CRILLY
God! I don't know what's to be done.
ALBERT
It's a matter of fifty tons.
_Albert turns round deliberately, leaving his father going through
the papers in desperate eagerness. Albert takes a cigarette from
behind his ear, takes a match-box from his waistcoat pocket, and
strikes a light. He goes towards door of apartments. Mrs. Crilly
rises_.
ALBERT
_(his hand on the handle of door)_ Well so-long.
MRS. CRILLY
Where are you going?
ALBERT
I'm leaving you to talk it over with the old man.
_Mrs. Crilly looks from Albert to Crilly_.
CRILLY
The Master has let himself in for something serious, Marianne.
ALBERT
It's a matter of fifty pounds. The old man has let the
Guardians pay for a hundred tons of coal when only fifty were
delivered.
MRS. CRILLY
Is that so, Crofton?
CRILLY
It looks like it, Marianne.
ALBERT
There were fifty tons of coal already in stores, but the
Governor didn't take them into account. That cute boy, James Covey,
delivered fifty tons and charged for the hundred. The old man passed
on the certificate, and the Guardians paid Covey. They helped him to
his passage to America. _(He opens door and goes through)_
MRS. CRILLY
They will dismiss him--dismiss him without a pension.
ANNA
Mother. If he gets the pension first, could they take it back
from him?
CRILLY
No. But they could make him pay back the fifty pounds in
instalments.
Pages:
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125