Builder.  What!  Because of a little thing like that—­all over in two minutes, and I doing my utmost.

Mrs builder.  My dear John, the fact that you had to do your utmost is quite enough.  I feel continually humiliated in your house, and I want to leave it—­quite quietly, without fuss of any kind.

Builder.  But—­my God!  Julia, this is awful—­it’s absurd!  How can you?  I’m your husband.  Really—­your saying you don’t mind what I do—­it’s not right; it’s immoral!

Mrs builder.  I’m afraid you don’t see what goes on in those who live with you.  So, I’ll just go.  Don’t bother!

Builder.  Now, look here, Julia, you can’t mean this seriously.  You can’t!  Think of my position!  You’ve never set yourself up against me before.

Mrs builder.  But I do now.

Builder. [After staring at her] I’ve given you no real reason.  I’ll send the girl away.  You ought to thank me for resisting a temptation that most men would have yielded to.  After twenty-three years of married life, to kick up like this—­you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

Mrs builder.  I’m sure you must think so.

Builder.  Oh! for heaven’s sake don’t be sarcastic!  You’re my wife, and there’s an end of it; you’ve no legal excuse.  Don’t be absurd!

Mrs builder.  Good-bye!

Builder.  D’you realise that you’re encouraging me to go wrong?  That’s a pretty thing for a wife to do.  You ought to keep your husband straight.

Mrs builder.  How beautifully put!

Builder. [Almost pathetically] Don’t rile me Julia!  I’ve had an awful day.  First Athene—­then Maud—­then that girl—­and now you!  All at once like this!  Like a swarm of bees about one’s head. [Pleading] Come, now, Julia, don’t be so—­so im practicable!  You’ll make us the laughing-stock of the whole town.  A man in my position, and can’t keep his own family; it’s preposterous!

Mrs builder.  Your own family have lives and thoughts and feelings of their own.

Builder.  Oh!  This damned Woman’s business!  I knew how it would be when we gave you the vote.  You and I are married, and our daughters are our daughters.  Come, Julia.  Where’s your commonsense?  After twenty-three years!  You know I can’t do without you!

Mrs builder.  You could—­quite easily.  You can tell people what you like.

Builder.  My God!  I never heard anything so immoral in all my life from the mother of two grownup girls.  No wonder they’ve turned out as they have!  What is it you want, for goodness sake?

Mrs builder.  We just want to be away from you, that’s all.  I assure you it’s best.  When you’ve shown some consideration for our feelings and some real sign that we exist apart from you—­we could be friends again—­ perhaps—­I don’t know.