COAST. I won’t stop, not till you say you’ll marry me!  If I let up to-day, I’ll begin again to-morrow, and when I stop to-morrow it’ll be to go ahead the day after!  I’ve never failed yet in getting anything I’ve set after, and this is the biggest thing I’ve ever made up my mind to.

GEORGIANA.  And this time you will lose.  Because I can never love you. [He tries to interrupt.] No, let me finish.  I’ll tell you why I can’t love you.  I’ll tell you, only just you, Sam, remember that.  I could never love you because I love now, with every bit of love there is in me, the man who has just left this house, who has gone to fight and perhaps will never come back.

COAST. Has he asked you to be his wife?

GEORGIANA.  I love him all the same!

COAST. And I love you the same way you love him—­ain’t you a little sorry for me?

GEORGIANA.  Yes—­

COAST. That’ll do to go on with—­

GEORGIANA. [Laughs hysterically.] Oh—­Sam, can’t I make you understand?

COAST. No, nor make me give up.  I’m coming to see you again to-morrow; when will you be in?

GEORGIANA.  Not at all.

[She moves about the room.

COAST. What time in the afternoon?

GEORGIANA.  I shall be out all afternoon.

COAST. I’ll call at five.

GEORGIANA.  Very well!  You’ll find Louise and mother.

COAST. Coleman thinks you’ll have me!

GEORGIANA.  He couldn’t!  Why should he?

COAST. He congratulated me, when he was here just now!

GEORGIANA.  For what?

COAST. For you!

GEORGIANA.  Oh! [Laughing hysterically.] That’s what he meant by his happy marriage—­

[Laughing and crying.

COAST. If he mentioned marriage, that’s what he meant.

GEORGIANA.  But didn’t you tell him he was wrong?

COAST. No.

GEORGIANA.  But why not?

COAST. I wanted him to think it!

GEORGIANA.  But it was wrong of you—­it can never be true, and I don’t want him to go away believing it. [Music of a military band is heard in the distance.] Here they come! [Going to the balcony, he follows.] No, please don’t come out with me!  Sam—­I don’t want him to see me standing there with you. [SAM starts towards GEORGIANA.] Let me go out on the balcony alone, Sam!  Please, alone!

[He looks at her a moment and then deliberately goes past her out on to the balcony.

MRS. CARLEY. [Hurrying in from the Right.] They’re coming!  I’ve told the children.

[She goes out on balcony.  The children run in.

ALL THE CHILDREN.  The soldiers are coming!  Auntie, the soldiers are coming!

[They rush out on the balcony.

COAST. [In the window, picking up PHIL in his arms.] Come on,
Georgy.  What does it matter?