From Holiday Time, by A. A. Milne:
***
[Apparently not everyone agrees that "it's never too early for nonsense"!]
"Do you know," said Archie, "that you are talking drivel? Nobody ought to drivel before breakfast. It isn't decent."
***
[A remark about an amateur trying to do a fancy rope trick.]
"What I say is, it's simply hypnotic suggestion. There's no rope there at all, really."
***
[Interpolated editor-author dialogue within a story-in-progress.]
EDITOR. THIS IS SPLENDID. THIS QUITE RECONCILES ME TO THE ABSENCE OF THE ROBIN. BUT WHAT WAS ELSIE DOING DOWNSTAIRS?
AUTHOR. I AM MAKING ROBERT ASK HER THAT QUESTION DIRECTLY.
EDITOR. YES, BUT JUST TELL ME NOW—BETWEEN FRIENDS.
***
[[N.B. The single brackets in the George & Henry scenes below are Milne's, not mine.]]
Henry (airily, with a typically British desire to conceal his emotion). Who is the lucky little lady?
George (taking out a picture postcard of the British Museum and kissing it passionately). Isobel Barley!
[If Henry is not careful he will probably give a start of surprise here, with the idea of suggesting to the audience that he (1) knows something about the lady's past, or (2) is in love with her himself. He is, however, thinking of a different play. We shall come to that one in a moment.]
***
George. Tell her—nothing. But should anything (feeling casually in his pockets) happen to me—if (going over them again quickly) I do not come back, then (searching them all, including the waistcoat ones, in desperate haste), give her—give her—give her (triumphantly bringing his handkerchief out of the last pocket) this, and say that my last thought was of her. Good-bye, my old friend. Good-bye.
[Exit to Rocky Mountains.
Enter Isobel.]
Isabel. Why, where's Mr Turnbull?
Henry (sadly). He's gone.
Isabel. Gone? Where?
Henry. To the Rocky Mountains—to shoot bears. (Feeling that some further explanation is needed.) Grizzly ones.
Isobel. But he was HERE a moment ago.
Henry. Yes, he's only JUST gone.
***
I also recommend, in a general way, the several "Miss Middleton" pieces and the epilogue--i.e., the last few items in the book:
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5675/pg5675-images.html
