Will she accept it from me? TOM She’ll take it from anybody. GRANT Oh, yes, I remember. I beg your pardon. MARIE (_Seeing him lift up the milk bottle_) Milk! GRANT (_Apologetically_) When I gave you your fondness for alcohol in THE LONELY WAY, we didn’t have prohibition. MARIE Was that the reason you took it away from Marie when you changed her in THE SAND BAR? GRANT Not exactly. You see no leading lady can ever have a real thirst. I’m sorry if you’re cold. TOM Oh, Mrs. Case will warm up when she remembers what you’ve done to her. She had a wonderful temper when she lived with me. MARIE I had to have. And you also took that away from me. GRANT I’m very sorry, Mrs. Case; the leading lady didn’t like your temper either. MARIE But _I_ liked it. It was part of my character, as you originally conceived me. GRANT Yes; a character touch. It was the only comedy relief in my play. TOM It may have been comedy to you but it was no relief to me. MARIE (_Emotionally_) My temper was my defense and my attack. It aroused fear and respect. Through it I got what I wanted out of life. It was mine! Mine! And you took it away from me! Oh! (_She rushes angrily towards the milk bottle and lifts it above her as though to smash it; but_ GRANT _stops her_.) TOM (_As he lights another cigarette_) There you see. Every time she thinks of what a temper she has she loses it. GRANT (_Still holding the bottle with her_) I concede your temper. I always had a hard time to control it. (_Taking it from her courteously._) It was one of your most unpleasant traits. MARIE (_Sullenly_) Then why did you change me? GRANT It’s a professional secret, Mrs. Case. The leading lady hasn’t the capacity to reach the heights your wonderful temper demanded. Besides, her specialty is cute ingénue stuff. She’s a great popular favorite, you know, and is consequently afraid to lose her following by playing any part which lacks charm. TOM (_Bitterly_) Charm! Charm! There it is again, Williams. You hadn’t a bit of respect for Mrs. Case’s _true_ character so you made her charming. MARIE But you gave me a charm all my own before I married Tom. TOM She kept it to herself; I never suspected it after we were married. MARIE But, Mr. Williams, you knew no one could live with Tom Robinson and not lose her charm. All he really wanted of me was to cook his chops and wash his dishes. TOM She seems to forget she was my wife and that I was a genius. She wanted me to get my precious fingers red and rough in a dish pan. MARIE (_Flaring_) No. I wanted him to be a human being, not an artist. GRANT (_Who has been trying to speak throughout_) Please. Please. Remember you two are no longer married. TOM You see: she’s warming up. MARIE (_Bitterly_) How like old times. GRANT By Jove. I remember now. (_Opening manuscript._) I remember everything about you. MARIE Don’t be humorous. There’s lots about your own characters you authors never know. TOM