Sylvia. Apologise to Uncle Dan, every one of you, for being such utter beasts.
Oliver. Well, I'm hanged!
(During the following speech, the others continue their breakfasts.)
Sylvia. So you jolly well ought to be. Who do you owe your position in the motor works to, Oliver? Uncle Dan. Who do you owe your song successes to, Bobbie? Uncle Dan. And you, Joyce, d'you think you'd have won a single thing if it hadn't been for him? Do you imagine Evangeline would have had the vim to have stuck to her novel if it hadn't been for Uncle Dan's faith in her? I know I should never have done a thing, either. And all we did it for apparently, was that he could die off conveniently and leave us his money—the moment he'd done that I suppose we should have stopped working. What charming characters! Waiting for a man to die, and then getting disagreeable because he says he doesn't want to. Do you think any one of you would stop work now for anything? Of course you wouldn't. I know that. Don't you see that Uncle Dan chose the one and only way of really helping us? He's worked wonders and we ought to be thankful to him until our dying day....
Bobbie (marmalade on toast in hand). It's all very fine for you—he hasn't come between you and the only person you've ever loved....
Sylvia. And that's one of the best things of all—he's been the means of showing Faith up in her true colours. Bobbie, you must realise now in your heart of hearts what a rotter she is?
Bobbie. She wouldn't have been if it wasn't for her beastly mother. Just because you found him out before us, by a fluke, you think you can preach to us about being rude to him. Well, you'd have been just as bad under the same circumstances, if not worse. The fact of you having spotted his game doesn't make it any the less disgusting. He's behaved atrociously and you know it, making fools of us all. What do you think my friends will say? Joyce's school girls? Vangy's literary nuts?
Sylvia (coming down R. to below Chesterfield). It's your own silly faults. You shouldn't have told them.
Evangeline (rising). Don't be so superior. Of course we only did in confidence. (Going up R., followed by Joyce.)
Sylvia. Well, that's not Uncle Dan's fault, he only did it for the best....