PARNELL.  Well, if nations wish to be fooled, let them go to the devil their own way, not laying the blame of their own folly on others!  But having got you—­would I ever have let you go for any power under Heaven?  Why (as soon as you were free) did I marry you?  I knew that, politically, it was a blunder:  that over there it would go against us—­ prove the case.  Half Ireland cared nothing for the verdict of an English jury.  But when we married, they had to believe it then....  Well, I wanted them to believe it.  I know my love would have waited, had I asked her.  And it wasn’t—­it wasn’t honour, my dear; it was much more pride:  for I am a proud man, that I own:  and not less since I have won you.

KATHARINE.  If you hadn’t been proud, dearest, you would never have got my love.

PARNELL.  Oh, yes, I should.  Those who love, don’t love for qualities good or bad.  They love them in the person they love—­that’s all.  You have qualities which I didn’t care about till I found them in you.  To love is to see life—­new!

KATHARINE.  And whole.  Some day—­alone by ourselves—­we will!

PARNELL.  Don’t we already?

KATHARINE.  Yes, if only—­these other things didn’t interfere.  But I promised; so they must.

PARNELL.  My dear, when they have quite broken me—­they will in time—­then I’ll come.

KATHARINE.  You promise to go right away?

PARNELL.  I promise, sweetheart.

(Moving toward each other they are about to embrace, when the door opens, and the Servant enters carrying a card upon a tray.)

SERVANT.  If you please, sir.

(Parnell takes the card; there is a pause while he looks at the name)

PARNELL.  Will you say I am engaged.

(The Servant goes.  Parnell hands the card to his wife.)

I don’t know the man.  Do you?

KATHARINE.  No.  And yet I seem to remember.  Yes; Willie had a man-servant of that name.

(The Servant returns, bearing a folded note upon her tray)

SERVANT.  If you please, sir, I was to give you this.

PARNELL (having read the note).  Is the man still there?

SERVANT.  Yes, sir.

(There is a pause.)

PARNELL.  Show him in.

(As the Servant goes he hands the note to Katharine, and watches while she reads it.)

So—­you remember him?

KATHARINE.  Only the name....  I may have seen him, now and then.

(And then enters a smooth-shaven man, sprucely dressed, with the irreproachable manners of a well-trained servant.  First, with a murmured apology, he bows to the lady; then, having respectfully waited till the silence becomes marked, says:)

MAN.  Good evening, sir.

PARNELL (glancing again at the note).  You are a valet?

MAN.  Yes, sir.

PARNELL.  Are you wanting a place?