Not a syllable against the passe-partouts! They were the making of me. It was the passe-partouts that brought me and Tedder together. (FARNCOMBE: Who?) Tedder. In the house where I worked, a man of the name of Tedder-- Ambrose Tedder-- taught dancing-- stage dancing-- "Tedder's Academy of Saltatory Art"-- and every time I passed Tedder's door, and heard his violin or piano, and the sound of the pupils' feet, I--! (Breaking off and throwing herself back.) Oh, lor', if once I----! (FARNCOMBE: Go on; go on.) Well, ultimately Tedder took me and trained me-- did it for nix-- for what he hoped to get out of me in the future. Ah, and he hasn't lost over me-- poor old Ambrose! He collared a third of my salary for ever so long; and now that the old chap's rheumaticky and worn out, I-- oh, it's not worth mentioning. (Jumping up and walking away.) My stars, he could teach, could Tedder! I began by going to him for the last twenty minutes of my dinner-hour. He wanted to stop that, because it was bad for me, he said, to practise on a full-- a full--! Ha, ha, ha! On a full --! (Behind the table, resting her two hands upon it and shaking with laughter.) Ho, ho, ho! As if I ever had-- in those days----!

Lily Monologue from The 'Mind the Paint' Girl: A Comedy in Four Acts

Rehearse Lily's monologue