CULVER. Always a wise thing to do.
STRAIGHT. One of my reasons for accepting your son's kind invitation was that I thought that conceivably you might be willing to help in a great patriotic scheme of mine. Naturally you show surprise.
CULVER. Do I? Then I'm expressing myself badly. I'm not in the least surprised. It is the contrary that would have surprised me.
STRAIGHT. We may possibly discuss it later.
CULVER. Later? Why later? Why not at once? I'm full of curiosity. I hate to let the grass grow under my feet.
STRAIGHT ( looking at the floor ). Grass? ( With a faint mechanical laugh .) Ah yes, I see. Figure of speech. Well, I'm starting a little limited liability syndicate.
CULVER. Precisely what I thought. Yes?
STRAIGHT. The End-the-war Syndicate.
JOHN ( approaching ). But surely you aren't one of those pacifists, Mr. Straight! You've always preached fighting it out to a finish.
STRAIGHT. The object of my syndicate is certainly to fight to a finish, but to finish in about a week—by means of my little syndicate.