STRANGER. She will, this time. Later, perhaps, when the child's here, she'll cut herself adrift.
MOTHER. You seem very sure.
STRANGER. Yes. As I said, I still am. So long as the bond's not broken you can feel it. When it is, you'll feel that unpleasantly clearly, too.
MOTHER. But when you've parted from one another, you may yet both be bound to the child. You can't tell in advance.
STRANGER. I've been providing against that by a great interest, that I hope will fill my empty life.
MOTHER. You mean gold. And honour!
STRANGER. Precisely! For a man the most enduring of all illusions.
MOTHER. So you'd build on illusions?
STRANGER. On what else should I build, when everything's illusion?
MOTHER. If you ever awake from your dream, you'll find a reality of which you've never been able to dream.