BILLY. [Dogmatically.] It is the custom.

LORETTA. [Brokenly.] And when . . . a . . . a woman kisses a man and doesn’t . . . marry him . . . ?

BILLY. Then there is a scandal. That’s where all the scandals you see in the papers come from.

[BILLY looks at watch.]

[LORETTA in silent despair.]

LORETTA. [In abasement.] You are a good man, Billy. [Billy shows that he believes it.] And I am a very wicked woman.

BILLY. No, you’re not, Loretta. You just didn’t know.

LORETTA. [With a gleam of hope.] But you kissed me first.

BILLY. It doesn’t matter. You let me kiss you.

LORETTA. [Hope dying down.] But not at first.