As soon as she talked of it, I ran to the kitchen and seized this knife and I seized this poker. BLENKINSOP. Woman! MRS. DOT. I’ve ripped up all the tyres, they’re simply in ribands, James. BLENKINSOP. Good Lord! MRS. DOT. I don’t know what I’ve done to the steering gear, but I know it’ll never work again. Oh, it’s in an awful state. BLENKINSOP. But that’s a bran-new motor. I’ve just paid eighteen hundred pounds for it. MRS. DOT. And so that there shouldn’t be any risk I opened the place where the works are, and I rummaged around with the poker. I _think_ I’ve smashed everything. BLENKINSOP. Oh! Oh! [_He buries his head in his hands._ MRS. DOT. The thing’s a wreck and a ruin. You should have seen the tyres go flop, flop, flop. BLENKINSOP. But I’m going to race next week. MRS. DOT. It’ll be impossible to move it for a month. It _is_ in a state. BLENKINSOP. Eighteen hundred pounds! MRS. DOT. I don’t know how much it’ll cost to put right. You don’t mind, James, do you? BLENKINSOP. Mind! MRS. DOT. I shouldn’t like you to be cross with me. BLENKINSOP. [_Furiously._] Oh! MRS. DOT. You won’t let this disturb your affection for me? Remember that you’re going to marry me. BLENKINSOP. Marry you. I’d rather marry my cook. [_He flings out of the room._ MRS. DOT. [_Looking after him, innocently._] He _is_ in a temper, isn’t he? It’s very hard to please everybody in this life. AUNT ELIZA. You’re quite incorrigible. MRS. DOT. Would you mind taking these implements away? I’m really very tired. AUNT ELIZA. I suppose breaking motors is rather hard work. MRS. DOT. And you get very little thanks for it. [AUNT ELIZA _goes out_. MRS. DOT _sinks into a chair, with a sigh of relief_. GERALD _comes in. She realises that he is behind her, but pretends not to notice him. He comes up softly._ GERALD. Dot! MRS. DOT. [_Pretending to start._] Oh, how you frightened me! You might remember that my nerves are in a very agitated state. GERALD. You asked me a question a little while ago. I can answer it now. MRS. DOT. I’m so sorry, I’ve quite forgotten what it was. It can’t have been of the smallest importance. GERALD. You asked me if I loved you. MRS. DOT. How absurd! And do you? GERALD. With all my heart, and I’ve loved you passionately from the first moment I saw you. MRS. DOT. With never a day off? GERALD. With never a day off. I wanted to tell you every minute, and yet I couldn’t be such a cad. MRS. DOT. [_Sarcastically._] It’s awfully nice of you to say all this, and I can’t tell you how flattered I am. GERALD. Dot! MRS. DOT. Only it’s rather late in the day. I’ve promised my hand and heart to James Blenkinsop. GERALD. Fiddle! MRS. DOT. [_Raising her eyebrows._] I beg your pardon? GERALD. [_Firmly._] Fiddle! MRS. DOT.