_). I only thought--you might like to know.

MURRAY (_interestedly_). Know what? What is it? If I can help----

EILEEN. No. (_After a moment's hesitation._) I wrote to him this
afternoon.

MURRAY. Him?

EILEEN. The letter you've been advising me to write.

MURRAY (_as if the knowledge of this alarmed him--haltingly_). You
mean--Fred Nicholls?

EILEEN. Yes.

MURRAY (_after a pause--uncomfortably_). You mean--you broke it all
off?

EILEEN. Yes--for good. (_She looks up at his averted face. He remains
silent. She continues apprehensively._) You don't say anything. I
thought--you'd be glad. You've always told me it was the honourable
thing to do.

MURRAY (_gruffly_). I know. I say more than my prayers, damn it! (_With
sudden eagerness._) Have you mailed the letter yet?

EILEEN. Yes. Why?

MURRAY (_shortly_). Humph. Oh--nothing.

EILEEN (_with pained disappointment_). Oh, Stephen, you don't think I
did wrong, do you--now--after all you've said?

MURRAY (_hurriedly_). Wrong? No, not if you were convinced it was the
right thing to do yourself--if you know you don't love him. But I'd
hate to think you did it just on my advice. I shouldn't---- I didn't
mean to interfere. I don't know enough about your relations for my
opinion to count.

EILEEN (_hurt_). You know all there is to know.

MURRAY. I didn't mean--anything like that. I know you've been frank.
But him--I don't know him. How could I, just meeting him once? He may
be quite different from my idea. That's what I'm getting at. I don't
want to be unfair to him.

EILEEN (_bitterly scornful_). You needn't worry. You weren't unfair.
And you needn't be afraid you were responsible for my writing. I'd been
going to for a long time before you ever spoke.

MURRAY (_with a relieved sigh_). I'm glad of that--honestly, Eileen. I
felt guilty. I shouldn't have knocked him behind his back without
knowing him at all.

EILEEN. You said you could read him like a book from his letters I
showed you.

MURRAY (_apologetically_). I know. I'm a fool.

EILEEN (_angrily_). What makes you so considerate of Fred Nicholls all
of a sudden? What you thought about him was right.

MURRAY (_vaguely_). I don't know. One makes mistakes.

EILEEN (_assertively_). Well, I know! You needn't waste pity on him.
He'll be only too glad to get my letter. He's been anxious to be free
of me ever since I was sent here, only he thought it wouldn't be decent
to break it off himself while I was