LEONARD. What? Oh! the baby—I keep forgetting about that blessed baby. But he’s not ill. I’m sure he’s not ill. Look here! I must get away. I shall hate you, Mary, if you stop me. I want a change, as the doctors say. I want to talk to these chaps. They’re men you can talk to. I must go. I must go. I’m a flower turning to the light, I’m a prisoner breaking from his dungeon, I’m a spirit winging upwards. Don’t stop me.
MARY. Why should I stop you? You want to be there. I want to be here.
LEONARD. Ah! yes. And if the child is ill you’ve got a beautiful time before you. A mother with her child ill is lovely, lovely. I could come home to see it. Especially if those fellows get rather dull. Cochrane doesn’t mention a time. I wonder how long he’ll have me.
MRS. TIMBRELL. If anyone could change you, Mary would, but you don’t change.
LEONARD. Don’t change! I’m always changing. I’m a perfect Kaleidoscope.
MRS. TIMBRELL. Always a Kaleidoscope.
LEONARD. [Taking his mother by the shoulders.] You just go and get me some money, will you? Tell the old boy I’m a new man, a reformed character. Put in a good word for Mary. Tell him she’s done it. Then see if you can’t get fifty pounds out of him.
MRS. TIMBRELL. You’d kill the goose with the golden eggs, before it laid any. Mary, we’d better let him go.
MARY. Oh! yes.