Eug. Ah! come, come, father, you know you wasn't a milk-sop any more than I am. It's all very well for the girls, but it won't do for us men, you know. So, now, let me have that five hundred, that's a good old dad. Mr. G. Five hundred dollars! Do you know that I am on the verge of ruin? Eug. The deuce you are! Mr. G. Nothing but a steady hand will save me. While I am struggling with all my might--sick enough to be in bed--to pull through, you all, not content with being dead weights on my shoulders, run into extravagance and profligacy. (Takes bill from desk.) The bill for my daughter Alice's last ball dress is here, $500. Here are two of your champagne bills, $100. I tell you this must be stopped. Your debauchery must be stopped. You have not the strength of mind to go through profligacy and come out solvent; if you had Kate's brains you might, but you have not; so I tell you this must be stopped, or you will have the pleasure of sowing the remainder of your wild oats in a pauper's back yard, if you do not fill a drunkard's grave! (Exit, R. 1 E.) Eug. By Jove! He means it every word! I never saw him so worked up before! And to say I, a man, had not so much strength of mind as Kate, he must be crazy! But what a fix I am in! I never dreamed but I could get the money without any trouble before the time to take up the note came, and if I cannot--great heavens! what I did was a crime, a State prison offence! State prison? Bah! the idea is absurd, I shall get the money some way. I will not think of it. It annoys me, too, to have Lizzie under the same roof. I have avoided her so far, but--oh! I will go and get a glass of whiskey and forget it all. (Enter Lizzie, L. U. E. She gives a startled exclamation.) Eug. Lizzie! Liz. You! Eug. What are you doing here? Liz. (up L.). I came to look for Miss Kate; they said she was in the library. Heaven knows I would not have come had I known you were here! Eug. Now, Lizzie, what is the use of making such a fuss about nothing? Because we had a jolly little flirtation once, it is no reason why we should go into heroics now, is it? Come, let us be friends, Lizzie. Liz. (coming down L.). Friends with you, who broke my heart? Eug. Nonsense! broken hearts went out of fashion years ago. There, forgive me, Lizzie, but what _is_ the use of taking things so seriously? Life was never made to be taken seriously. Liz. Perhaps not for you, but for those who have hearts life is indeed serious. Eug. I know it's a way women have to make themselves miserable, if they can. Now be sensible. Suppose we were awful spoons once; it was very pleasant while it lasted, but, of course, it could not last forever. Liz. And why? Eug. Why? Do summer flirtations ever last? Certainly not. Liz. But you said you never could be happy without me, that some day I should be your wife.