GEORGIANA.  Tell Mrs. Carley not to wait for Mr. Carley and me, we’re not coming down; but Mr. Coast will join them in a moment.

[COAST looks up surprised.

MOLES.  Yes, miss.

[He goes out.  A moment’s pause.

COAST. What do you mean by that?

[Another pause.

GEORGIANA. [Slowly.] Not to save myself, not even to save my brother, and from even worse than we have to face, would I marry you.

COAST. Don’t say that, Georgy!

GEORGY.  Why, every word you’ve said, and everything you’ve done to make me love you, makes me instead—­yes—­and for what you’ve done with Steve [Looks at STEVE.], I do hate you.

[Goes to the sofa, COAST follows.

COAST. I only said it because I love you, Georgiana.

GEORGIANA.  Oh, Sam Coast, you don’t know what love is!  Love doesn’t make beasts of men, it makes men of beasts.  It doesn’t take all for itself—­it sacrifices all for another.  Love isn’t an enemy that lays traps and makes ambushes,—­love is a friend whose heart is a divine magnet!  Real love makes an angel of a woman and a hero of a man, but love such as you have—­oh, the happiness in this world that’s been lost through it!

COAST. You don’t know me!

GEORGIANA.  I didn’t, but I do!  You’ve dragged down my brother, sacrificed him and my belief in him, almost, for your own selfish end, tried to trap me into marrying you when you know I didn’t love you.

COAST. But you would—­

GEORGIANA.  Once perhaps, though I can’t imagine it!  But not now!  No!  I’d starve and suffer and die now before I could ever love you.

[A pause; COAST goes to the table and stands half shamefaced a moment, then he pulls himself up and turns.

COAST. Well, face the music for a while, and then see!

GEORGIANA.  They’re waiting for you at dinner; please join them and tell them what you like.

COAST. I’ll tell them nothing.  I’ll let you and Steve think things over a little.

STEVEN. [Rises, and goes to meet COAST.] You will have something to settle with me outside of money matters!

COAST. [With a jeer.] Please yourself.

[He goes out.

GEORGIANA. [To STEVEN.] I believe I can influence Louise to do nothing for the sake of the children, and she loves you in her way.

STEVEN.  But the bank?

[He sits on sofa beside her.

GEORGIANA.  Oh, we can take care of the bank; after all, we’ve friends, we’ve jewels, we’ve this house.

STEVEN.  That’s true, and the brokers?

GEORGIANA.  Who are they?

STEVEN.  Caldwell and Hovery.

GEORGIANA.  Mr. Caldwell will be at the ball to-night?

STEVEN.  Probably.

GEORGIANA.  I’ll see him.  We’ve always been good friends,—­and so were his father and your father.  He won’t let his firm make a scandal if he can help it, especially as they can gain nothing and we should lose so much!  Steve, we’ll get out of this yet, with your name all right!