JOHN: ... Is he anybody you could marry? ROSIE: ’E’s married. JOHN: Oh! ROSIE: I’m frightened. I am, straight. (_She stares at them, in vague terror._) You’re ’elpless; you know what I mean: you go into the next room, and it’s everywhere; you can’t get away from it. (_Her look seems to hypnotise them; they can find no words. She continues:_) It’s bad enough when you’re married, and ’ave a ’usband to look after yer; and yer mother’s pleased.... I can’t never tell my mother. I can’t tell nobody. GWEN: You’ve told us. ROSIE: Oh, it’s all right for _you_, miss--_you_ don’t know. You can’t do nothing. I went to a chemist w’ot ’e told me of--a long way off it was, on a tram--and they as good as kicked me out. Then I goes to a doctor; I ’as to go alone. I rings the bell, and the man w’ot opened the door, ’e looked at me--’e seemed to know; and the doctor said ’e couldn’t do nothing. It’s finished me. JOHN: Let’s go upstairs. We’ll be quieter there. ROSIE: I’ve got t’go and ’elp cook. That Florence is out. JOHN: As soon as you can get off will you come upstairs? ROSIE: Yes. (_She hesitates. Then:_) ... I’m sorry--what I said. It’s kind o’ yer; then, you’re _kind_ all right ... and if you’re a bit orf, you can’t ’elp it; I mean, you can’t really _know_--can yer?... It’s an awful thing to ’appen to anyone ... you gets to ’ate yerself. GWEN: Oh no. (_She adds, rather lightly to help:_) After all, it might happen to any of us. ROSIE (_fiercely_): Don’t you never let it ’appen to _you_, miss. You take care you _’as_ ’im, safe, ’e’ll marry yer, before you does anything. Me! I lied awake all last night. Throw myself in the river--that’s about what I’m fit for now. GWEN: Rosie! ROSIE: Well, other girls do, don’t they? Nobody couldn’t blame me then; p’r’aps they’d be sorry.... ’Ere, I must get. That old cook’ll be after me. She’s a one. Work’s something; stops yer thinkin’. JOHN: As soon as you’re finished, you’ll come back. ROSIE: Yes, sir. JOHN (_gently but firmly_): Now, look here, Rosie; you’ve told us and you’re not alone any more. And we’re going to stand by you and see you safe. See? Whatever happens, we’ll see you safe right through and out the other side. ROSIE: It’s kind o’ yer. JOHN: ’Tisn’t. We’re just all in the world together; that’s all.... You’re coming back as soon as you can get away from cook. ROSIE (_with a ghost of a smile, as she goes_): That cook! She’s a one! [_When she is gone, there is a short silence. Then:_ GWEN: It must be awful. JOHN: Does this frighten you? GWEN: It’s a bit of a red light. JOHN: How? GWEN: Well ... you’ve got to remember when you talk about all this, it _does_ happen to people. It happened to the eldest Gillingham girl.... I didn’t know much about it; but she had the most terrible time.... You can imagine ... what Rosie said--_helpless_ ... awful. (_She thinks for a while; then her eyes, wandering, light on the tea-things._) Do you want some tea? JOHN: Yes ... thanks.