The Winged Beetle

MR TODD 197 Oh, loving Father of all, what a world Thou hast made ! What a gift is life ! How much it holds of love and laughter ! Is there anything more, anything better ? I cannot believe it. Is there anything, anybody that could make me happier ? THOMAS. Mr. Todd. [Enter TODD. EUPHEMIA. Good afternoon, Mr. Todd ! So glad to see you ! Why, how strange you look ! What have you to say to me ? [TODD whispers in her ear. EUPHEMIA. How splendid ! You mean it ? It is true ? Better than all the rest ! Come, come ! [She throws her arm round his neck and runs laugh- ing out of the room with him. [Enter CARR and CHARLEY, a toy steam-engine puff- ing in front of them ; they follow on hands and knees. The engine stops at the other end of the room. CHARLEY. Oh, my poor engine’s stopped ! CARR. You must pour more spirit into it. [CHARLEY goes to the cupboard and gets it, busying himself until CARR’S exit. CARR sighs heavily, and sits down thoughtfully. Todd’s been too frequently to this house. Well, Charley and I must get on as best we can. Life is a hard thing, my God ! “ Meantime there is our life here. Well ? ” It seems sometimes to me as if all the world’s wisdom were summed up in that one Epicurus phrase. For if Todd has solved all their problems with a word, at least he