_Dad._ What!
_Jessie._ Marry her!
_Dolly._ That"s what he told her. Didn"t you, Jack?
_Jack._ Why--I--
_Dolly._ It"s all right, Jack--since"s we"ve caught on in time.
_Jack._ No, no, don"t misunderstand me. It was just that I didn"t want to tell my family just yet.
_Dad (starting forward)._ Why, you infernal jacka.s.s!
_Jack._ Dad--
_Dad._ You have the impudence to come here and tell me that you promised to marry a waitress in a restaurant!
_Jack._ Yes, Dad---
_Dad (raging)._ Are you mad? When you"ve just proven that you can"t earn enough to fill your own belly? You come here whining for forgiveness, and then tell me you"ll marry a girl of the streets--
_Jessie._ Dad! Stop!
_Dolly._ Excuse me, Jack--we"ll get out of this. _(Rises.)_
_Jessie._ No--wait! Please, Dad--
_Dad._ Let her go! There"s no place for her here.
_Dolly._ Come, Belle, _(Lifts her.)_
_Jessie (Hysterically)._ Dad, how can you be so cruel?
_Dad._ Keep out of this, Jessie.
_Jack._ If they go, I go too, Dad.
_Dad._ Go, and good riddance to you.
_Jack._ If I go, I"ll never return.
_Dad._ Has anybody asked you to?
_Bob._ Wait a minute, Dad.
_Dad._ Let me alone, Bob. I"ll attend to this.
_Jessie (rushing to Jack)._ Jack! Jack! Wait!
_Dolly._ Come on, Belle! This is no place for us!
_Jack._ I"ll take her myself. _(Exits left with Belle)._
_Jessie._ Jack! Dad doesn"t know what he"s saying!
_Dad._ Who says I don"t know what I"m saying? Who says I"m not responsible for my own acts? Who says I have to be handled carefully? I"ll have you all understand--
_Jessie (clutching Dad)._ Don"t you see the girl"s nearly dead?
_Bill._ I"ll get out too _(To Dad.)_ Say Mister--_(Dad stares at him)._ You"re worse"n my stepfather! _(Exit with Dolly)._
_Jessie (hysterically)._ Dad! Dad! I beg you--have mercy. _(Flings herself sobing upon him)._
_Bob._ Really, Dad, you"re treating him pretty badly!
_Dad._ I haven"t asked your opinion, sir!
_Bob._ Well, I guess I"ll go with him!
_Dad._ As you please, sir! _(Bob exit. The Play-play begins to fade)._
_Will (in low voice)._ That"s as far as I"ve done. _(A pause.)_ It"s near the end. What do you think of it?
_Pegyy._ Why, Will, you know what I told you before--
_Will (in a voice of despair)._ That it"s all wrong! That I don"t know how to write a play. That I"ve got to do it all over!
_Peggy._ I never said that, Will. But I told you that you couldn"t put an audience through all those harrowing adventures, and then pile an unhappy ending on top. You simply can"t get away with such a proposition.
_Will._ But surely, I can"t have this play end happily!
_Peggy._ Where"s the law to prevent you?
_Will._ The law of truth prevents me.
_Peggy._ What do you mean? Couldn"t Dad forgive Jack?
_Will._ No!
_Peggy._ Why not?
_Will._ Because Dad hasn"t forgiven me.
_Peggy._ But Will, there are plenty of other Dads--and they aren"t all so heartless. You"ll simply have to choose another father for this play. You can"t write for your own satisfaction--you"ve got to think about the box-office.
_Will (leaping up and flinging out his hands)._ Oh, my G.o.d! The box-office! Have I got to slaughter my artistic instincts to feed the greed of a box-office? For G.o.d"s sake, Peggy, take this play and write it to suit the taste of Broadway! Or shall I tear up the darned stuff? _(Seizes Mss.)_
_Peggy (interfering)._ Will!