Mabel.  You must be awfully fed up with us.

Twisden.  My dear young lady, that’s our business. [He takes her hand].

     MABEL’s face suddenly quivers.  She draws her hand away, and covers
     her lips with it.

There, there!  You want a day off badly.

Mabel.  I’m so tired of—!  Thank you so much for all you’re doing. 
Good night!  Good night, Mr Graviter!

Graviter.  Good night, Mrs Dancy.

     Mabel goes.

Graviter.  D’you know, I believe she knows.

Twisden.  No, no!  She believes in him implicitly.  A staunch little woman.  Poor thing!

Graviter.  Hasn’t that shaken you, sir?  It has me.

Twisden.  No, no!  I—­I can’t go on with the case.  It’s breaking faith. 
Get Sir Frederic’s chambers.

Graviter. [Telephoning, and getting a reply, looks round at Twisden]
Yes?

Twisden.  Ask if I can come round and see him.

Graviter. [Telephoning] Can Sir Frederic spare Mr Twisden a few minutes now if he comes round? [Receiving reply] He’s gone down to Brighton for the night.

Twisden.  H’m!  What hotel?

Graviter. [Telephoning] What’s his address?  What . . . ? [To
Twisden] The Bedford.

Twisden.  I’ll go down.

Graviter. [Telephoning] Thank you.  All right. [He rings off].

Twisden.  Just look out the trains down and up early to-morrow.

     Graviter takes up an A B C, and Twisden takes up the Ricardos card.

Twisden.  Send to this address in Putney, verify the fact that Ricardos has a daughter, and give me a trunk call to Brighton.  Better go yourself, Graviter.  If you see her, don’t say anything, of course—­ invent some excuse. [Graviter nods] I’ll be up in time to see Dancy.

Graviter.  By George!  I feel bad about this.

Twisden.  Yes.  But professional honour comes first.  What time is that train? [He bends over the ABC].

Curtain.

SCENE II

The same room on the following morning at ten-twenty-five, by the
Grandfather clock.

The young Clerk is ushering in Dancy, whose face is perceptibly
harder than it was three months ago, like that of a man who has
lived under great restraint.

Dancy.  He wanted to see me before the Court sat.

Young Clerk.  Yes, sir.  Mr Twisden will see you in one minute.  He had to go out of town last night. [He prepares to open the waiting-room door].

Dancy.  Were you in the war?

Young Clerk.  Yes.

Dancy.  How can you stick this?