to beat Teddy
and to break up my home and disgrace me and make a horrible scandal in
the papers. It's cruel, unmanly, cowardly.

HE [with grave wonder] Are you afraid?

SHE. Oh, of course I'm afraid. So would you be if you had any common
sense. [She goes to the hearth, turning her back to him, and puts one
tapping foot on the fender].

HE [watching her with great gravity] Perfect love casteth out fear. That
is why I am not afraid. Mrs Bompas: you do not love me.

SHE [turning to him with a gasp of relief] Oh, thank you, thank you! You
really can be very nice, Henry.

HE. Why do you thank me?

SHE [coming prettily to him from the fireplace] For calling me Mrs
Bompas again. I feel now that you are going to be reasonable and behave
like a gentleman. [He drops on the stool; covers his face with his hand;
and groans]. What's the matter?

HE. Once or twice in my life I have dreamed that I was exquisitely happy
and blessed. But oh! the misgiving at the first stir of consciousness!
the stab of reality! the prison walls of the bedroom! the bitter, bitter
disappointment of waking! And this time! oh, this time I thought I was
awake.

SHE. Listen to me, Henry: we really haven't time for all that sort of
flapdoodle now. [He starts to his feet as if she had pulled a trigger
and straightened him by the release of a powerful spring, and goes past
her with set teeth to the little table]. Oh, take care: you nearly hit
me in the chin with the top of your head.

HE [with fierce politeness] I beg your pardon. What is it you want me to
do? I am at your service. I am ready to behave like a gentleman if you
will be kind enough to explain exactly how.

SHE [a little frightened] Thank you, Henry: I was sure you would. You're
not angry with me, are you?

HE. Go on. Go on quickly. Give me something to think about, or I will--I
will--[he suddenly snatches up her fan and it about to break it in his
clenched fists].

SHE [running forward and catching at the fan, with loud lamentation]
Don't break my fan--no, don't. [He slowly relaxes his grip of it as she
draws it anxiously out of his hands]. No, really, that's a stupid trick.
I don't like that. You've no right to do that. [She opens the fan,
and finds that the sticks are disconnected]. Oh, how could you be so
inconsiderate?

HE. I beg your pardon. I will buy you a new one.

SHE [querulously] You will never be able to match it. And it was a
particular favorite of mine.

HE [shor