(j. j. o'molloy steps on to a low plinth and holds the lapel of his coat with solemnity. his face lengthens, grows pale and bearded, with sunken eyes, the blotches of phthisis and hectic cheekbones of john f. taylor. he applies his handkerchief to his mouth and scrutinises the galloping tide of rosepink blood.)j. j. o'molloy (almost voicelessly.) excuse me, i am suffering from a severe chill, have recently come from a sickbed. a few wellchosen words. (he assumes the avine head, foxy moustache and proboscidal eloquence of seymour bushe.) when the angel's book comes to be opened if aught that the pensive bosom has inaugurated of soultransfigured and of soultransfiguring deserves to live i say accord the prisoner at the bar the sacred benefit of the doubt. (a paper with something written on it is handed into court.)bloom (in court dress.) can give best references. messrs callan, coleman. mr wisdom hely j. p. my old chief joe cuffe. mr v. b. dillon, ex-lord mayor of dublin. i have moved in the charmed circle of the highest . queens of dublin society. (carelessly.) i was just chatting this afternoon at the viceregal lodge to my old pals, sir robert and lady ball, astronomer royal, at the levee. sir bob, i said...
mrs yelverton barry (in lowcorsaged opal balldress and elbowlength ivory gloves, wearing a sabletrimmed brick quilted dolman, a comb of brilliants and panache of osprey in her hair.) arrest him constable. he wrote me an anonymous letter in prentice backhand when my husband was in the north riding of tipperary on the munster circuit, signed james lovebirch. he said that he had seen from the gods my peerless globes as i sat in a box of the theatre royal at a command performance of la cigale. i deeply inflamed him, he said. he made improper overtures to me to misconduct myself at half past four p.m. on the following thursday, dunsink time. he offered to send me through the post a work of fiction by monsieur paul de kock, entitled the girl with the three pairs of stays.