Lady Angkatell and her niece Midge discuss the impending arrival of various weekend guests at their country estate. Lady Angkatell expresses her scatterbrained anxiety over the social dynamics, specifically the intellectual gap between the brilliant Dr. John Cristow and his slow-witted wife, Gerda.
LADY ANGKATELL: Would you believe it, they've been at it again. They've pushed up a whole row of lovely little lobelias. Ah well, as long as the weather keeps fine . . .
MIDGE: Now why did you bring that in here, darling?
LADY ANGKATELL: I can't begin to think. Take it away. Thank you, darling. As I was saying, at any rate the weather's all right. That's something. Because if a lot of discordant personalities are boxed up indoors . . . Ah, there you are. Don't you agree? It makes things ten times worse.
MIDGE: Makes what worse?
LADY ANGKATELL: One can play games, of course—but that would be like last year when I shall never forgive myself about poor Gerda—and the worst of it is that she really is so nice. It's odd that anyone as nice as Gerda should be so devoid of any kind of intelligence.
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