KEN. [To TIPPY.] And you! [To his father.] And you, of course ... [To LAURA.] And you ...
LAURA. [Breathlessly.] You must do whatever you like.
KEN. All right, I won't hold you responsible.
LAURA. I only meant ... I can take care of myself and ...
KEN. And of me, too.
LAURA. No, Ken ... I ... [The BISHOP stops her.]
KEN. So you all think I ought to apologize to Mr. Prescott. That's great. [Into telephone.] Circle 7-6799 ... That's great ... [Into telephone.] Mr. Kenneth Holden would like to speak with his employer, Mr. Stanley Prescott. [Plainly.] The name is Holden. That's right.--What do I want? I want to apologize. Tell him I want to apologize. [Pause.] Hello, Mr. Prescott? This is Kenneth Holden. I called up to apologize. [His voice is still high.] I called you up earlier in the evening, Mr. Prescott, and criticized our working arrangement. Well, sir, I have become convinced that the work is more important than the arrangement, so with your kind permission ... [Listens, as to an interruption. His confident manner slowly disappears. He listens with growing humiliation.] I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to use that tone. Yes--I mean it.--Yes, sir.... [Almost in a whisper.] Thank you. [Slowly, with an air of absolute defeat, he hangs up the receiver.]
BISHOP. My son, that was a brave thing. It's wisest for you to keep the arrangement for the present, until ... it won't be long ... [Clears his throat; looks at his watch.] My train. I've just time to catch it. [To KEN.] You'll feel better about it in the morning, son.
TIPPY. I'll call you a cab, sir.
KEN. Good-bye, dad.