sits down also on his chair and begins to cry like a
child. Ellie stares at them. Mrs Hushabye, at the distressing sound he
makes, takes down her hands and looks at him. She rises and runs to him.

MRS HUSHABYE. Don't cry: I can't bear it. Have I broken your heart? I
didn't know you had one. How could I?

MANGAN. I'm a man, ain't I?

MRS HUSHABYE [half coaxing, half rallying, altogether tenderly]. Oh no:
not what I call a man. Only a Boss: just that and nothing else. What
business has a Boss with a heart?

MANGAN. Then you're not a bit sorry for what you did, nor ashamed?

MRS HUSHABYE. I was ashamed for the first time in my life when you said
that about hitting a woman in the breast, and I found out what I'd done.
My very bones blushed red. You've had your revenge, Boss. Aren't you
satisfied?

MANGAN. Serve you right! Do you hear? Serve you right! You're just
cruel. Cruel.

MRS HUSHABYE. Yes: cruelty would be delicious if one could only find
some sort of cruelty that didn't really hurt. By the way [sitting down
beside him on the arm of the chair], what's your name? It's not really
Boss, is it?

MANGAN [shortly]. If you want to know, my name's Alfred.

MRS HUSHABYE [springs up]. Alfred!! Ellie, he was christened after
Tennyson!!!

MANGAN [rising]. I was christened after my uncle, and never had a penny
from him, damn him! What of it?

MRS HUSHABYE. It comes to me suddenly that you are a real person: that
you had a mother, like anyone else. [Putting her hands on his shoulders
and surveying him]. Little Alf!

MANGAN. Well, you have a nerve.

MRS HUSHABYE. And you have a heart, Alfy, a whimpering little heart, but
a real one. [Releasing him suddenly]. Now run and make it up with Ellie.
She has had time to think what to say to you, which is more than I had
[she goes out quickly into the garden by the port door].

MANGAN. That woman has a pair of hands that go right through you.

ELLIE. Still in love with her, in spite of all we said about you?

MANGAN. Are all women like you two? Do they never think of anything
about a man except what they can get out of him? You weren't even
thinking that about me. You were only thinking whether your gloves would
last.

ELLIE. I shall not have to think about that when we are married.

MANGAN. And you think I am going to marry you after what I heard there!

ELLIE. You heard nothing from me that I did not tell you before.

MANGAN. Perhaps you think I can't do without