DELEGATE [_brutally_] Well, before another hour's gone over our heads you'll find that she won't start that game here. _Monsieur Feliat comes in._ FELIAT [_to the delegate_] My dear sir, a thousand pardons for interrupting you, but as I've just turned your friend out of my house because he took advantage of being in it to start a propaganda against me, what's the use of your going on talking to this lady about a course of action she will no more consent to than I shall? DELEGATE. Very well, Monsieur. I shall telephone to Paris for instructions. Probably you will refuse to let me use your instrument. FELIAT. I most certainly shall. DELEGATE. So I shall go to the Post Office, and in ten minutes-- FELIAT. Go, my dear sir, go. But let me tell you in a friendly way that it'll take you more than ten minutes to get on to Paris. DELEGATE. It takes you more, perhaps, but not me. Good-morning. [_The delegate goes out_] FELIAT [_to Therese_] The low brute! Things are not going well. What happened at Duriot's has made a very unfortunate impression here. The news that you were going to open a new workshop for the women has been twisted and distorted by gossip and chatter, and my men have been worked up by the other brute to come and threaten me. THERESE. What d'you mean? FELIAT. They threaten me with a strike and with blacklisting me if I don't give up the idea. THERESE. You can't give up absolutely certain profits. FELIAT. If I am too obstinate, it may result in much larger losses which will be equally certain. THERESE. But what then? FELIAT. I've had to promise that for the present at any rate there's no question of taking on any more women. THERESE. Oh! FELIAT. What could I do? _Monsieur Gueret comes in._ FELIAT [_to Gueret_] Well? GUERET. They wouldn't listen. FELIAT. I was afraid they wouldn't. [_To Therese_] That's not all. Your godfather has been trying something else, and I understand he's not succeeded. I shall have to take the mending away from your workshop. THERESE. The women won't agree to that. GUERET. Perhaps that would be the best solution of the difficulty. THERESE [_startled_] Don't say that. You can't mean it. Think! GUERET. What's more, the men refuse to finish the work the women have begun. THERESE. We'll finish it. GUERET. Then they'll strike. THERESE. Let them strike. Monsieur Feliat, you can fight now and get terms for yourself. Just at this moment we have only one very urgent order. If the men strike, I can find you women to replace them. Every day I am refusing people who want to be taken on. GUERET [_suddenly_] I have an idea. THERESE. What's that? GUERET. I know my men; they're not bad fellows. THERESE. My workers are splendid women.