ill! Do
apply your reason, old boy.

There is silence; while BILL again paces up and dozen.

BILL. If you think I care two straws about the morality of the
thing.

HAROLD. Oh! my dear old man! Of course not!

BILL. It's simply that I shall feel such a d---d skunk, if I leave
her in the lurch, with everybody knowing. Try it yourself; you'd
soon see!

HAROLD. Poor old chap!

BILL. It's not as if she'd tried to force me into it. And she's a
soft little thing. Why I ever made such a sickening ass of myself, I
can't think. I never meant----

HAROLD. No, I know! But, don't do anything rash, Bill; keep your
head, old man!

BILL. I don't see what loss I should be, if I did clear out of the
country. [The sound of cannoning billiard balls is heard] Who's
that knocking the balls about?

HAROLD. John, I expect. [The sound ceases.]

BILL. He's coming in here. Can't stand that!

As LATTER appears from the billiard-room, he goes hurriedly out.

LATTER. Was that Bill?

HAROLD. Yes.

LATTER. Well?

HAROLD. [Pacing up and down in his turn] Rat in a cage is a fool to
him. This is the sort of thing you read of in books, John! What
price your argument with Runny now? Well, it's not too late for you
luckily.

LATTER. What do you mean?

HAROLD. You needn't connect yourself with this eccentric family!

LATTER. I'm not a bounder, Harold.

HAROLD. Good!

LATTER. It's terrible for your sisters.

HAROLD. Deuced lucky we haven't a lot of people staying here! Poor
mother! John, I feel awfully bad about this. If something isn't
done, pretty mess I shall be in.

LATTER. How?

HAROLD. There's no entail. If the Governor cuts Bill off, it'll all
come to me.

LATTER. Oh!

HAROLD. Poor old Bill! I say, the play! Nemesis! What? Moral!
Caste don't matter. Got us fairly on the hop.

LATTER. It's too bad of Bill. It really is. He's behaved
disgracefully.

HAROLD. [Warningly] Well! There are thousands of fellows who'd
never dream of sticking to the girl, considering what it means.

LATTER. Perfectly disgusting!

HAROLD. Hang you, John! Haven't you any human sympathy? Don't you
know how these things come about? It's like a spark in a straw-yard.

LATTER. One doesn't take lighted pipes into strawyards unless one's
an idiot, or worse.

HAROLD. H'm! [With a grin] You're not allowed tobacco. In the
good old days no one would hive thought anything o