MASSEY. I should think you're mad, both of you, to talk about it. Go with who? What for? What're you talking about? MRS. M. Sybil told me distinctly this afternoon that Charley wanted to go to Australia. She nearly cried her eyes out. Of course that means he wants to leave her. What else could it mean? She said he'd been funny and she was miserable. I said Charley ought to be ashamed of himself to want to go away like that, and so I think so. MASSEY. [_sitting up very straight and looking angry._] What's all this, Charley? What . . . _FOSTER on tip toe slowly goes to door._ CHARLEY. Don't go, Foster. Let's have all the family in. You're going to be part of it some day. FOSTER. [_sitting down again._] I'm quite ready to go. CHARLEY. No, don't. Let's have it out. You may as well know, all of you. MRS. M. [_with a resignation of despair._] Then you do want--to go and leave her? It's disgraceful! CHARLEY. [_Angrily._] What stuff you all talk! I-- MRS. M. Do you or do you not want to go? CHARLEY. Yes, I do! _General consternation._ MRS. M. There! I said so. _Enter MAGGIE._ How's the poor dear? MAGGIE. She says her head is better and she will come down in a minute. What's the matter? MRS. M. Charley wants to go to Australia and leave his wife. He's _told_ us so. CHARLEY. Well, suppose it was true, wouldn't it be better than going without telling you? But it isn't true. MASSEY. Do you want to take Lil with you? CHARLEY. How could I? _Enter LILY--all mutter words of encouragement. General movement towards her. Everybody offers chairs in sympathy. She sits by her father._ CHARLEY. Look here now, just listen! It's quite true I want to go. I want to do as Tennant's done, chuck everything and try my luck in the Colonies. As soon as I had a fair start Lil would come out. MASSEY. [_interrupting._] Yes, and suppose you failed? You should have thought of that before you married. You can't run off when you like when you've a wife. CHARLEY. [_excitedly._] But why not? MRS. M. [_interrupting._] Why not?--just hear him. CHARLEY. It's that I'm just sick of the office and the grind every week and no change!--nothing new, nothing happening. Why, I haven't seen anything of the world. I just settled down to it--why?--just because other chaps do, because it's the right thing. I only live for Saturday-- PERCY. So do I!--so does everybody! CHARLEY. But they shouldn't-- PERCY. You don't mean to suggest, I hope, that we ought to _like_ our work, do you? MASSEY. Do you suppose I like plumbing? Do you think I ever did? No, but I stuck to it, and now look at me, got a nice little bit in the bank and bought my own house. [_looks proudly round._] Of course, I hated it, just as you do. MAGGIE. Then why didn't you try something else, Daddy? MASSEY. I like that! What could I do? I was taught plumbing. We don't have choice. Your grandfather put me to it, and of course I stuck to it. MAGGIE. But why didn't you ask for a choice?