JOHN: Articles; and a book---- MR. FREEMAN: What about? JOHN: ... the world in general. MR. FREEMAN: What for? JOHN: I want to. I got stuck--this morning in the office, I got an idea that I thought might unstick me ... I only meant to go out for a walk for a few minutes, but it came so clear in my head that I came home and worked. MR. FREEMAN: You were playing the piano. JOHN: Strumming between whiles. MR. FREEMAN: I see ... now look here ... I’ve got no objection to your writing articles, or whatever it is and strumming on the piano--it’s a very nice thing to be able to do ... these things may be all very well in their place--but their place is not the best working hours of your life ... that’s what you’ve got to understand. Now, listen to me, my boy, you’ve got a _niche_. JOHN: I’ve got a what? MR. FREEMAN: A NICHE--will you please not laugh. JOHN: I beg your pardon; it sounded comic. MR. FREEMAN: Well, it isn’t comic. You’ve got a very pretty little income waiting for you; and a prettier little wife, but if you think you’re going to inherit the whole show mooning away a few hours at the office, when it happens to suit you, because I and others work hard for you there all day--_and have done for the best part of our lives_--you’re vastly mistaken. The business is your bread and butter; your life; and you’ve got to give the best part of your life to it; you get an idea in your head, and that Robinson contract cropped up in the afternoon, and you precious nearly lost the firm a thousand pounds ... what have you got to say to that? [_The atmosphere is changing; the argument is degenerating into the family row._ Well, what have you got to say to that? JOHN: This afternoon my own work seemed most important. MR. FREEMAN: You’re a perfect dam’ fool: _work_! You’ve got no sense of values. JOHN: We’ve a _different_ sense of values. MR. FREEMAN: I’m not going to argue. It’s not going to happen again; do you grasp that? JOHN: Need we discuss it to-night? MR. FREEMAN: There’s no discussing to be done. JOHN: I’m sorry. I see your point of view. MR. FREEMAN: That’s splendid. JOHN: But---- MR. FREEMAN: But what? [_The wailing gate intervenes--JOHN hurries to the window._ MR. FREEMAN: Who’s that? JOHN: For me. [_MR. FREEMAN goes to the window to look._ MR. FREEMAN: Who _is_ this feller? JOHN: He’s part of my private life.... MR. FREEMAN: I daresay--but I can’t have your private life swarming all over my house. I can’t walk out of a room without falling over a perfect stranger. JOHN (_going to the door, opening, and speaking out of it_): Rosie ... show my friend in here, please. MR. FREEMAN: I’ve never interfered; I’ve no wish to interfere, but---- [_ROSIE shows in the gentleman; MR. FREEMAN having his back to the door goes on talking._ ----hang it all, if this feller’s going to spend half his time under my roof, I might at least know what to call him when we bump in the passage----