(MADELINE comes in, right.  She has her tennis racket.  Nods to the two men.  HOLDEN goes out, left.)

MADELINE:  (looking after HOLDEN—­feeling something going on.  Then turning to her uncle, who is still looking after HOLDEN) You wanted to speak to me, Uncle Felix?

FEJEVARY:  Of course I want to speak to you.

MADELINE:  I feel just awfully sorry about—­banging up my racket like this.  The second time it came down on this club.  Why do they carry those things?  Perfectly fantastic, I’ll say, going around with a club.  But as long as you were asking me what I wanted for my birthday—­

FEJEVARY:  Madeline, I am not here to discuss your birthday.

MADELINE:  I’m sorry—­(smiles) to hear that.

FEJEVARY:  You don’t seem much chastened.

MADELINE:  Chastened?  Was that the idea?  Well, if you think that keeping a person where she doesn’t want to be chastens her!  I never felt less ‘chastened’ than when I walked out of that slimy spot and looked across the street at your nice bank.  I should think you’d hate to—­(with friendly concern) Why, Uncle Felix, you look tired out.

FEJEVARY:  I am tired out, Madeline.  I’ve had a nerve-racking day.

MADELINE:  Isn’t that too bad?  Those speeches were so boresome, and that old senator person—­wasn’t he a stuff?  But can’t you go home now and let auntie give you tea and—­

FEJEVARY:  (sharply) Madeline, have you no intelligence?  Hasn’t it occurred to you that your performance would worry me a little?

MADELINE:  I suppose it was a nuisance.  And on such a busy day. (changing) But if you’re going to worry, Horace is the one you should worry about. (answering his look) Why, he got it all up.  He made me ashamed!

FEJEVARY:  And you’re not at all ashamed of what you have done?

MADELINE:  Ashamed?  Why—­no.

FEJEVARY:  Then you’d better be!  A girl who rushes in and assaults an officer!

MADELINE:  (earnestly explaining it) But, Uncle Felix, I had to stop him.  No one else did.

FEJEVARY:  Madeline, I don’t know whether you’re trying to be naive—­

MADELINE:  (angrily) Well, I’m not.  I like that!  I think I’ll go home.

FEJEVARY:  I think you will not!  It’s stupid of you not to know this is serious.  You could be dismissed from school for what you did.

MADELINE:  Well, I’m good and ready to be dismissed from any school that would dismiss for that!

FEJEVARY:  (in a new manner—­quietly, from feeling) Madeline, have you no love for this place?

MADELINE:  (doggedly, after thinking) Yes, I have. (she sits down) And I don’t know why I have.

FEJEVARY:  Certainly it’s not strange.  If ever a girl had a background, Morton College is Madeline Fejevary Morton’s background. (he too now seated by the table) Do you remember your Grandfather Morton?