What is the point? ZOE Your happiness. EDWARD What beautiful thoughts you have, Zoe. ZOE Don’t be flippant. EDWARD Flippancy alleviates my boredom with the whole subject. ZOE Are you sure you’re not confusing boredom with lack of moral courage? EDWARD Possibly. ZOE Well, don’t. EDWARD I refuse to be dominated, Zoe—even by you! ZOE [_Smiling_] That’s right, dear. EDWARD And don’t laugh at me. ZOE I always have. I fail to see why I should stop now. EDWARD I resent it bitterly. ZOE Dear Edward. EDWARD What do you expect me to do? ZOE Deliver an ultimatum. EDWARD That would be stepping out of my character. ZOE Nonsense! EDWARD I am essentially a weak-minded man. ZOE Nothing of the sort—you’re a lazy idealist. EDWARD That sounds delightful. ZOE So it is in theory; in practice it’s sterility personified. EDWARD You’re terribly didactic. ZOE I’m trying to rouse you. EDWARD Why? ZOE Because you’re discontented and unhappy. EDWARD I never said so. ZOE You don’t need to—it’s written all over you. EDWARD You think I’d be happier if I bashed about making scenes and delivering ultimatums? ZOE Certainly—you at least might achieve something. EDWARD What, for instance? ZOE Freedom! EDWARD That’s a myth. ZOE Oh no, it isn’t. EDWARD In this case it’s impossible. ZOE Why? EDWARD [_Turning away_] Oh, don’t let’s discuss it any more. ZOE You _are_ annoying, Edward. EDWARD Evie went on like that for hours yesterday. ZOE Evie? EDWARD Yes. He seemed to advocate violence as being the best method. ZOE He would. EDWARD He even offered to teach Carol a lesson. ZOE What sort of lesson? EDWARD He didn’t explain. ZOE Poor Evie. EDWARD You needn’t despise him so utterly. He’s a good sort. ZOE He’s the quintessence of masculine complacency. EDWARD I’m sure it’s a great comfort to him. I wish I was. ZOE Evie will get into trouble one of these days. He’s too worldly. EDWARD If I were free, Zoe, would you marry me? ZOE Edward! EDWARD I suddenly thought of it. ZOE [_Laughing_] This is terribly sudden. EDWARD Don’t be silly. ZOE You must give me time to think. EDWARD Do shut up and be serious. ZOE I have a vague feeling that your proposal is a little previous. EDWARD It wasn’t a proposal—just an idea. ZOE Not exactly an original one. We discussed it all ages ago. EDWARD And whose fault was it that it never came off? ZOE [_Promptly_] Yours. EDWARD Zoe, how can you? It was entirely yours. ZOE Nonsense! I was dead set on it. EDWARD You refused me and rushed off to Africa. ZOE You can’t call Algiers Africa. EDWARD It is, all the same. ZOE If you’d loved me enough, you’d have followed me. EDWARD I was waiting for you to come back. ZOE Let’s stop talking about it—it’s rather painful. EDWARD We weren’t in love, really, anyhow. ZOE Weren’t we? EDWARD I don’t know. ZOE It’s all very difficult. EDWARD Yes. ZOE