SIR FLETCHER PORTWOOD. [_Appearing suddenly on top of the steps, no longer carrying his hat._] What’s this? What’s this? CLAUDE. I refuse to be silenced. As Mrs. Fraser’s brother, I desire to say that I did not expect to be received to-night by the lady who has done her best—her utmost—— SIR FLETCHER PORTWOOD. Sssh! sssh! MRS. CLOYS. Be quiet, Claude, please! OLIVE. [_Rising and going to_ JOHN.] John, really—— JOHN. [_Hotly._] Look here, Emptage, you’re a boy—at any rate, a very young man——! CLAUDE. I am a truly unfortunate young man. A blight has been cast upon my name at the very outset of my career—— JOHN. [_Bluntly._] What career? CLAUDE. Well, when I am turning various careers over in my mind—— MRS. CLOYS. Enough, Claude——! SIR FLETCHER PORTWOOD. [_Coming down the steps._] Why, when I was five years younger than he I had already applied my lever to the mountain. I first saw light in ’forty-four—— OLIVE. [_To_ JOHN.] Oh——! SIR FLETCHER PORTWOOD. ’Forty-four; an easily remembered date—two fours. And what was I doing at his age? OLIVE. Mrs. Cloys—— MRS. CLOYS. Go away, Claude! CLAUDE. [_Retiring._] Ha, at least I have had the courage to speak out——! [_He throws himself into a chair at the back, and in course of time falls asleep. His head is seen to drop back upon his shoulder; an arm hangs over the side of the chair._ OLIVE. [_Advancing to the table, imperatively._] Mrs. Cloys—— SIR FLETCHER PORTWOOD. I—— MRS. CLOYS. [_Firmly._] Excuse me, Fletcher; I believe Mrs. Allingham is looking to me for some further explanation. [_Sitting._] Mrs. Allingham, happening to become acquainted to-day, for the first time, with several features of this disagreeable business, I thought—it was a fancy of mine—that I should like to—to meet Mr. Allingham—to talk over—to—— OLIVE. [_Sitting._] To talk over——? SIR FLETCHER PORTWOOD. To thresh it all out with John—with Allingham. OLIVE. [_Quickly._] It has not been sufficiently threshed out, then, in the Divorce Court? MRS. CLOYS. [_Hastily._] Quite sufficiently. [_Eyeing_ SIR FLETCHER _reprovingly_.] My brother doesn’t interpret me correctly. Er—as I have told you, it is a fancy of mine—to meet Mr. Allingham.