns around, then immediately, crestfallen, goes to her sewing desk.)

      Hyacinth

      Were you talking about me just now?

      Milly

      When I asked where you ‘ad come