THE STEP-DAUGHTER. Not possible, eh? Very well! I'm much obliged to you--but I'm off! THE MANAGER. Now be reasonable! Don't lose your temper! THE STEP-DAUGHTER. I won't stop here! I won't! I can see you've fixed it all up with him in your office. All this talk about what is possible for the stage ... I understand! He wants to get at his complicated "cerebral drama," to have his famous remorses and torments acted; but I want to act my part, _my part_! THE MANAGER (_annoyed, shaking his shoulders_). Ah! Just _your_ part! But, if you will pardon me, there are other parts than yours: His (_indicating the Father_) and hers (_indicating the Mother_)! On the stage you can't have a character becoming too prominent and overshadowing all the others. The thing is to pack them all into a neat little framework and then act what is actable. I am aware of the fact that everyone has his own interior life which he wants very much to put forward. But the difficulty lies in this fact: to set out just so much as is necessary for the stage, taking the other characters into consideration, and at the same time hint at the unrevealed interior life of each. I am willing to admit, my dear young lady, that from your point of view it would be a fine idea if each character could tell the public all his troubles in a nice monologue or a regular one hour lecture (_good humoredly_). You must restrain yourself, my dear, and in your own interest, too; because this fury of yours, this exaggerated disgust you show, may make a bad impression, you know. After you have confessed to me that there were others before him at Madame Pace's and more than once.... THE STEP-DAUGHTER (_bowing her head, impressed_). It's true. But remember those others mean him for me all the same. THE MANAGER (_not understanding_). What? The others? What do you mean? THE STEP-DAUGHTER. For one who has gone wrong, sir, he who was responsible for the first fault is responsible for all that follow. He is responsible for my faults, was, even before I was born. Look at him, and see if it isn't true! THE MANAGER. Well, well! And does the weight of so much responsibility seem nothing to you? Give him a chance to act it, to get it over! THE STEP-DAUGHTER. How? How can he act all his "noble remorses" all his "moral torments," if you want to spare him the horror of being discovered one day--after he had asked her what he did ask her--in the arms of her, that already fallen woman, that child, sir, that child he used to watch come out of school? (_She is moved_). (THE MOTHER _at this point is overcome with emotion, and breaks out into a fit of crying. All are touched. A long pause_).