RIDGEON. You shall go away quite happy. He’s worth saving. He must and shall be saved.
Mrs Dubedat rises and gasps with delight, relief, and gratitude. They all rise except Sir Patrick and Schutzmacher, and come reassuringly to her.
B. B. Certainly, CER-tainly.
WALPOLE. Theres no real difficulty, if only you know what to do.
MRS DUBEDAT. Oh, how can I ever thank you! From this night I can begin to be happy at last. You dont know what I feel.
She sits down in tears. They crowd about her to console her.
B. B. My dear lady: come come! come come! [very persuasively] come come!
WALPOLE. Dont mind us. Have a good cry.
RIDGEON. No: dont cry. Your husband had better not know that weve been talking about him.
MRS DUBEDAT [quickly pulling herself together] No, of course not. Please dont mind me. What a glorious thing it must be to be a doctor! [They laugh]. Dont laugh. You dont know what youve done for me. I never knew until now how deadly afraid I was—how I had come to dread the worst. I never dared let myself know. But now the relief has come: now I know.