ELFIE.  Did he hit you?

LAURA.  No; he made me admit that John didn’t know, and then he said he’d stay here and tell himself that I’d made him lie, and then he said something about liking the other man and wanting to save him.

ELFIE.  Save—­shucks!  He’s jealous.

LAURA.  I told him if he’d only go I’d—­tell John myself when he came, and now you see I’m waiting—­and I’ve got to tell—­and—­and I don’t know how to begin—­and—­and I thought you could help me—­you seem so sort of resourceful, and it means—­it means so much to me.  If John turned on me now I couldn’t go back to Will, and, Elfie,—­I don’t think I’d care to—­stay here any more.

ELFIE.  What! [In an awestruck tone, taking LAURA in her arms impulsively.] Dearie, get that nonsense out of your head and be sensible.  I’d just like to see any two men who could make me think about—­well—­what you seem to have in your mind.

LAURA.  But I don’t know; don’t you see, Elfie, I don’t know.  If I don’t tell him, Will will come back and he’ll tell him, and I know John and maybe—­Elfie, do you know, I think John would kill him.

ELFIE.  Well, don’t you think anything about that.  Now let’s get [Rises, crosses to armchair, draws it over a little, sits on left arm.] down to cases, and we haven’t much time.  Business is business, and love is love.  You’re long on love and I’m long on business, and between the two of us we ought to straighten this thing out.  Now, evidently John is coming on here to marry you.

LAURA.  Yes.

ELFIE.  And you love him?

LAURA.  Yes.

ELFIE.  And as far as you know the moment that he comes in here it’s quick to the Justice and a big matrimonial thing.

LAURA.  Yes, but you see how impossible it is—­

ELFIE.  I don’t see anything impossible.  From all you’ve said to me about this fellow there is only one thing to do.

LAURA.  One thing?

ELFIE.  Yes—­get married quick.  You say he has the money and you have the love, and you’re sick of Brockton, and you want to switch and do it in the decent, respectable, conventional way, and he’s going to take you away.  Haven’t you got sense enough to know that, once you’re married to Mr. Madison, Will Brockton wouldn’t dare go to him, and if he did Madison wouldn’t believe him?  A man will believe a whole lot about his girl, but nothing about his wife.

LAURA. [Turns and looks at her.  There is a long pause.] Elfie [Rises; crosses to right of table.]—­I—­I don’t think I could do like that to John.  I don’t think—­I could deceive him.