MRS. FELIX (_to Vanillity, shaking hands_) The chauffeur let me drive! Glorious! FANNY (_ditto_) Yes, your hands won’t be fit to be seen for a week. JUDGE CRITTY (_speaking over his shoulder while shaking hands with the women_) I don’t think Professor Vanillity ever had the pleasure of meeting you, Mr. Magnus. MAGNUS (_reprovingly_) _I_ have not had that _honor_. (_Shakes hands_) Professor—Mr. Tromper— TROMPER (_in his best middle-class behavior_) Pleased to meet you, Professor. Pleased to see you again, Judge. JUDGE CRITTY (_urbanely_) Just had a little talk with my old friend here; he shares our opinion, Mr. Magnus. MAGNUS I do not know that I hold any opinion on the subject, Judge Critty. I came along simply to please the young lady. VANILLITY (_with a ray of hope and in a tone slightly thickened by drink_) Then, Mr. Magnus—you don’t wholly believe in the sacrifice of a career for money? (_Magnus frowns and looks crushingly at Judge Critty_) JUDGE CRITTY The Professor is inquiring as to your views, Mr. Magnus. (_Looking hard at Vanillity_) His _own_ are _fixed_— TROMPER Sacrifice, did I hear you say, Professor? A young fellow gets an offer of a fortune a year and you talk about sacrifice. He hasn’t had any career _yet_. VANILLITY (_with spirit_) The Nobel prize. TROMPER (_sneers_) Forty thousand dollars for—how many years’study and work— FANNY Dr. Agnus is thirty-two— TROMPER Say twenty-five years’schooling and work to make forty thousand dollars—that ain’t much of a career? I made that much long before his age. MAGNUS The case is different here. Yours can be no criterion. You married probably on less than Dr. Agnus’s schoolboy allowance— TROMPER Grew up together, we did. She worked and I worked. To a man that wants comforts, it’s cheaper, marrying. MAGNUS (_smiling_) Showing just how far apart the cases are. The young lady here (_nods toward Fanny_) does not make marriage cheaper. FANNY (_correctly_) Really, Mr. Magnus— MAGNUS I withdraw, with apologies. FANNY But don’t you _want_ Addington to do this? MAGNUS I haven’t been conscious of wanting _anything_ these many years, Fanny. MRS. FELIX (_smiling_) You don’t need to be, John. You lift your eyebrows and people hustle. You get what you want before you’re conscious of wanting it. But you _do_ want Dr. Agnus to take his offer (_points to Tromper_), don’t you? MAGNUS Do I, Tromper? TROMPER Well, sir— MRS. FELIX He means, shall he tell the truth? MAGNUS The lady wishes you to tell the truth, Tromper. TROMPER Well, sir— MRS. FELIX Take your time. A business man can’t speak the truth so quickly. That takes practice. TROMPER (_to Magnus_) Well, sir, if what you said about the young doctor is true— FANNY (_triumphantly_) And it _is_ true. I told him, myself. TROMPER That one chemical discovery of his alone will save the mills—I wouldn’t undertake to say how much—that is, if he can do it! FANNY He can! MAGNUS Well? FANNY