(_in tears, again cutting in_) A? EBBSMITH (_with a laugh_) J! CHARTERIS (_in great surprise_) J? EBBSMITH (_repeating, nodding his head_) J!! CHARTERIS (_in wonder_) Y? MRS. E. (_ditto_) Y? EBBSMITH (_with a grim smile, displaying a bundle of letters_) C! (_Mrs. E. and Charteris look at each other in alarm, realising now what Ebbsmith’s ironic twitting means_) MRS. E. O! CHARTERIS H----! EBBSMITH (_waving the letters tauntingly under his wife’s eyes_) C! (_Mrs. E. endeavours to speak. She tries to summon courage to ask Ebbsmith how and where he got the carelessly-guarded, incriminating letters, but her lips are muffled through fear. Ebbsmith waits patiently, sneeringly. Then, seeing his wife’s hopeless struggle to phrase the question----_) EBBSMITH (_quietly taking a five dollar bill from his wallet, and holding it aloft, with a significant smile_) A----. CHARTERIS (_puzzled_) A? EBBSMITH (_nodding toward entrance at R. 2_) V. MRS. E. (_beginning to comprehend_) O! (_she rushes to bell. She presses it in order to summon the bribed Jenkins and lodge her accusations against him for his deceit. There is a pause. Enter Jenkins. Mrs. Ebbsmith makes to speak. Ebbsmith interrupts her._) EBBSMITH (_to Jenkins, quietly_) T. (_Jenkins nods and exits. There is another pause. Charteris attempts to conceal his nervousness by puffing nonchalantly at a cigarette. Jenkins enters with the tea. Ebbsmith motions his wife and Charteris to take their seats at the small table. Puzzled, they obey. Jenkins pours and exits._) EBBSMITH (_taking from his pocket two railroad tickets, one of which he hands Charteris_) U. CHARTERIS (_perplexed_) I? EBBSMITH (_nodding firmly_) U! (_Ebbsmith now hands the other ticket to his wife_) EBBSMITH (_as he gives it into her puzzled hands; in same tone as before_) U! MRS. E. (_in a tone of nervous bewilderment_) I? EBBSMITH (_nodding firmly_) U! (_Mrs. E. and Charteris look at each other. Their expressions suggest anything but a feeling of personal comfort. They look at each other’s tickets_) MRS. E. (_reading name of road on top of ticket_) “B----.” (_her eyes, still dimmed by tears, prevent her from seeing the rest. She starts to mumble the “and” which follows the_ “_B_”) “n----.” (_but gets no further, and breaks down crying_) CHARTERIS (_finishing the name of the road_) “O.” (_Charteris and Ebbsmith look at each other fixedly across the tea-table_) CHARTERIS (_deliberately_) U----. (_Ebbsmith lifts his eyebrows_) CHARTERIS (_hotly_) B----. (_Ebbsmith lifts his eyebrows_) CHARTERIS (_choking back the “damned,” and, flinging down his hand in disgust at the whole business_) ’L! EBBSMITH (_rising, going to door and holding aside the portières, significantly_) P! MRS. E. (_sobbing out her reawakened old love for Zachery_) “Z”! EBBSMITH (_insisting; in even tone_) D! MRS. E. (_sobbing wildly_) “Z”!! EBBSMITH (_with absolute finality_)