Sydney. Father, you don’t understand! You and mother—
Hilary. [Getting irritated] Look here, this is nothing to do with you—
Sydney. But you mustn’t—
Hilary [Violently] Now I tell you I’m not going to be hectored. I won’t stand it. I’ve had enough of it. D’you hear? I’ve had enough of it.
Sydney. If you talk to my mother like this—
Hilary. [Softening] Meg understands.
Sydney [Jealously] So do I understand.
Hilary. I believe you do. You got wild all in a moment. That’s my way, too. It means nothing. Meg can’t see that it means nothing. But it makes a man wild, you know, to be dragooned when he’s as sane as—my God, I am sane! That’s all over, isn’t it? I am sane. Daughter!
Sydney. [Watching him] Father?
Hilary. Don’t let me get—that way. It’s bad. Help me to go slow. I’m as well as you are, you know. But it’s new. It only happened to-day—like a curtain lifting. [Confidentially] You see I was standing in the garden—