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breaks in。＇
HORNBLOWER。 My trick？ And what dye call it； to try and put me own
son against me？
JILL。 ＇To ROLF＇ Well？
ROLF。 I don't； but
HORNBLOWER。 Trick？ Ye young cub； be quiet。 Mr。 Hillcrist had an
agent bid for himI had an agent bid for me。 Only his agent bid at
the beginnin'； an' mine bid at the end。 What's the trick in that？
＇He laughs。
HILLCRIST。 Hopeless； we're in different worlds。
HORNBLOWER。 I wish to God we were！ Come you； Chloe。 And you；
Rolf； you follow。 In six months I'll have those chimneys up； and me
lorries runnin' round ye。
MRS。 H。 Mr。 Hornblower； if you build
HORNBLOWER。 ＇Looking at MRS。 HILLCRIST＇ Ye knowit's laughable。
Ye make me pay nine thousand five hundred for a bit o' 1and not
worth four； and ye think I'm not to get back on ye。 I'm goin' on
with as little consideration as if ye were a family of blackbeetles。
Good afternoon！
ROLF。 Father！
JILL。 Oh； Dodo！ He's obscene。
HILLCRIST。 Mr。 Hornblower； my compliments。
＇HORNBLOWER with a stare at HILLCRIST'S half…smiling face；
takes CHLOE'S arm； and half drags her towards the door on the
Left。 But there； in the opened doorway； are standing DAWKER
and a STRANGER。 They move just out of the way of the exit；
looking at CHLOE； who sways and very nearly falls。＇
HORNBLOWER。 Why！ Chloe！ What's the matter？
CHLOE。 I don't know； I'm not well to…day。
＇She pulls herself together with a great； effort。＇
MRS。 H。 ＇Who has exchanged a nod with DAWKER and the STRANGER＇ Mr。
Hornblower； you build at your peril。 I warn you。
HORNBLOWER。 ＇Turning round to speak＇ Ye think yourself very cool
and very smart。 But I doubt this is the first time ye've been up
against realities。 Now； I've been up against them all my life。
Don't talk to me； ma'am； about peril and that sort of nonsense； it
makes no impression。 Your husband called me pachydermatous。 I
don't know Greek； and Latin； and all that； but I've looked it out in
the ； dictionary； and I find it means thick…skinned。 And I'm none
the worse for that when I have to deal with folk like you。 Good
afternoon。
＇He draws CHLOE forward； and they pass through the door；
followed quickly by ROLF。＇
MRS。 H。 Thank you； Dawker。
＇She moves up to DAWKER and the STRANGER； Left； and they
talk。＇
JILL。 Dodo！ It's awful！
HILLCRIST。 Well； there's nothing for it now but to smile and pay
up。 Poor old home！ It shall be his wash…pot。 Over the Centry will
he cast his shoe。 By Gad； Jill； I could cry！
JILL。 ＇Pointing＇ Look！ Chloe's sitting down。 She nearly fainted
just now。 It's something to do with Dawker； Dodo； and that man with
him。 Look at mother！ Ask them！
HILLCRIST。 Dawker！
＇DAWKER comes to him； followed by MRS。 HILLCRIST。＇
What's the mystery about young Mrs。 Hornblower？
DAWKER。 No mystery。
HILLCRIST。 Well； what is it？
MRS。 H。 You'd better not ask。
HILLCRIST。 I wish to know。
MRS。 H。 Jill； go out and wait for us。
JILL。 Nonsense； mother！
MRS。 H。 It's not for a girl to hear。
JILL。 Bosh！ I read the papers every day。
DAWKER。 It's nothin' worse than you get there； anyway。
MRS。 H。 Do you wish your daughter
JILL。 It's ridiculous； Dodo； you'd think I was mother at my age。
MRS。 H。 I was not so proud of my knowledge。
JILL。 No； but you had it； dear。
HILLCRIST。 What is itwhat is it？ Come over here； Dawker。
＇DAWKER goes to him； Right； and speaks in a low voice。＇
What！ ＇Again DAWKER speaks in； a low voice。＇
Good God！
MRS。 H。 Exactly！
JILL。 Poor thingwhatever it is！
MRS。 H。 Poor thing？
JILL。 What went before； mother？
MRS。 H。 It's what's coming after that matters； luckily。
HILLCRIST。 How do you know this？
DAWKER。 My friend here ＇He points to the STRANGER＇ was one of the
agents。
HILLCRIST。 It's shocking。 I'm sorry I heard it。
MRS。 H。 I told you not to。
HILLCRIST。 Ask your friend to come here。
＇DAWKER beckons； and the STRANGER joins the group。＇
Are you sure of what you've said； sir？
STRANGER。 Perfectly。 I remember her quite well； her name then
was
HILLCRIST。 I don't want to know； thank you。 I'm truly sorry。 I
wouldn't wish the knowledge of that about his womenfolk to my worst
enemy。 This mustn't be spoken of。 ＇JILL hugs his arm。＇
MRS。 H。 It will not be if Mr。 Hornblower is wise。 If he is not
wise； it must be spoken of。
HILLCRIST。 I say no； Amy。 I won't have it。 It's a dirty weapon。
Who touches pitch shall be defiled。
MRS。 H。 Well； what weapons does he use against us？ Don't be
quixotic。 For all we can tell； they know it quite well already； and
if they don't they ought to。 Anyway； to know this is our salvation；
and we must use it。
JILL： ＇Sotto voce＇ Pitch！ Dodo！ Pitch！
DAWKER。 The threat's enough！ J。P。ChapelFuture member for the
constituency。
HILLCRIST。 ＇A little more doubtfully＇ To use a piece of knowledge
about a womanit's repugnant。 II won't do it。
＇Mrs。 H。 If you had a son tricked into marrying such a woman；
would you wish to remain ignorant of it？＇
HILLCRIST。 ＇Struck＇ I don't knowI don't know。
MRS。 H。 At least； you'd like to be in a position to help him； if
you thought it necessary？
HILLCRIST。 Wellthat perhaps。
MRS。 H。 Then you agree that Mr。 Hornblower at least should be told。
What he does with the knowledge is not our affair。
HILLCRIST。 ＇Half to the STRANGER and half to DAWKER＇ Do you realise
that an imputation of that kind may be ground for a criminal libel
action？
STRANGER。 Quite。 But there's no shadow of doubt； not the faintest。
You saw her just now？
HILLCRIST。 I did。 ＇Revolting again＇ No； I don't like it。
＇DAWKER has drawn the STRANGER a step or two away； and they
talk together。＇
MRS。 H。 ＇In a low voice＇ And the ruin of our home？ You're
betraying your fathers； Jack。
HILLCRIST。 I can't bear bringing a woman into it。
MRS。 H。 We don't。 If anyone brings her in； it will be Hornblower
himself。
HILLCRIST。 We use her secret as a lever。
MRS。 H。 I tell you quite plainly： I will only consent to holding my
tongue about her； if you agree to Hornblower being told。 It's a
scandal to have a woman like that in the neighbourhood。
JILL。 Mother means that； father。
HILLCRIST。 Jill； keep quiet。 This is a very bitter position。 I
can't tell what to do。
MRS。 H。 You must use this knowledge。 You owe it to meto us all。
You'll see that when you've thought it over。
JILL。 ＇Softly＇ Pitch； Dodo； pitch！
MRS。 H。 ＇Furiously＇ Jill； be quiet！
HILLCRIST。 I was brought up never to hurt a woman。 I can't do it；
AmyI can't do it。 I should never feel like a gentleman again。
MRS。 H。 ＇Coldly＇ Oh！ Very well。
HILLCRIST。 What d'you mean by that？
MRS。 H。 I shall use the knowledge in my own way。
HILLCRIST。 ＇Staring at her＇ You wouldagainst my wishes？
MRS。 H。 I consider it my duty。
HILLCRIST。 If I agree to Hornblower being told
MRS。 H。 That's all I want。
HILLCRIST。 It's the utmost I'll consent to； Amy； and don't let's
have any humbug about its being； morally necessary。