PHILIP. And me so young and promising.

DOROTHY. You’re nasty to go out tonight when we could stay and have a lovely evening like last night.

PHILIP. It’s the beast in me.

DOROTHY. But Philip, you could stay here. You can drink right here or do anything you want. I’ll be gay and play the phonograph. I’ll drink too, even if it gives me a headache afterwards. We’ll get a lot of people in if you want a lot of people. It can be noisy and full of smoke, and everything you like. You don’t have to go out, Philip!

PHILIP. Come here and kiss me!

[He holds her in his arms]

DOROTHY. And don’t eat onions, Philip. If you don’t eat the onions, I’ll feel surer of you.

PHILIP. All right. I won’t eat the onions. Have you any tomato catsup?

[There is a knock at the door. It is the RIFLE COMRADE again with the MANAGER]

RIFLE COMRADE. This comrade back here again!

PHILIP. Thank you, Comrade. Let him in.

[RIFLE COMRADE salutes and goes out]

MANAGER. Is just come tell you all right can take a joke, Mr. Philip. Is a sense of humor O.K.

[Sadly]

Is a food right now not to joke with. Neither is to spoil, maybe, if you think it over. But is all right. I take the joke.

PHILIP. Take a couple of tins of this.

[He gives him two tins of corned beef from the armoire]

DOROTHY. Whose beef is that?

PHILIP. Oh, I suppose it’s your beef.

MANAGER. Thank you, Mr. Philip. Is a good joke all right. Ha, ha. Expensive all right, yes, maybe. But thank you, Mr. Philip. Thank you, too, Miss.

[He goes out]

PHILIP. Look, Bridges.

[He puts his arms around her]

Don’t mind me if I’m stuffy tonight.

DOROTHY. Darling, all I want is for you to stay in. I want us to have some sort of home-life. It’s nice here. I could fix up your room and make it attractive.

PHILIP. It got a touch messy this morning.

DOROTHY. I’d fix it up so you’d like it to live in. You could have a comfortable chair and a bookcase, and a good reading light, and pictures. I could fix it really nicely. Please stay here tonight and just see how nice it is.

PHILIP. Tomorrow night.

DOROTHY. Why not tonight, darling?

PHILIP. Oh, tonight’s one of those restless nights when you feel you have to get out and buzz around and see people. And, besides, I have an appointment.

DOROTHY. At what time?

PHILIP. At a quarter past twelve.

DOROTHY. Then come back afterwards.

PHILIP. All right.

DOROTHY. Come in any time.

PHILIP. Really——?

DOROTHY. Yes. Please.