LAURA. It means less to the father.
CAPTAIN. Why so?
LAURA. Because the mother is closer to the child, as it has been discovered that no one can tell for a certainty who the father of a child is.
CAPTAIN. How does that apply to this case?
LAURA. You do not know whether you are Bertha's father or not.
CAPTAIN. I do not know?
LAURA. No; what no one knows, you surely cannot know.
CAPTAIN. Are you joking?
LAURA. No; I am only making use of your own teaching. For that matter, how do you know that I have not been unfaithful to you?
CAPTAIN. I believe you capable of almost anything, but not that, nor that you would talk about it if it were true.