RIDGEON. Every man in this street is a doctor. But outside myself and the handful of men I am training at St Anne's, there is nobody as yet who has mastered the opsonin treatment. And we are full up? I'm sorry; but that is all I can say. [Rising] Good morning. MRS DUBEDAT [suddenly and desperately taking some drawings from her portfolio] Doctor: look at these. You understand drawings: you have good ones in your waiting-room. Look at them. They are his work. RIDGEON. It's no use my looking. [He looks, all the same] Hallo! [He takes one to the window and studies it]. Yes: this is the real thing. Yes, yes. [He looks at another and returns to her]. These are very clever. Theyre unfinished, arnt they? MRS DUBEDAT. He gets tired so soon. But you see, dont you, what a genius he is? You see that he is worth saving. Oh, doctor, I married him just to help him to begin: I had money enough to tide him over the hard years at the beginning--to enable him to follow his inspiration until his genius was recognized. And I was useful to him as a model: his drawings of me sold quite quickly. RIDGEON. Have you got one? MRS DUBEDAT [producing another] Only this one. It was the first. RIDGEON [devouring it with his eyes] Thats a wonderful drawing. Why is it called Jennifer? MRS DUBEDAT. My name is Jennifer. RIDGEON. A strange name. MRS DUBEDAT. Not in Cornwall. I am Cornish. It's only what you call Guinevere. RIDGEON [repeating the names with a certain pleasure in them] Guinevere. Jennifer. [Looking again at the drawing] Yes: it's really a wonderful drawing. Excuse me; but may I ask is it for sale? I'll buy it. MRS DUBEDAT. Oh, take it. It's my own: he gave it to me. Take it. Take them all. Take everything; ask anything; but save him. You can: you will: you must. REDPENNY [entering with every sign of alarm] Theyve just telephoned from the hospital that youre to come instantly--a patient on the point of death. The carriage is waiting. RIDGEON [intolerantly] Oh, nonsense: get out. [Greatly annoyed] What do you mean by interrupting me like this? REDPENNY. But-- RIDGEON. Chut! cant you see I'm engaged? Be off. Redpenny, bewildered, vanishes. MRS DUBEDAT [rising] Doctor: one instant only before you go-- RIDGEON. Sit down. It's nothing. MRS DUBEDAT. But the patient. He said he was dying. RIDGEON. Oh, he's dead by this time. Never mind. Sit down. MRS DUBEDAT [sitting down and breaking down] Oh, you none of you care. You see people die every day. RIDGEON [petting her] Nonsense! it's nothing: I told him to come in and say that. I thought I should want to get rid of you. MRS DUBEDAT [shocked at the falsehood] Oh! RIDGEON [continuing] Dont look so bewildered: theres nobody dying. MRS DUBEDAT. My husband is. RIDGEON [pulling himself together] Ah, yes: I had forgotten your husband. Mrs Dubedat: you are asking me to do a very serious thing? MRS DUBEDAT. I am asking you to save the life of a great man.