MRS HUSHABYE. Are you frightened, Alf? MANGAN. No. It ain't my house, thank God. MRS HUSHABYE. If they catch a burglar, shall we have to go into court as witnesses, and be asked all sorts of questions about our private lives? MANGAN. You won't be believed if you tell the truth. Mazzini, terribly upset, with a duelling pistol in his hand, comes from the hall, and makes his way to the drawing-table. MAZZINI. Oh, my dear Mrs Hushabye, I might have killed him. [He throws the pistol on the table and staggers round to the chair]. I hope you won't believe I really intended to. Hector comes in, marching an old and villainous looking man before him by the collar. He plants him in the middle of the room and releases him. Ellie follows, and immediately runs across to the back of her father's chair and pats his shoulders. RANDALL [entering with a poker]. Keep your eye on this door, Mangan. I'll look after the other [he goes to the starboard door and stands on guard there]. Lady Utterword comes in after Randall, and goes between Mrs Hushabye and Mangan. Nurse Guinness brings up the rear, and waits near the door, on Mangan's left. MRS HUSHABYE. What has happened? MAZZINI. Your housekeeper told me there was somebody upstairs, and gave me a pistol that Mr Hushabye had been practising with. I thought it would frighten him; but it went off at a touch. THE BURGLAR. Yes, and took the skin off my ear. Precious near took the top off my head. Why don't you have a proper revolver instead of a thing like that, that goes off if you as much as blow on it? HECTOR. One of my duelling pistols. Sorry. MAZZINI. He put his hands up and said it was a fair cop. THE BURGLAR. So it was. Send for the police. HECTOR. No, by thunder! It was not a fair cop. We were four to one. MRS HUSHABYE. What will they do to him? THE BURGLAR. Ten years. Beginning with solitary. Ten years off my life. I shan't serve it all: I'm too old. It will see me out. LADY UTTERWORD. You should have thought of that before you stole my diamonds. THE BURGLAR. Well, you've got them back, lady, haven't you? Can you give me back the years of my life you are going to take from me? MRS HUSHABYE. Oh, we can't bury a man alive for ten years for a few diamonds. THE BURGLAR. Ten little shining diamonds! Ten long black years! LADY UTTERWORD. Think of what it is for us to be dragged through the horrors of a criminal court, and have all our family affairs in the papers! If you were a native, and Hastings could order you a good beating and send you away, I shouldn't mind; but here in England there is no real protection for any respectable person. THE BURGLAR. I'm too old to be giv a hiding, lady. Send for the police and have done with it. It's only just and right you should.