Yes, I hardly dare let myself think of that. However well the source of tears in me is stopped up, that opens it afresh every time. Well, it’s a good thing, too. If ever I get dropsy, there’ll be the less water to tap off. (_Changing his tone._) What do you think? If you went on a Sunday afternoon to smoke a pipe with the man you owed everything to, and found him all dazed and confused, with a knife in his hand, the very knife you had cut him his bread with hundreds of times, and bleeding at the throat and holding a cloth to the wound in terror---- LEONARD. Is _that_ how his end came? ANTHONY. And if you came in time to save him and help him, not just by taking his knife from him and binding up his wound, but by giving him a dirty two hundred pounds you’d saved up, all in secret, because else he wouldn’t take it,--what would you do? LEONARD. Being a free man without wife or child, I’d sacrifice the money. ANTHONY. And if you had ten wives, like the Turks, and as many children as were promised to Father Abraham, and you had only a minute to decide in, you’d--well, anyway you’re going to be my son-in-law. Now you know where the money is. I can tell you to-day because my old master was buried yesterday. A month ago I’d have kept it to myself on my death-bed. I put the I O U under the dead man’s head before they nailed up his coffin. If I could write, I would have put “Honourably paid” at the bottom, but all I could do in my ignorance was to tear the paper lengthways. Now he’ll sleep in peace, and I hope I shall too, when I stretch myself some day by his side. SCENE 6 MOTHER (_comes in quickly_). Do you know me still? ANTHONY (_pointing to the wedding-dress_). The frame has kept well, but the picture’s gone a bit. There seem to have been a lot of spiders’ webs on it. Well, the time was long enough! MOTHER. Haven’t I a frank husband? But I don’t need to praise him in particular. Frankness is the virtue of all husbands. ANTHONY. Are you sorry that you had more gilt on you at twenty than at fifty? MOTHER. Certainly not. If it weren’t so, I’d be ashamed of us both. ANTHONY. Well there, give me a kiss. I have had a shave and I’m in a better temper than usual. MOTHER. I’ll say “Yes” just to see if you still know how to kiss. It’s a long time since you thought of trying. ANTHONY. Dear old mother. I won’t wish that you should close my eyes. It’s a hard task, and I’ll do it for you instead. I’ll do you that last service of love. But you must give me time, do you hear? Time to prepare and steel myself, and not make a mess of it. It’s far too soon yet. MOTHER. Thank God, we are to be together a little longer. ANTHONY. I hope so, indeed. Why, your cheeks are quite rosy again! MOTHER.