Love Among the Ruins

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
And what is your age?

Jessica Medlicott:
[smiling, nervous and not speaking for several seconds]

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
Did you not hear the question that I asked?

Jessica Medlicott:
I heard your question. I could not believe that you asked it.

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
Don't you want the jury to know how old you are?

Jessica Medlicott:
I cannot think that it is any of their business. I don't know their ages, why should they know mine?

[continuing smiling while people in the courtroom chuckle]

The Judge:
Silence!

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
Ah, so you won't say in what year you were born then?

Jessica Medlicott:
I was born in the year of my birth.

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
I assure you, it's quite customary to tell one's age in the witness box.

Jessica Medlicott:
And I assure you it is quite incompatable with the civilized behavoir. No gentleman would dream about insisting upon it.

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
I'm sure my learned opponent would agree with you whole-heartedly. How he would like us to believe that all suck things such as birth certificates, eh, should be ignored or even surpressed.

Jessica Medlicott:
Neither in my case. Merely lost.

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
How lost? In a fire?

Jessica Medlicott:
In a fire, exactly.

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
And what fire was that, Mrs. Medicott?

Jessica Medlicott:
Any fire you like.

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
Are you dining at home?

Druce:
Yes, Alice expects me. Here, um, will you come too? Are you free?

Sir Arthur Glanville-Jones:
My dear boy, I am freedom's prisoner.