JAMES. He brought it all on himself. WALTER. The doctrine of full responsibility doesn't quite hold in these days. JAMES. [Rather grimly] You'll find it safer to hold it for all that, my boy. WALTER. For oneself, yes--not for other people, thanks. JAMES. Well! I don't want to be hard. COKESON. I'm glad to hear you say that. He seems to see something [spreading his arms] round him. 'Tisn't healthy. JAMES. What about that woman he was mixed up with? I saw some one uncommonly like her outside as we came in. COKESON. That! Well, I can't keep anything from you. He has met her. JAMES. Is she with her husband? COKESON. No. JAMES. Falder living with her, I suppose? COKESON. [Desperately trying to retain the new-found jollity] I don't know that of my own knowledge. 'Tisn't my business. JAMES. It's our business, if we're going to engage him, COKESON. COKESON. [Reluctantly] I ought to tell you, perhaps. I've had the party here this morning. JAMES. I thought so. [To WALTER] No, my dear boy, it won't do. Too shady altogether! COKESON. The two things together make it very awkward for you--I see that. WALTER. [Tentatively] I don't quite know what we have to do with his private life. JAMES. No, no! He must make a clean sheet of it, or he can't come here. WALTER. Poor devil! COKESON. Will you--have him in? [And as JAMES nods] I think I can get him to see reason. JAMES. [Grimly] You can leave that to me, COKESON. WALTER. [To JAMES, in a low voice, while COKESON is summoning FALDER] His whole future may depend on what we do, dad. FALDER comes in. He has pulled himself together, and presents a steady front. JAMES. Now look here, Falder. My son and I want to give you another chance; but there are two things I must say to you. In the first place: It's no good coming here as a victim. If you've any notion that you've been unjustly treated--get rid of it. You can't play fast and loose with morality and hope to go scot-free. If Society didn't take care of itself, nobody would--the sooner you realise that the better. FALDER. Yes, sir; but--may I say something? JAMES. Well? FALDER. I had a lot of time to think it over in prison. [He stops] COKESON. [Encouraging him] I'm sure you did. FALDER. There were all sorts there. And what I mean, sir, is, that if we'd been treated differently the first time, and put under somebody that could look after us a bit, and not put in prison, not a quarter of us would ever have got there. JAMES. [Shaking his head] I'm afraid I've very grave doubts of that, Falder. FALDER. [With a gleam of malice] Yes, sir, so I found. JAMES. My good fellow, don't forget that you began it. FALDER. I never wanted to do wrong. JAMES. Perhaps not. But you did. FALDER. [With all the bitterness of his past suffering] It's knocked me out of time. [Pulling himself up] That is, I mean, I'm not what I was. JAMES. This isn't encouraging for us, Falder.