Opening Stage Directions: lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder not cosy and homelike heavy-looking, rather portentous man fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech rather cold woman her husband's social superior pretty girl very pleased with life attractive chap too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred young man-about-town not quite at ease half-shy, half-assertive pleased with themselves Act 1: men with important work... have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business squiffy one of the happiest nights of my life She's got a nasty temper sometimes - but she's not that bad really Chump! the one you wanted me to have? Daddy The Germans don't want war hard-headed, practical man of business unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable Just a knighthood, of course all mixed up together like bees in a hive a man has to look after his own business and look after himself sharp ring of a front door bell - SD [impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness] young woman Burnt her inside out, of course Suicide, of course I don't see where I come into this young woman young woman young women... Mr Gerald Croft - the son of Sir George Croft modestly celebrating Wouldn't you rather I was out of this? nothing... scandalous... not so far as I'm concerned wretched girl's suicide I can't accept any responsibility lively good looking girl A good worker too I refused, of course Did you say 'Why'? a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go You couldn't have done anything else He could it's better to ask for the earth than to take it Why shouldn't they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices I'd have let her stay brighten your ideas Mummy Run along [coming father in] how horrible! we'd have done the same thing What was she like? Quite young? Pretty? she had been pretty - very pretty settle it sensibly for you Rubbish! Do you know what happened no work, no money... no relatives lonely, half-starved... desperate [warmly] these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people for your benefit the child nasty mess you've made a nasty mess somebody's made of it respectable citizens and not criminals I felt rotten... now I feel a lot worse I was in a furious temper No... It was my own fault mother had been against it right type... just as I was the wrong type big dark eyes absolutely furious very impertinent But she was very pretty you used the power... to punish the girl If I could help her now, I would passed the annoyance on to her Let's leave it at that darling ? ? ? I don't come into this suicide business We can keep it from him