The Lucky One

by AA Milne

Genre: Romance
Setting: England
Format of Original Source: Play
Recommended Adaptation Length:

Candidate for Adaptation? Promising

EXCERPT:

GERALD. If this is an indictment, it’s drawn against the wrong person.

BOB (more quietly). Then at last I found a friend; somebody who took me for my own sake. (Bitterly) And like a damned fool I brought her down here, and she saw you. I might have known what would happen.

GERALD. Pamela!

BOB. Yes, and you took her. After taking everything you could all your life, you took her. She was Bob’s friend–that was quite enough. She must be one more in the crowd of admirers round you. So you took her. (Triumphantly) Ah, but I got her back in the end. I’ve got her now–and I think I’m square, Gerald.

GERALD. Yes, I think you’re square now.

BOB (rather jauntily, as he leans back against the end of the sofa and feels for his cigarette-case). I seem to have surprised you rather.

GERALD. You’ve thought like that about me for years and you’ve never said anything? You’ve felt like that about Pamela and you’ve never said anything?

BOB. I’ve been thinking it over, particularly these last few months–in prison, Gerald. You have a lot of time for thinking in prison. Oh, I know; you advised me to stand on my head and waggle my legs in the air–something like that. You were full of brilliant ideas. I had a better idea–I thought.

GERALD (realising his state of mind). My God, what a time you must have had!

BOB (furiously). Damn you! I won’t be pitied by you.

GERALD (coolly). And you’re not going to be. You’ve talked about yourself and thought about yourself quite long enough; now I’m going to talk about myself.

BOB. And it won’t be the first time either.

GERALD (quickly). It will be the first time to you.

VIEW SOURCE DOCUMENT

BACK TO LISTINGS