Mabel.  But—­money!  To keep it!

Dancy. [Sullenly] Yes, but I had a debt to pay.

Mabel.  To a woman?

Dancy.  A debt of honour—­it wouldn’t wait.

Mabel.  It was—­it was to a woman.  Ronny, don’t lie any more.

Dancy. [Grimly] Well!  I wanted to save your knowing.  I’d promised a thousand.  I had a letter from her father that morning, threatening to tell you.  All the same, if that tyke hadn’t jeered at me for parlour tricks!—­But what’s the good of all this now? [Sullenly] Well—­it may cure you of loving me.  Get over that, Mab; I never was worth it—­and I’m done for!

Mabel.  The woman—­have you—­since—?

Dancy. [Energetically] No!  You supplanted her.  But if you’d known I was leaving a woman for you, you’d never have married me. [He walks over to the hearth].

     Mabel too gets up.  She presses her hands to her forehead, then
     walks blindly round to behind the sofa and stands looking straight
     in front of her.

Mabel. [Coldly] What has happened, exactly?

Dancy.  Sir Frederic chucked up the case.  I’ve seen Twisden; they want me to run for it to Morocco.

Mabel.  To the war there?

Dancy.  Yes.  There’s to be a warrant out.

Mabel.  A prosecution?  Prison?  Oh, go!  Don’t wait a minute!  Go!

Dancy.  Blast them!

Mabel.  Oh, Ronny!  Please!  Please!  Think what you’ll want.  I’ll pack. 
Quick!  No!  Don’t wait to take things.  Have you got money?

Dancy. [Nodding] This’ll be good-bye, then!

Mabel. [After a moment’s struggle] Oh!  No!  No, no!  I’ll follow—­I’ll come out to you there.

Dancy.  D’you mean you’ll stick to me?

Mabel.  Of course I’ll stick to you.

Dancy seizes her hand and puts it to his lips.  The bell rings.

Mabel. [In terror] Who’s that?

     The bell rings again.  Dancy moves towards the door.

No!  Let me!

She passes him and steals out to the outer door of the flat, where she stands listening.  The bell rings again.  She looks through the slit of the letter-box.  While she is gone Dancy stands quite still, till she comes back.

Mabel.  Through the letter-bog—­I can see——­It’s—­it’s police.  Oh! 
God! . . .  Ronny!  I can’t bear it.

Dancy.  Heads up, Mab!  Don’t show the brutes!

Mabel.  Whatever happens, I’ll go on loving you.  If it’s prison—­I’ll wait.  Do you understand?  I don’t care what you did—­I don’t care!  I’m just the same.  I will be just the same when you come back to me.

Dancy. [Slowly] That’s not in human nature.