Rodney. You do make it sound rather bad. I wouldn’t want us to give father the worst of it; we’ve always been pretty good friends, he and I. I guess I’d better tell him—in a week or so.

Mary. Why, Rodney, if you love me, we must get this awful suspense over.

Rodney. But suppose he does object?

Mary. Even then I wouldn’t give you up.

Rodney. Mary!

Mary. You could go into business, make a big man of yourself, make me proud of you——

Rodney. You talk just like the heroine in a play I saw last night. She wanted the hero to go to work, and he did, and then for four acts everybody suffered.

Mary. Don’t you want to work?

Rodney. (Seriously) I should say not. Imagine going to bed every night, knowing you’ve got to get up in the morning and go to business.