THE LAST OF
THE DE MULLINS
A Play without a Preface
By St. John Hankin
London: A. C. Fifield
1909
The Persons in the Play
Hugo De Mullin
Jane De Mullin.....His wife
Mrs. Clouston......His sister.
Janet De Mullin....(Mrs. Seagrave) Hugo’s eldest daughter.
Johnny Seagrave....Her son.
Hester De Mullin...Her sister.
Bertha Aldenham
Monty Bulstead
Dr. Rolt...........The local doctor.
Mr. Brown..........The curate.
Miss Deanes
Ellen..............Maid at the De Mullins’.
The action of the play takes place at Brendon Underwood in Dorset, Acts I and III at the Manor House, the De Mullins’ house in the village, Act II on the borders of Brendon Forest. Three days pass between Acts I and II, five between Acts II and III.
CONTENTS
ACT I
Scene: The Inner Hall at the Manor House in Brendon-Underwood village. An old-fashioned white-panelled room. At the back is a big stone-mullioned Tudor window looking out on to the garden. On the left of this is a bay in which is a smaller window. A door in the bay leads out into the garden. People entering by this door pass the window before they appear. The furniture is oak, mostly Jacobean or older. The right-hand wall of the room is mainly occupied by a great Tudor fireplace, over which the De Mullin Coat of Arms is carved in stone. Above this a door leads to the outer hall and front door. A door on the opposite side of the room leads to the staircase and the rest of the house. The walls are hung with a long succession of family portraits of all periods and in all stages of dinginess as to both canvas and frame. When the curtain rises the stage is empty. Then Hester is seen to pass the window at the back, followed by Mr. Brown. A moment later they enter. Mr. Brown is a stout, rather unwholesome-looking curate, Hester a lean, angular girl of twenty-eight, very plainly and unattractively dressed in sombre tight-fitting clothes. She has a cape over her shoulders and a black hat on. Brown wears seedy clerical garments, huge boots and a squashy hat. The time is twelve o’clock in the morning of a fine day in September.
HESTER
Come in, Mr. Brown. I’ll tell mother you’re here. I expect she’s upstairs with father (going towards door).
BROWN
Don’t disturb Mrs. De Mullin, please. I didn’t mean to come in.
HESTER
You’ll sit down now you are here?
BROWN
Thank you (does so awkwardly). I’m so glad to hear Mr. De Mullin is better. The Vicar will be glad too.