ANABEL.  One of the best.

WINIFRED. It must be.  When I see it, with its beak lifted, singing, something comes loose in my heart, and I feel as if I should cry, and fly up to heaven.  Do you know what I mean?  Oh, I’m sure you do, or you could never have made that thrush.  Father is so glad you’ve come to show me how to work.  He says now I shall have a life-work, and I shall be happy.  It’s true, too.

ANABEL.  Yes, till the life-work collapses.

WINIFRED. Oh, it can’t collapse.  I can’t believe it could collapse.  Do tell me about something else you made, which you loved—­something you sculpted.  Oh, it makes my heart burn to hear you!—­Do you think I might call you Anabel?  I should love to.  You do call me Winifred already.

ANABEL.  Yes, do.

WINIFRED. Won’t you tell me about something else you made—­something lovely?

ANABEL.  Well, I did a small kitten—­asleep—­with its paws crossed.  You know, Winifred, that wonderful look that kittens have, as if they were blown along like a bit of fluff—­as if they weighed nothing at all, just wafted about—­and yet so ALIVE—­do you know—–?

WINIFRED. Darlings—­darlings—­I love them!

ANABEL.  Well my kitten really came off—­it had that quality.  It looked as if it had just wafted there.

WINIFRED. Oh, yes!—­oh, I know!  And was it in clay?

ANABEL.  I cut it in soft grey stone as well.  I love my kitten.  An
Armenian bought her.

WINIFRED. And where is she now?

ANABEL.  I don’t know—­in Armenia, I suppose, if there is such a place.  It would have to be kept under glass, because the stone wouldn’t polish—­and I didn’t want it polished.  But I dislike things under glass—­don’t you?

WINIFRED. Yes, I do.  We had a golden clock, but Gerald wouldn’t have the glass cover, and Daddy wouldn’t have it without.  So now the clock is in father’s room.  Gerald often went to Paris.  Oliver used to have a studio there.  I don’t care much for painting, do you?

ANABEL.  No.  I want something I can touch, if it’s something outside me.

WINIFRED. Yes, isn’t it wonderful, when things are substantial.  Gerald and Oliver came back yesterday from Yorkshire.  You know we have a colliery there.

ANABEL.  Yes, I believe I’ve heard.

WINIFRED. I want to introduce you to Gerald, to see if you like him. 
He’s good at the bottom, but he’s very overbearing and definite.

ANABEL.  Is he?

WINIFRED. Terribly clever in business.  He’ll get awfully rich.

ANABEL.  Isn’t he rich enough already?

WINIFRED. Oh, yes, because Daddy is rich enough, really.  I think if Gerald was a bit different, he’d be really nice.  Now he’s so MANAGING.  It’s sickening.  Do you dislike managing people, Anabel?

ANABEL.  I dislike them extremely, Winifred.