Hes the man in the street;
and thats what you want.
THE COUNT. I am almost sorry you didnt give the gentleman his full
terms. I should not have grudged the fifty guineas for a sound
opinion. He may feel shabbily treated.
SAVOYARD. Well, let him. It was a bit of side, his asking fifty.
After all, what is he? Only a pressman. Jolly good business for him
to earn ten guineas: hes done the same job often enough for half a
quid, I expect.
_Fanny O'Dowda comes precipitately through the curtains, excited and
nervous. A girl of nineteen in a dress synchronous with her
father's._
FANNY. Papa, papa, the critics have come. And one of them has a
cocked hat and sword like a-- [she notices Savoyard] Oh, I beg
your pardon.
THE COUNT. This is Mr Savoyard, your impresario, my dear.
FANNY. [shaking hands] How do you do?
SAVOYARD. Pleased to meet you, Miss O'Dowda. The cocked hat is all
right. Trotter is a member of the new Academic Committee. He induced
them to go in for a uniform like the French Academy; and I asked him
to wear it.
THE FOOTMAN. [announcing] Mr Trotter, Mr Vaughan, Mr Gunn, Mr
Flawner Bannal. [The four critics enter. Trotter wears a diplomatic
dress, with sword and three-cornered hat. His age is about 50.
Vaughan is 40. Gunn is 30. Flawner Bannal is 20 and is quite unlike
the others. They can be classed at sight as professional men: Bannal
is obviously one of those unemployables of the business class who
manage to pick up a living by a sort of courage which gives him
cheerfulness, conviviality, and bounce, and is helped out positively
by a slight turn for writing, and negatively by a comfortable
ignorance and lack of intuition which hides from him all the dangers
and disgraces that keep men of finer perception in check.
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