LAURA. Father! [HEGAN and GRIMES go out centre; she sinks by the table, and buries her face in her arms, sobbing; after a considerable, interval, a knock on the door, centre.] Come in!
MONTAGUE. [Enters.] Well?
LAURA. I have failed. [Rises and stretches out her arms.] Failed! He has gone with Grimes!
MONTAGUE. I saw him go, Miss Hegan.
LAURA. [Swiftly.] And yet... I have not failed utterly. I have failed to turn back the decision... to save him from this disgrace. But that is not all.
MONTAGUE: How do you mean?
LAURA. I shall not give him up... and, in the end, I shall have my way; I can see that quite clearly. Ah, how I hurt him! I almost broke his heart! And just now he is in the midst of the battle... the rage of it is on him. But, afterwards, he will recollect... he will be overwhelmed with grief! And then he will see! He will do what I have begged him to!
MONTAGUE. Yes... perhaps that is so.
LAURA. I know what my love means to him! I know what he is at heart! And when he sees that I mean to carry out my threat, to go by myself and to refuse to touch his money... that will be more than he can bear, Mr. Montague!
MONTAGUE. You mean to do that?