[_He takes her and kisses her again; they part; he strides away from her._ Oh my God! I am happy! (_His eyes fall on the tea-tray._) Have some cold tea? [_She shakes her head; he pours himself out some._ My throat’s as dry as a bone. (_He drinks._) Come to dinner to-night? GWEN: Yes. COLIN: And to-morrow? GWEN: Yes. COLIN: And lunch? GWEN: You’re lunching with someone. COLIN: I’ll put ’em off. GWEN: You oughtn’t to. COLIN: Yes, I ought. GWEN: I’m so glad you will. COLIN: Oh, my dear!--it’s difficult to talk sense. Let’s try. I don’t want to wait. Do you? GWEN: I don’t think I could. COLIN: When shall we get married? GWEN: Not yet. COLIN: But we don’t want to wait. GWEN: No. COLIN: Then what do you mean? GWEN: Don’t let’s get married yet. COLIN: Oh don’t let’s have any more of that _rot_! (_And, because his nerves are on edge, he makes it sound more explosive than he meant. Realising, he adds, mitigatingly:_) I mean, it may be all right when you’re not serious, but when you are, it’s no good. GWEN: It’s not “rot” to me. COLIN: Well--perhaps not; but _we_ needn’t be mixed up in it. GWEN: Leave it to somebody else. COLIN: Yes! pray God, yes! Look here, I love you. Please understand that. Quite certainly. With everything in me, for always. GWEN (_very gently, to herself_): Oh, Colin! COLIN: I’ve been very lonely; with everything I wanted--unhappy. You’ve changed all that. I want everything now, for you. GWEN (_softly_): It’s a miracle! COLIN: It’s a fact. But I know what I want; d’you see? ... that’s going to give me the power to get it--for both of us. All this experimenting business. It’s no good. I’ve finished with it! GWEN: You’ve _finished_ with it! COLIN: Yes. [_She gives a little laugh._ COLIN: Now, look here, Gwen; people who _shilly-shally_ round and get someone in their lives, and then look round and wonder whether someone else wouldn’t give them a fuller life! I’ve no use for it. I know a good deal about life. GWEN: You mean you’ve had a lot of ... of lovers? COLIN: You know that. I don’t want to pretend. Not an abnormal amount! Nothing out of the ordinary, but _because_ this isn’t new to me, I haven’t a doubt. This thing’s permanent. I _know_. GWEN: It’s all new to me. COLIN: Can’t you trust me? GWEN: To teach me love. Yes. COLIN: Gwen, I’ve seen my children in your eyes. GWEN (_with a little cry_): Oh, why did you say that? You know I want them, too; but not yet. COLIN: My dear love; if you want to see life, or the world, a bit first--of course--there’s nowhere you can’t go; nothing you can’t have for the asking; I’m going to give the rest of my life to give you everything you want. GWEN: I only want you. COLIN: That’s all right then. Now; when are we going to get married?... [_She is silent._ Has John been putting you up to this? GWEN: To what? COLIN: This refusing-to-marry stunt! GWEN: No. COLIN: Yes; he has; you’ve been listening to him. GWEN: Well, why not?