Dad. But what—­

Peggy. Wait!  Wait!  Excuse us, please!  It’s so important!  Here, Bill—­take your grandfather!  Take him up on the roof and let him see the view!  Take him downstairs and let the beggar-kid sing for him!  I want just ten minutes to get this down! (Pushes Dad and Bill off Left.) Just ten minutes, please! (Shuts them out.) Now, Will, come here!  You see how it is now!  Dad has relented, your happy ending is all ready made!  You’re not making any concession to the box-office—­you’re simply following truth—­the natural human instincts of a father, who loves his son, in spite of all his mistakes and his own bad temper!  He orders him out—­but all the time his heart is breaking—­he’s eager for an excuse to relent.  Oh, Will, you must see that!

Will (reluctantly). Yes, I suppose so.

Peggy. All right then!  We go back to your scene in Dad’s drawing-room—­just after Jack has carried Belle out. (Play-play begins to appear.) Dad stands there, with Jessie clinging to him, weeping, imploring.  And Bob is trying to argue with him.  Dad doesn’t answer at first—­wait, I’ll write the scene! (Full light on Play-play.  Will makes secret exit.)

Bob. Dad, listen to reason now!  Don’t make this dreadful mistake.  Jack has had his lesson.  Can’t you see he’s had it—­the very thing we all wanted for him?  He’s learned something about the reality of life!

Jessie (to Bob). Make Jack wait!  Don’t let him go away!  Hurry! (Bob exit.) Dad, you must forgive him!  That’s a good girl he’s brought here—­can’t you see that?  And she’s ill—­she’s as ill as I was!  Don’t you remember how you worried about me?  You aren’t really cruel, Dad—­

Dad. I don’t want to be cruel.  But I won’t have him—­

Jessie. You must forgive him, Dad! (Jack appears in doorway, with Bob, Dolly and Bill behind him.) Jack!  Come ask him to forgive you!  He’s your father!  You must do it, to save the girl’s life!

Jack (advances). Don’t misunderstand me, Dad.  I don’t ask for the money.  I’ve lost my claim to it, I don’t care what you do with it.  But I must save this girl!  Don’t you see what’s happened to me?  Don’t you see what I’ve gained by my adventure?

Dad. What have you gained?

Jack. In the first place wisdom!  In the second a wife—­a noble-hearted and faithful and loving woman, who will stand by me through all the trials of my life!  Isn’t that worth more than a quarter of a million dollars?  Answer me, Dad—­(Stretches out his arms to him.) Oh, Dad, isn’t it so?

Dad (gruffly). Well, young fellow, I’m glad to hear you’ve learned a little sense, at least! (He embraces Jack.)

Peggy (leaping to her feet and pointing to the Play-play scene). There!  There!  There’s your happy ending!  There’s your Pot-boiler!