LADY PEMBURY.  But your friends must call you something.

STRANGER.  Take it that I haven’t got any friends.

LADY PEMBURY.  Oh, don’t say that!  How can you?

STRANGER (surly).  What’s it matter to you whether anybody cares about me?

LADY PEMBURY.  Oh, never mind whether anybody cares about you; don’t you care about anybody?

STRANGER.  Nobody.

LADY PEMBURY.  Poor, poor man! (Going on with her work) If you can’t tell me your name, I wish you would tell me what work you do.  (Winningly) You don’t mind my asking, do you?

STRANGER.  I can tell you what work I’m going to do after to-day.

LADY PEMBURY.  Oh, do!

STRANGER (violently).  None!

LADY PEMBURY (surprised).  None?

STRANGER.  No more work after to-day.

LADY PEMBURY.  Won’t that be rather dull?

STRANGER.  Well, you ought to know.  I’m going to be one of the idle rich—­like you and Sir John—­and let other people work for me.

LADY PEMBURY (thoughtfully).  I shouldn’t have said my husband was idle.  But there it is.  No two people ever agree as to what is work and what isn’t.

STRANGER.  What do you know about work—­you aristocrats?

LADY PEMBURY (mildly).  My husband is only a K.B.E., you know.  Quite a recent creation.

STRANGER (not heeding her).  You, who’ve been brought up in the lap of luxury—­never known a day’s discomfort in your life——­

LADY PEMBURY.  My dear young man, you really mustn’t tell a woman who has had five children that she has never known a day’s discomfort in her life. . . .  Ask any woman.

STRANGER (upset).  What’s that? . . .  I didn’t come here to argue with you.  You began it.  Why can’t you let me alone?

LADY PEMBURY (going to a side-table and taking up a photograph).  Five children—­all girls—­and now I’m a grandmother. (Showing him the photograph) There!  That’s my eldest daughter with her eldest son and my eldest grandchild.  Isn’t he a duck?  He’s supposed to be like me. . . .  I never had a son of my own. (THE STRANGER has taken the photograph in his hand and is holding it awkwardly.) Oh, let me take it away from you.  Other’s people’s relations are so uninteresting, aren’t they?  (She takes it away and puts it back in its place.  Then she returns to her seat and goes on with her work.) So you’ve made a lot of money?  How exciting for you!

STRANGER (grimly).  I haven’t got it yet, but it’s coming.

LADY PEMBURY.  Soon?

STRANGER.  To-day.

LADY PEMBURY.  You’re not married, are you?

STRANGER.  You want to know a lot, don’t you?  Well, I’m not married.

LADY PEMBURY.  I was thinking how much nicer it is when you can share that sort of news with somebody else, somebody you love.  It makes good news so much better, and bad news so much more bearable.