[_GWEN goes. JOHN settled down in a comfortable chair to a book, he gets up to find sheets of manuscript paper, a pipe and tobacco, and throws the lot down beside the chair, and gets into it again ... his father comes into the room._ MR. FREEMAN: There you are. JOHN: Yes? MR. FREEMAN: There’s just one thing I want to say to you to-night. JOHN: Yes? MR. FREEMAN: Not a _word_ of all this business to your sister. CURTAIN END OF ACT II ACT III ACT III DOWNSTAIRS AGAIN _A week later. MR. and MRS. FREEMAN have just finished tea. She is sewing; he is moving about._ MR. FREEMAN: There’s going to be a first-class row in this house this afternoon. A first-class _row_.... Is he up there? MRS. FREEMAN: I think so. MR. FREEMAN: Having tea? MRS. FREEMAN: It’s Florence’s day out. He has his tea down here on Thursdays. MR. FREEMAN (_at the speaking-tube_): Hullo!... John! _Is that you?_ Are you up there!... What d’you mean “_No!?_”... I want a word with you.... When you’ve had your tea.... Yes; it’s waiting. (_He comes away from the tube._) I’ll teach him to be funny! MRS. FREEMAN: Is he coming down? MR. FREEMAN: Yes. (_He paces again_) ... came like a thunderbolt; this afternoon was absolutely the first I’d heard of it.... I’ve a good mind to pop round and see Frankie, or her father; shouldn’t stay; be back here before he’s finished his tea; ... a week ago; never a word to anyone; a week--I didn’t tell you all about that evening; that girl up in his room; when I went in there she was ... well, never mind--and then this morning, he walks into my office, as calm as you like, and informs me, if you please, he does not intend to marry Frankie.... And that’s not all. Oh no. Not by any means. He’s going to leave the business.... Leave it ... throw the whole thing up. MRS. FREEMAN: What did _you_ say? MR. FREEMAN: I’m not quite sure. But whatever I said, it’s nothing to what I’m going to say! I’ve had about as much as I’m going to put up with!... It’s such a dam’ bad influence on Gwen, too.... D’you realise she’s only been in to dinner once this week? MRS. FREEMAN: Twice. MR. FREEMAN: Once. MRS. FREEMAN: Wednesday and Sunday. MR. FREEMAN: Oh yes. Sunday. Well, twice.... Where’s she been? MRS. FREEMAN: Out with Mr. ... Mr. ... John’s friend. MR. FREEMAN: The playwriting feller. MRS. FREEMAN: Yes. MR. FREEMAN: What! Every night? MRS. FREEMAN: I think so. MR. FREEMAN: I ask you! MRS. FREEMAN: He seems a very nice man. MR. FREEMAN: Does he?! I don’t care how nice he is, when it comes to taking my daughter out six times a week! MRS. FREEMAN: Five times.