CULVER. Splendid! But there is one draw-back. New capital issues are forbidden under the Defence of the Realm Act.
STRAIGHT. Even when the object is to win the war?
CULVER. My dear sir, the Treasury would never permit such a thing.
STRAIGHT. Well, we needn't have a limited company. Perhaps after all it would be better to keep it quite private.
CULVER. Oh! It would. And what is the central idea of this charming syndicate?
STRAIGHT. The idea is—( looking round cautiously )—a new explosive.
CULVER. Again, precisely what I thought. Your own invention?
STRAIGHT. No. A friend of mine. It truly is the most marvellous explosive.
CULVER. I suppose it bangs everything.
STRAIGHT ( simply ). Oh, it does. A development of trinitrotoluol on new lines. I needn't say that my interest in the affair is purely patriotic.