ELIZABETH: Well, I don't know. Quite a job, I'll say. Of course, I'd have to do it in my way. I'm not going to teach or preach or be a stuffy person. But now that--(_she here becomes the product of a superior school_) values have shifted and such sensitive new things have been liberated in the world-- CLAIRE: (_low_) Don't use those words. ELIZABETH: Why--why not? CLAIRE: Because you don't know what they mean. ELIZABETH: Why, of course I know what they mean! CLAIRE: (_turning away_) You're--stepping on the plants. HARRY: (_hastily_) Your mother has been working awfully hard at all this. ELIZABETH: Well, now that I'm here you'll let me help you, won't you, mother? CLAIRE: (_trying for control_) You needn't--bother. ELIZABETH: But I _want_ to. Help add to the wealth of the world. CLAIRE: Will you please get it out of your head that I am adding to the wealth of the world! ELIZABETH: But, mother--of course you are. To produce a new and better kind of plant-- CLAIRE: They may be new. I don't give a damn whether they're better. ELIZABETH: But--but what are they then? CLAIRE: (_as if choked out of her_) They're different. ELIZABETH: (_thinks a minute, then laughs triumphantly_) But what's the use of making them different if they aren't better? HARRY: A good square question, Claire. Why don't you answer it? CLAIRE: I don't have to answer it. HARRY: Why not give the girl a fair show? You never have, you know. Since she's interested, why not tell her what it is you're doing? CLAIRE: She is not interested. ELIZABETH: But I am, mother. Indeed I am. I do want awfully to understand what you are doing, and help you. CLAIRE: You can't help me, Elizabeth. HARRY: Why not let her try? CLAIRE: Why do you ask me to do that? This is my own thing. Why do you make me feel I should--(_goes to_ ELIZABETH) I will be good to you, Elizabeth. We'll go around together. I haven't done it, but--you'll see. We'll do gay things. I'll have a lot of beaus around for you. Anything else. Not--this is--Not this. ELIZABETH: As you like, mother, of course. I just would have been so glad to--to share the thing that interests you. (_hurt borne with good breeding and a smile_) HARRY: Claire! (_which says, 'How can you?'_) CLAIRE: (_who is looking at_ ELIZABETH) Yes, I will try. TOM: I don't think so. As Claire says--anything else. ELIZABETH: Why, of course--I don't at all want to intrude. HARRY: It'll do Claire good to take someone in. To get down to brass tacks and actually say what she's driving at. CLAIRE: Oh--_Harry_. But yes--I will try. (_does try, but no words come. Laughs_) When you come to say it it's not--One would rather not nail it to a cross of words--(_laughs again_) with brass tacks. HARRY: (_affectionately_) But I want to see you put things into words, Claire, and realize just where you are. CLAIRE: (_oddly_) You think that's a--good idea?