william. She comes in occasionally to see how I'm getting on.

laura. And how are you 'getting on'—without me?

william. Oh, I manage—somehow.

laura. Are you living a proper life, William?

william. Well, I'm here, my dear; what more do you want to know?

laura. There's a great deal I want to know. But I wish you'd come in and shut the door, instead of standing out there in the passage.

julia. The door is shut, Laura.

laura. Then I don't call it a door.

william (trying to make things pleasant). When is a door not a door? When it's a parent.

laura. William, I want to talk seriously. Do you know that when you died you left a lot of debts I didn't know about?