MARY. Yes. That's what I don't like about it. LEONARD. I did wrong to stay away from you. I acknowledge it. I feel it. I'm going to be good. I'll try. I'm going to be a good husband. I don't want you to go. It was dreadful of me to stay away when the little kiddie died. I'm not like that. I'm not like the things I do. MARY. After all, you wrote a beautiful letter. LEONARD. [_Despairingly, to the Universe._] She's taking to irony now. SHEILA. [_She has approached MARY rather timidly and stands beside her._] Don't go, Mary. MARY. Oh! Miss Sheila! SHEILA. I want you to stay. I do. And I'm so sorry about everything. MARY. Oh! I must. Thank you--thank you. I must. SHEILA. [_To MRS. TIMBRELL._] Won't you stop her? MRS. TIMBRELL. I don't know how. TIMBRELL. Perhaps I may have a few words with this young woman. I think I am entitled to a few words. Now, I don't wish to be harsh with you. Far from it. I had formed--I was forming a high opinion of your character--of some phases of it. I was prepared, as I think I have said, to accept you--to have overlooked the deplorable incident which--I will say no more about that. My son has been rather unfeeling, perhaps. I don't defend him. He is anxious to make amends. I must remind you that at a time when--that I insisted on his making reparation. It was an unusual course. I conceived it to be my duty. Later I found it necessary in certain painful circumstances to impose what I may call an ordeal. It is over. I am willing to be lenient. I should propose, if your husband remains reasonably--what shall I say?--steady, to make your pecuniary position a much easier one. Now, my good girl, I hope we shall have no more of this nonsense. I can overlook a slip--an error due to--an error of--of youth, but not a deliberate infringement of--are you listening to what I say? MARY. I beg your pardon, sir. I was thinking it was time I was off. TIMBRELL. Oh! This is abominable. MARY. It's no good your talking, sir. I've made up my mind. TIMBRELL. And does he--this person--this Truefit know the whole of the extraordinary circumstances? MARY. I've told him everything. TIMBRELL. Where is he? I'll see him. MARY. You won't move George Truefit. LEONARD. I should like to see him. I don't mean to talk and argue and all that. And I don't want to break his head. But I should like to have a look at him through a keyhole or something. TIMBRELL. Manly talk. LEONARD. Mary, do you like him better than me? MARY. It's not the same thing. LEONARD. It's deuced interesting if one weren't so close to it. As it is I feel rather uncomfortable. Unmanly. Yes, I suppose so. I suppose things are easy for these manly people. They just go to work with an axe. But how do I know that she isn't right? Mary, I'm horribly uncomfortable. I'm unhappy. I seem to be losing something. Yes, really losing something. Are you quite sure about George Truefit? MARY. Yes, I'm sure about him.