MISS FAIRFIELD. Whom God hath joined let no man put asunder. MARGARET. [_At bay_] I’m a free woman. I’m going to marry Gray Meredith. This is a trap! Sydney! MISS FAIRFIELD. Is this talk for a young girl to hear? MARGARET. Sydney, you’re to fetch Gray. HILARY. [_With weak violence_] If he comes here I’ll kill him. MARGARET. [_Catching_ SYDNEY _back_] No, no! D’you hear him? What am I to do? SYDNEY. It’s all right, Mother! We’ll manage somehow. BASSETT. [_Entering_] Dr. Alliot is in the hall, ma’am. MARGARET. [_With a gasp of relief_] Ask him to come in here. At once. _Dr. Alliot trots in. He is a pleasant, roundabout, clean little old man, with a twinkling face and brisk chubby movements of the hands. He is upright and his voice is strong. He wears his seventy odd years like a good joke that he expects you to keep up, in spite of the fact that he is really your own age and understands you better than you do yourself. But behind his comfortable manner is a hint of authority which has its effect, especially on_ HILARY. DR. ALLIOT. What’s all this I hear? Well, well! Good afternoon, Mrs. Fairfield! Good afternoon, Miss Fairfield! Merry Christmas, Sydney! Now then, now for him! Welcome back, Fairfield! Welcome back, my boy! HILARY. It’s--it’s old Alliot, isn’t it? DR. ALLIOT. Your memory’s all right I see. HILARY. I suppose they’ve sent for you-- DR. ALLIOT. Well, well, you see, you’ve arrived rather unconventionally. I’ve been in touch with-- HILARY. That place? DR. ALLIOT. Why, yes! You may have to go back, you know. Formalities! Formalities! HILARY. I don’t mind. I’m well. I’m well, Alliot! I’m not afraid of what you’ll say. I’m not afraid of any of you. DR. ALLIOT. Well, well, well! that sounds hopeful. HILARY. But I can’t go yet, Doctor. DR. ALLIOT. Only for a day or two. HILARY. It’s my wife. I lost my temper. I do lose my temper. It means nothing. Go slow, eh? My wife’s ill, Doctor. She’s not right in her head. DR. ALLIOT. [_Alert_] Ah! HILARY. [_With a wave of his hand_] So are the rest of them. Mad as hatters. DR. ALLIOT. Hm! HILARY. [_Checked, glances at him keenly a moment. Then chuckling_] Oh, you’re thinking that’s a delusion. DR. ALLIOT. [_Humouring him_] Between you and me, it’s a common one. HILARY. [_Half flattered_] Ah, we know, don’t we? Served in the same shop, eh? Only the counter between us. DR. ALLIOT. [_Feeling his way_] Well, well-- HILARY. But look here! She says she’s not my wife. DR. ALLIOT. [_Enlightened_] Oh! Oh, that’s the trouble! HILARY. She says she’s not my wife. DR. ALLIOT. [_Soberly_] It’s a hard case, Fairfield. HILARY. What d’you mean by that? DR. ALLIOT. It’s the old wisdom of the scape-goat--it is expedient--how does it go? expedient--? SYDNEY. “It is expedient that one man should die for the people.” DR. ALLIOT. That’s it! A hard word, but a true one. HILARY. What has that got to do with me? DR. ALLIOT. Well, the situation is this--