Jabez. Nonsense, man. Pull yourself together. It's deplorable, of course--a most distressing occurrence--but no reason for going without your dinner. What did I tell you, John? Charlie's too soft for this world.
Charlie (_raising head_). Don't you understand? I saw the lift crash down. I was there when they got out the poor, broken, mangled body from amongst the blood-stained splinters. I saw----
Jabez. Excuse me, Charlie, but I've just had my dinner. Kindly have the delicacy not to enter into, details.
Charlie. Very well. I--oh, I think I'll go home. Good night. (_Going._)
John. Wait a moment, Charlie. (_Charlie's hand is on the door-knob L._) We were just speaking about you. Hadn't we better thrash this matter out now, Jabez?
Jabez (_grimly_). I'm agreeable if Charlie is.
John. Sit down, Charlie. (_Charlie sits meanly on sofa._)
John. Well, it's like this. Jabez tells me he considers you're wasting your time. He doesn t call you lazy--not exactly lazy, do you, Jabez? He wants you to widen your interests and broaden your ideas. That's it, isn't it?
Charlie (_to Jabez_). Oh, that's it, is it?
Jabez. It's one way of putting it. I don't know whether it's laziness or what it is, but you certainly fight shy of a bit of honest work.
Charlie (_leaping up fierily_). Work? What else do I do from early morning when I enter the laboratory till late at night when I leave it?
Jabez (_smoothly_). Quietly, quietly. Yes, that's all very well, but that's not what I call work. Charlie. What do you call it then?
Jabez. It's not work to you. You like doing it. Charlie. I loathe it from the bottom of my Soul.
Charlie. Well, as you put me into the works you ought to be able to answer that better than I can. I'd no taste for the work at all, but the laboratory was the department I detested least. I suppose I naturally drifted to it.
Jabez. Look here, my lad, I asked you a plain question, and I'll thank you for a plain answer. Charlie. I thought I'd given you one.
Jabez. What made you choose the laboratory? Charlie. I thought I saw some shadowy hope of doing good there.
Jabez. Well, you've done a bit. I'll give you credit for that.
Charlie. Not that kind of good. That was accidental. I only hit by chance on the processes which happened to prove profitable to you.