"(Arthur) Well, a very good dinner, Sybil!" "Tell cook from me." "Absolutely first class." "Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things!" "I'm treating Gerald like one of the family." " I'm sure he won't object." " Go on, Gerald." "Just you object." "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it." "I insist on being one of the family now." "I've been trying long enough, haven't I?" "Well, haven't I?" "You know I have!" "Of course she does!" "Yes, except for all last summer when you never came near me." " I've told you." "I was awfully busy" " Yes, that's what you say." "(Sybil) Sheila, stop teasing him." "When you're married, you'll realise that men with important work to do, sometimes have to spend all their time and energy on their business." "You'll get used to it." "Just as I had to." "I don't believe I will." "So you be careful." "Oh, I will, I will." "I'll never let business interfere with pleasure." "(Giggles)" " What's the joke, Eric?" " I don't know." "I suddenly felt I had to laugh." " I'm sure you're squiffy." " I tell you I'm not." " The words you girls pick up these days!" " If you think that's the best she can do." " (Sheila) Don't be a fool, Eric." " Stop it, you two." " Arthur, what about that toast?" " (Arthur) Oh, yes." "Well, here's wishing the pair of you the best that life can bring." "Gerald..." "Sheila." "Yes, Gerald." "Yes, Sheila, darling." "Our love and very best wishes." "Eric?" "What?" "Oh... yes, all the best." "She's got a filthy temper sometimes, but as a sister she's not bad, really." " Chump!" " Good old Sheila." "(Sheila) I can't drink to this, can I?" "When do I drink?" "You can drink to me." "All right, then." "I drink to you, Gerald." "Thank you." "And I drink to you and hope that I can make you as happy as you deserve." "You be careful or I'll start weeping." "Perhaps this will help you to stop it." "You've got it!" "Oh, it's the one I wanted!" "The very one." "Steady the buffs!" "It's wonderful." "Look, Mummy." "Isn't it a beauty?" "Now I really feel engaged!" "So you should." "It's a beautiful ring." "Take care of it." "I'll never let it out of my sight for an instant." "And I'll never let you out either, business or no business." "You know, I'm delighted about this engagement." "Take my word for it, when you two marry, you'll be marrying at a very good time." "A time of steadily increasing prosperity and progress." " I believe you're right." " Well, what about war?" "War?" "Fiddlesticks!" "The Germans don't want war!" "Nobody wants war!" "There's too much at stake these days!" "Everything to lose and nothing to gain!" " Yes, I know, but still there's" " I say there isn't a chance of war!" "When you're living in 1912, you've got to think like 1912." "Why, the world is developing so fast it'll make war impossible." "Yes, of course, dear." "Now, don't keep Gerald in here too long." "Eric, I want you a minute." "Sheila, dear, go on into the drawing room." "I want a private word with Eric." "All right, Mother." "It's about time someone had a word with him." "Poor old Gerald." "If only he knew." "Eric, don't mind what I'm going to say, but if I were you, I shouldn't have any more to drink tonight." "I'm perfectly all right, Mother." "Yes, of course." "I'm not saying you aren't." "But on a celebration like this, one gets excited." "Sometimes one doesn't notice how much one is taking." "I only had a couple of glasses, Mother." "I dare say!" "But that's quite enough for a boy of your age." "You're not used to it." "Look at your waistcoat." "You've spilled something on it." "Go upstairs and put on a clean one." "Yes, yes." "All right, Mother." "And be careful." "Don't..." "Don't, don't worry, Mother." "(Laughing)" " Have a cigar." " No, thank you." " Oh, well, help yourself." " Thank you." "There's something I'd like to mention." "I've got an idea that your mother, Lady Croft, while she doesn't, er, object to my girl, feels that you... well, you might be doing better for yourself socially." " Oh, no, sir." "I'm sure you'll..." " Oh, no, Gerald." "That's quite all right." "She comes of an old county family." "It's only natural." "But what I wanted to say is there's a fair chance of my getting into the next honours list." "Oh, I say!" "Congratulations!" "Oh, thanks, but it's a bit too early for that yet, so don't say anything." "But I've had a hint or two." "I gather there's a very good chance of a knighthood." "So long as we all behave ourselves and don't get into the police courts." "(Chuckles)" " What's that about police courts?" " (Arthur) Nothing!" "Just a little joke!" "Doesn't seem very funny to me." "I was just telling Gerald that now that he and Sheila are engaged, we must all behave ourselves." "No scandals." "No monkey business." "You seem a nice, well-behaved family to me." " (Arthur) Well, we think we are." " Mr. Birling." "Yes?" "My name's Poole." "Inspector Poole." "What's the meaning of this?" "There's a front door, you know!" "I wanted to talk to you." "I thought I'd find you here." "Very bright of you!" "People usually are in the dining room at dinner time!" "Oh, well, now you're here, where's the warrant?" " Oh, there's no warrant, Mr. Birling." " Well, what is it, then?" "I'd like some information if you don't mind." "Well, you'd better sit down." "Thank you." "Well?" "About two hours ago a young woman died in the infirmary." "She'd been removed there this afternoon after taking poison." "It's believed some strong disinfectant." "Oh, how horrible." " Yes." "Yes, it wasn't a pleasant sight." " Suicide?" "Well, that, of course, we don't know yet, for certain." "They did everything they could for her in the infirmary, but... she died." "Yes, yes." "Horrible." "Horrible." "But I don't understand why you've come here, Inspector?" "I've been round to her room." "She left a letter and some sort of diary." "Like a lot of young women who get into various kinds of trouble, she'd used more than one name." "But her original name, her real name, was Eva Smith." " Eva Smith?" " (Poole) Yes." " Do you remember her, Mr. Birling?" " No." "But I seem to remember having heard that name somewhere." "Eva Smith." "But it doesn't convey anything to me." "I don't see where I come into this, Inspector." "But she was employed in your works, Mr. Birling." "Oh, that's it!" "Well, of course!" "We've got several hundred young women there and they keep changing." "Ah, but this young woman, Eva Smith, was a bit out of the ordinary." "I found a photograph of her in her lodgings." "Perhaps... perhaps this will help you to remember." "Any reason why we shouldn't see this woman's photograph, Inspector?" "There might be." "You recognise her now, don't you, Mr. Birling?" "Yes!" "I remember her." "She was one of my employees." " When was this?" " Oh, a couple of years ago." "(Arthur) 'It must have been the autumn of 1910." "'About the time we opened our new machine shop." "'Yes, she was out of the ordinary." "'An intelligent, good-looking girl." "'In fact, the foreman told me he was ready to promote her 'to what they call a leading operator." "'Head of a small group of girls." "She had quite a bit of spirit.'" "(Laughs raucously)" "(Arthur) 'I didn't know then that she was a troublemaker.'" "It's only the girls in the light machine shop, isn't it?" " Not the whole boiling?" " Only the women, sir." " How many are coming up?" " A deputation of five, sir." " You'd better show 'em in." " Right, sir." "I understand you're dissatisfied with the money you're getting here." "Is that so?" " Yes, sir." " How much are they getting?" "They're averaging 22 shillings and 6p a week, sir." "That's the usual rate in the industry at present, isn't it?" "Yes, sir." "You see?" "How much do you think you ought to get?" " 25 shillings, sir." " Well, I'm sorry, but it can't be done." "Why can't it be done?" "Did you say, "Why can't it be done"?" "Yes." "I don't see why I should have to give you an explanation." " well, why are you seeing us, then?" " All right, I'll tell you." "If I agreed to your demands, costs would go up 10%." "And if costs went up 10%, prices would go up 10%, and we should be unable to sell our goods against our competitors." "If that happened, the factor would close and you'd be out of work." "Satisfied?" "No." "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to remain unsatisfied." "I've told you, we're paying the usual rates." "But what if you can't live on them?" "You'll have work somewhere else." "It's a free country, after all." "What's the use of that if you can't get work somewhere else?" "I'm sorry, but that's no concern of mine." " There'll be trouble, sir, I'm afraid." " Oh, you mean they'll strike?" "I'm sure of it, sir." " Just back from their holidays?" " Yes, sir." "Yes, well, it'll soon be over." "They'll all be broke." "As soon as they feel the pinch, they'll be crying to come back." " You'll take 'em back, sir?" " Yes, at the old rates." "I won't accept the ringleaders." "That girl, for instance." "She had far too much to say for herself." "Get rid of her." "So Eva Smith, together with four or five others, was discharged." " Is that why she killed herself?" " Don't be ridiculous, Eric!" "All this happened before you'd even started in the works." "Nearly two years ago." "It obviously had nothing to do with the wretched girl's suicide, Inspector." "I didn't say it was suicide." "Er... what are you suggesting?" "I'm not suggesting anything, Mr. Birling." "I'm merely trying to trace the facts, the chain of events that led to the death of this girl." "But good heavens, man, I can't accept any responsibility!" "If we were all responsible for everything that happened to people that we'd had anything to do with... well, it would be very awkward, wouldn't it?" "Oh, yes." "Very awkward." "In any case, I can't see you could've done anything else, sir." "Yes, he could." "He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out." " I call it tough luck." " Rubbish!" "If you don't come down sharply on them, they'll soon be asking for the earth!" "Why shouldn't they ask for higher wages?" "We try for the highest prices!" "I don't see why she was sacked because she had spirit!" "You said she was a good worker." "I'd have let her stay!" "Unless you brighten some of your ideas, you'll never be in a position to let anybody stay or to tell anybody to go!" "Well, Inspector, there's nothing more I can tell you." "I told the girl to clear out and she went." "That's the last I heard of her." "Have you got any ideas what happened to her after that?" "Get into trouble?" "Go on the streets?" "No." "No, Mr. Birling." "She didn't exactly go on the streets." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I didn't know you had someone with you." "Well, we'll be along in a minute." "We're finished here." "There's nothing else." " What's this?" " (Arthur) Nothing, Sheila." " Wait, please, Miss Birling." " Now, look here, Inspector!" "There's no reason why my daughter should be dragged into this unpleasant business." "(Sheila) What business?" "I'm a police inspector, Miss Birling." "This afternoon a young woman drank some poison and died in the infirmary." "After great suffering, I'm afraid." " How horrible." "Was it an accident?" " That's what we want to find out." "Yes, well, don't tell me the girl committed suicide just because I dismissed her from my employment about two years ago." " Well, did you?" " Yes I did." "She'd been causing trouble at the works." "I was quite justified." "I think you were." "I wish you hadn't told me." "What was she like?" "Yes, what was she like?" "(Poole) Quite young. 24." "(Sheila) And pretty?" "Not when I saw her today, Miss Birling, but she'd been pretty." "Very pretty." "I don't see that this inquiry gets you anywhere, Inspector." "It's what happened to her since she left Mr. Birling's works." " Obviously." " (Gerald) And we can't help you there because we don't know." "Are you quite sure you don't know?" "Are you suggesting that one of them had something to do with this girl?" "Yes." "So you didn't come here just to see me, then?" "No." "No, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you all a few more questions yet." "Well, I've told you all I know, so I'd be much obliged if you'd ask your questions and then clear out!" "(Arthur) We were having a nice family celebration here this evening." "A nastiness you've made of it, haven't you?" "It was not of my making, I assure you, Mr. Birling." "I don't understand, Inspector." "You talk as if we were responsible for this poor girl's death." "You seem to forget that we're respectable citizens and not criminals, you know." "Well, sometimes there isn't as much a difference as one would think." "Indeed, if it were left to me, I wouldn't know where to draw the line." "Fortunately, it isn't left to you, is it?" "Very fortunately." "I only have to make inquiries." "What happened to this girl after she left my father's works?" "She was out of work for a couple of months." "As you can imagine, she had a very distressing time." "Indeed, according to her diary, she came very near to starvation." "Oh, how terrible." "Then she had a wonderful stroke of luck." "She was taken on in a shop." "A good shop." "Millwood's." "Millwood's?" "Oh, we go there!" "In fact, I was there this afternoon for your benefit." "She enjoyed working there." "She liked being amongst pretty clothes." "It seems she felt that she was making a really fresh start." "But after two months, they told her she'd have to go." "Not doing her work properly?" "There was nothing wrong about the way she was doing her work." "They admitted it." "Well, there must have been something wrong." "No." "No, no, no." "All she knew was that a customer had complained about her and so she had to go." " When was this?" " The end of January last year." "What was this girl like?" "Well, if you'll come over here, Miss Birling, I'll show you." "What's the matter, Sheila?" "You knew it was me all the time, didn't you?" "Well, I had an idea it might be." "Did it make much difference to her?" "Yes, I'm afraid it did." "You see, that was the last really steady job she had." "So I'm really responsible?" "No, no, no." "I wouldn't go as far as that." "No more than your father, really." "What did you do, Sheila?" "What happened?" "I was in a filthy temper that afternoon." "I'd been out shopping with Mother." "She'd insisted on choosing everything for me as though I was still a schoolgirl." "But I needed a new hat, so we went to Millwood's." "I was determined to get my own way over that hat." "'The fact that I knew that Mother was right and I was wrong 'made me even more obstinate and pig-headed.'" " This is the one I like best." " No, dear." "It doesn't suit you at all." "Mother, you always say that when I choose something." "Surely I'm old enough to know what I want." "It's quite unsuitable." "The pink one was very much prettier." "It looked quite charming when the assistant had it on just now." "Why is it you girls always like things that are much too old for you?" "You need a hat like that to suit your baby face." "Still, if you think you know best, you'll have it, dear." "Only hurry up and make up your mind." "You can meet me in the tea lounge." "Miss Francis, I know it didn't look right." "I don't think I was wearing it properly." " Can you show me, please?" " Yes, Miss Birling." "If I may say so, I think it would look better like this." "Allow me." "No, I might disarrange your charming coiffure." "Eva, put it on, will you?" "Yes, I knew it was all right." "Well, give it to me." "Well, come along!" "All right!" "I won't have this hat or any other!" " Oh, but Miss Birling..." " I won't try on hats for your amusement!" "That girl was grinning her head off!" "Don't you teach them any manners?" " Eva, you weren't..." " No, I wasn't." "It isn't my fault." " I'll report you for impertinence!" " That's unfair!" "(Sheila) You know you were being insolent!" "(Eva) I'm sorry if I gave that impression, but I assure you..." "Miss Birling, is there anything wrong?" "Yes." "This girl has been abominably rude!" "If she's still here the next time I come, I'll walk straight out!" "And what's more, I'll ask my mother to close her account with you!" "It didn't seem anything very terrible at the time." "Of course, it wouldn't, Miss Birling, at the time." "Well, how could I know what it would lead to?" "If she'd been some miserable, plain little creature," "I don't suppose I would've done it." "She was very pretty and looked as if she could take care of herself." "In fact, in kind of a way, you might be said to have been jealous of her?" "Yes, I suppose I was." "But if I could help her now, believe me I would." "I'm sure you would, Miss Birling, but you can't." "It's a great pity." "She's dead." "It's a bit sick when you think of it." "Oh, I know, I know!" "I never done anything like that before." "And I'll never do it again to anybody." "Oh, why had this to happen?" "That's what we hope to find out before I leave here, Miss Birling." "So far, we've discovered that Eva Smith lost one job because she was sacked out of hand by your father." "Then she lost another one because... well, for reasons, which you've described, Miss Birling." "Now she had to start again." "She was anxious to dissociate herself from the past, so she changed her name to Daisy Renton." "What?" "I said she changed her name to Daisy Renton." "Well, Gerald?" "Well, what, Sheila?" "How did you come to know this girl?" "Eva Smith." " I didn't." " Or Daisy Renton." "It's the same thing." "Why should I have known her?" "You gave yourself away as soon as he mentioned her other name." "All right, I knew her." "Let's leave it at that." " I wish we could." " But, darling..." "No, it's no use!" "You not only knew her, you knew her very well." "Otherwise you wouldn't look so guilty about it." "When did you first get to know her?" "Was it after she left Millwood's?" "Were you seeing her last spring and summer when you hardly came near me and said you were busy?" " well, were you?" " I'm sorry, Sheila." "But the whole thing was over and done with last summer." "I haven't set eyes on the girl for at least six months." " We don't come into this business." " I thought I didn't half an hour ago." "Neither of us does." "For heaven's sake, don't say anything to the inspector." " About you and this girl?" " Yes." " He doesn't need to know." " But he knows." "Of course he knows." "And I hate to think how much he knows that we don't know yet." "For your sake." "(Sybil) Yes, I agree." "It's a very distressing story." "But I must say it seems an extraordinary coincidence that my husband and, as you tell us, Sheila, should both have come in contact with this girl." "As you say, Mrs. Birling, an extraordinary coincidence." "Of course, now we know why you're here, we shall only be too glad to answer any questions we can." " Thank you." " The rest of us have never met the girl." "So I doubt if we should be of any great help to you." " No, Mother, please." " Whatever's the matter, Sheila?" "I know it sounds silly, but I feel you're beginning all wrong." "You'll do or say something you'll be sorry for afterwards." "I don't know what you're talking about." "We all started like that." "So confident, so pleased with ourselves until he began asking us questions." "I don't understand about you." "I don't know much about inspectors, but I never imagined them like you." "You seem to have made a great impression on this child, Inspector." "We often do on the young ones." "They're more impressionable." "You're looking tired, dear." "I think you ought to go to bed." "I'm staying here until I know why that girl killed herself." "Morbid curiosity." "I don't suppose we can understand why she committed suicide." "Girls of that class!" "Mother, for your own sake, as well as ours, you mustn't..." "Mustn't what?" "Really, Sheila!" "You mustn't start building up a wall between us and that girl." "The inspector will just break it down." "It'll be all the worse when he does." "I don't understand you." "Do you?" "Yes." "Yes." "I'm afraid she's right." "That I consider a trifle impertinent, Inspector." "I realise that you have to conduct some sort of inquiry, but I must say that so far you seem to be conducting it in a rather peculiar and offensive manner." "You realise, of course, that my husband was Lord Mayor here only two years ago." "And that he's still a magistrate." "Mrs. Birling, the inspector knows all that." "As a magistrate, your husband will want to take a lively interest in this inquiry." "I'd be grateful for his help." "Will he be returning shortly?" "He's just talking to my son Eric, who seems to be in a silly, excitable sort of mood." " What's the matter with him?" " Eric?" "Oh, I'm afraid he may have had rather too much to drink tonight." "We were..." " Isn't he used to drinking?" " Of course not!" "He's only a boy." "We're all boys to our mothers, Mrs. Birling." "I'd say he's a young man." "And some young men drink far too much." "Are you insinuating that Eric is one of them?" "Mother, I'm the last person to say anything to hurt Eric." "But what's the use of blindly shutting our eyes to the facts?" " But his own sister..." " Eric drinks too much." "It's no help to him to pretend that he doesn't." "But it isn't true!" "Gerald, you know him." "You know it isn't true." "Well, Mr. Croft?" "Well, lately he has been drinking rather a lot, but..." "And this is the moment you choose to tell me." "I've been trying to persuade Eric to go to bed, but he won't." "Now he says that you told him to wait." "Did you?" "Yes." "Yes, I did." " Why?" " I want to talk to him." "Well, I suggest you do it now and get it over." " I'm sorry, I can't do that." " Now, look here..." "He must wait his turn." "I don't like your tone or the way you're conducting this inquiry!" "I don't propose to give you much more rope." "You needn't give me any rope, Mr. Birling." "(Sheila) Please, Father!" "Be careful!" "What is the matter with that girl?" "She's overexcited and behaving most stupidly." "Now, come along, Inspector." "What is it you want to know?" "As I told you, Eva Smith had to leave Millwood's because your daughter compelled them to discharge her." "After that, she stopped being Eva Smith and became Daisy Renton." "When did you first get to know her, Mr. Croft?" " Where did you get the idea I did?" " No, it's no use, Gerald." "All right." "I met her first sometime in March last year at the Palace Theatre." "Sheila, are you sure you want to hear this?" " Why don't you leave us?" " Because I want to understand." "Don't you see how important it is to both of us that I should understand?" "(Clock chimes)" " What's the matter, Mr. Croft?" " I'm sorry." "I suddenly realised..." "I'm taking it improperly that she's dead." "(Sheila) Probably between us, we killed her." "Don't talk nonsense!" "Go on." "You met her at the Palace Varlety Theatre." "I'd seen the only act I wanted to see, and that was bad, so I went down to the bar to get a drink." "The Palace bar has, I understand, an unsavoury reputation." "Yes, it's the favourite haunt of..." "of women of a certain sort." ""Women of a certain sort"?" "Here in Brumley?" "Yes, Mrs. Birling." "I'm afraid that even Brumley is not entirely free from... from that sort of thing." "It'd be better if Sheila didn't listen to this." "I'm determined to listen to it, Mother." "I explained why." "Go on, Gerald." "You went down into the bar... (Chatting)" "(Orchestra plays)" "(Raucous laughter)" "Kiss me." "(Music drowns speech)" "(Applause and cheering)" "I take it you're not a friend of Jo Meggarty?" " Jo Meggarty?" " No, obviously not." "That was the amorous gentleman you were talking to." "He didn't seem a horrible man before." "He just came and sat down." "How on earth did you get in such a place?" "I came to see the manager about a job." "He told me to wait there." "Ah, and the manager didn't come?" " No." "Do you know him?" " Slightly." "Would you like me to try and find him for you?" " Yes, please. would you?" " Are you sure you want a job in there?" "No." "No, not in there." "Selling programmes or something, I think it was." "Ah, I see. well, you stay here and I'll try and find him for you." "What's the matter?" " Nothing." "I'm all right." " Come and sit down." " Are you ill?" " No, I'm all right." "It's just..." "I think I may be a tiny bit faint." "I didn't get any tea." " How many meals have you had today?" " Oh, I've had a lot of meals." "What did you have for lunch?" " What did you have for dinner?" " I had dinner all right." "What?" "What?" " well, I..." " You had no dinner." "Come on now." "Be honest." "You had no dinner, did you?" " No, I suppose not, really." " And breakfast?" " Oh, yes." "I had breakfast." " What?" " I had a cup of tea." " A cup of tea?" "Here." "Take my arm." "Oh." "Thank you." " Where are you taking me to?" " Come on." "That was wonderful." " What would you like now?" " Nothing, thank you." " A ice?" " No, thank you." " Coffee?" " No, I couldn't." "The bill, please, waiter." "You must have been a bad character to get sacked from both your jobs so quickly." "Perhaps I was." "No, I don't think I was." "I'm sure you weren't." "It was just bad luck." " Perhaps it was." " What did you do, then?" "Oh, nothing very much." "A few odd things." "I managed." "Were you born in Brumley?" "No, I was born in the country." "My father worked on a farm." "I lived there till I was 15." "I loved it there, the country." " Why did you leave?" " I wanted to better myself." "(Giggling)" "(Yawns)" "Oh... oh, I'm so sorry." "I don't know why I feel so sleepy." "It's horrid of me when you've been so nice to me." "Not a bit." "It's the food and the wine." "I'll see you home." " Oh, it doesn't matter though." "Really." " Oh, yes, it does." "We don't want any more Alderman Meggartys!" "Come on." "I've never been in a cab before." "Well, when you're a very old lady, you'll be able to tell your grandchildren." "March 18th, 1911." "You'll say, "That's the day I travelled in a cab."" "(Giggles) With the famous Gerald Croft." "Lord Croft of Brumley by then." "Rosoman Street, sir." "Any particular number?" " What number, Daisy?" " Oh, this'll do beautifully." "Good night, Gerald, and thank you." "I was going to see you to your door and I meant it." "Which house is it?" " Don't bother." "I'm all right." " I insist on bothering." "I don't leave a lady in the street in the middle of the night." "What is the number?" "Well, I don't really live in Rosoman Street itself." "It's just around the corner." "Good night." "I said I was going to see you to your front door." " will you wait there, cabbie?" " Right-o, sir." "(Train whistles)" " Is this the corner?" " No, the next one." " Gerald, don't come with me." " But why not?" " well..." " Daisy, tell me the truth." "Well I..." "I don't really exactly live anywhere at the moment." "I was hoping to stay with a friend of mine." "I was turned out of my room." "I couldn't pay the rent." "I was hoping to stay with a girl I know." "It's too late now." "I can't wake up the house at this time of night." "But I'll be perfectly all right." "It'll be getting light soon and..." "I'll just walk around." "Thank you, Gerald." "Goodbye." " will you wait a moment, please, cabbie?" " Right, sir." "I'll tell you what is going to happen." "We live, my family and I, in the country about 15 miles out, so I keep a little flat here in Brumley." "It's yours until you get fixed up with another place." "When I say yours, I mean yours." "I shan't arrive unless I'm invited." " You really mean that?" " Yes." "What do you say?" "Cabbie, will you drive to 7, Arkwright Terrace, please?" "That, Madam, is, I think, all I need to tell you about this... desirable residence." "It has constant cold water and ever modern inconvenience!" "(Giggling)" "Ah, yes, the keys." ""A" is for this door here and "B" is for the door downstairs." "Here are two sovereigns for housekeeping money." "Oh, but I couldn't." "The flat must be kept up to its accustomed style of living." "Now, go and get 12 hours' sleep." "You might consider the possibility of three meals a day, not forgetting tea!" "(Giggling)" "But where can I find you?" "Will you be coming here tomorrow?" "Yes, we'll have dinner together." "I'll be here at seven sharp." "Thank you." "Good night." "Good night." "(Knocking on door)" "Miss Daisy Renton, I believe?" "Quite right." "Would you be Mr. Gerald Croft?" "Not if I could possibly be anyone else." "Can't talk until I get rid of this." " What is it?" " You'll see." "Chicken, ham, fruit." "Everything." "Oh, and a bottle of wine." "Now, plates." "Hello." "What's this?" "I thought we'd eat here, too." "But this is wonderful!" "We can have two courses!" "A banquet!" "You know what you've forgotten?" "Corkscrew." "(Giggles)" "(♪ Classical music plays)" "(Vinyl crackles)" "(Clock pings)" "My hat!" "Look at the time!" "I've got to go." "I shall only just catch that last train." "I have to run for it." "Good night, Daisy." "Good night." "And so she became your mistress?" " It was inevitable." " (Poole) Were you in love with her?" "I object to my daughter, young and unmarried, being drawn into this affair!" "Your daughter isn't living on the moon, Mother." "She's here in Brumley." "Were you in love with her?" "It's hard to say." "I suppose I didn't feel about her the way she did about me." "No, of course not." "You were the wonderful fair prince." "You must have adored it, Gerald." "Yes, I admit it." "I did for a time." "Almost any man would have." "That's about the best thing that anyone's said here tonight." "At least it's honest." "Thank you, Gerald." "Is there anything else you ought to know, Inspector?" "I don't think we want any more details of this..." "disgusting affair." "I'm afraid I do, Mrs. Birling." "I'll have to know the rest of the story, Mr. Croft." "It proceeded along more conventional lines." ""Conventional"?" "There were no incidents." "She would never accept much money." "We were never seen together in Brumley." "She insisted on that." "'I saw her pretty frequently at the flat until the end of last summer.'" "(Keys clinging)" " Have you been out somewhere, darling?" " Yes." "Theatre." " Was it good?" " It was all right." "What did you do today?" "Daisy, I don't know how to tell you this, but I've simply got to talk to you." "No, don't you talk." "It's impossible for you." "Let me do the talking." "Just tell me if I go wrong." " Daisy, this isn't fair." " No, leave it to me." "This has got to end." "It's wrong for both of us." "It's better." "You were never really in love with me, you know, just..." "Just sorry for me and that's not quite the same thing." "And perhaps I was never really in love with you." "Just very grateful." "I've always known it would have to end, so it's no shock." "Even when we were happiest together having fun," "I was always a little unhappy underneath because I knew it would have to end." "The only thing I didn't know was when!" "Daisy, I..." "Have you found someone else?" " Yes." " Well, then I must leave tomorrow." "You don't have to go as quickly as..." "No, I'll go tomorrow." "She might find out I was here." " I'll go as soon as I possibly can." " Please stop it, Daisy." "I know you're only tring to make it easier for me, but... it's horrible." " I'll leave some money for you." " I don't need any money." "Please take it." "I couldn't bear it if you didn't." "It's something to keep you going until you get a decent job." "Oh, don't worry about me." "I'll get a job." " Are you sure?" " Yes, I'm quite sure." "Goodbye, Gerald." "Please go quickly now." "No, no." "Please." "(Door shuts)" "(Sobs)" "That's all I can tell you." "Thank you, Mr. Croft." "That's all I want from you." "If you'll excuse me, I'd be glad if you'd let me go." " Go where?" "Home?" " No, I'd like to walk around a bit." " Certainly, Mr. Croft." " Gerald." "I think you'd better take this." " I see." " Oh, don't misunderstand me." "I don't dislike you as I did half an hour ago." "In fact, in some odd way I rather respect you more than I've ever done before." "But this has made a difference." "You and I aren't the same people who sat down to dinner here." "We have to get to know each other all over again." "Now, Sheila, I'm not defending him, but you must understand that a lot of young men..." "No, Father, please." "Gerald knows what I mean." "Yes, I know what you mean." "But I'm coming back, if I may." "You may." "Well, let's hope that disposes of the unfortunate girl." "I'm afraid not quite, Mrs. Birling." "You never showed that photograph to Gerald, Inspector." "It wasn't necessary." " Is that a photograph of the girl?" " Yes." "I think you'd better have a look at her." " Do you recognise her?" " No, why should I?" "You mean you don't choose to?" "I meant what I said." "Hmm?" "You're not telling me the truth, Mrs. Birling." "I beg your pardon!" "Now, look here, Inspector." "I won't have this." "I'm a public man." "I suggest that public men have responsibilities as well as privileges." "Yes, but you weren't told to come here to talk to me about my responsibilities!" "Let's hope not, but I'm beginning to wonder." "Does that mean anything, Shelia?" "It means that we've no excuse now for putting on airs." "Father threw this girl out because she asked for decent wages." "(Arthur) I did no such thing!" "I sacked her because she was a troublemaker!" "(Sheila) I pushed her further out because I was in a bad temper and she was pretty." "Gerald gives her the earth and drops her as soon as it suits him." "Now you're pretending you don't recognise her photograph!" "Oh, I admit I know why you should, but I know that you did from the way you look!" "Can't you see you're making it worse?" " That was the door again." " Gerald must've come back." " Unless your son has just gone out." " Well, I'll go and see." "Mrs. Birling, you are a member, a very prominent member, of the Brumley Women's Charity Organisation, aren't you?" "Yes, I am." "An organisation to which women in distress may appeal for help?" "Yes, we've done a great deal of work in helping deserving cases." "There was a meeting of the Interviewing Committee two weeks ago?" "I daresay there was." "You know very well there was." "You were in the chair." "And if I was?" "What business is it of yours?" " Was it Eric?" " It must have been." " (Sybil) Did you go up to his room?" " Yes, and I called out on both landings." " He must've gone out." " Silly boy." "Where to?" "I can't imagine." "He was in one of his excitable moods." " Anyway, we don't need him here." " Oh, but we do need him here." " well, he's probably gone to cool off." " I'm sure he'll be back soon." " You're sure?" " Reasonably sure." " He'll be back." " I hope so." "Why should you hope so?" "I'll explain that when you've answered my questions, Mrs. Birling." "Mr. Croft told us, quite truthfully, I believe, that he hadn't spoken to or seen Eva Smith for six months." "But Mrs. Birling spoke to her and saw her only two weeks ago." " Mother did?" " Is this true?" "Yes, quite true." " She came to your organisation for help." " Yes." " And you gave it?" " No." "Why?" "Why, Mrs. Birling?" "She told me a ridiculous, incredible story." "An obvious lie." "Also, she was grossly impertinent." " (Poole) Impertinent?" " Yes." "That was one of the reasons that prejudiced me against her case." " You admit being prejudiced against her?" " Yes." "Mother, she's died a horrible death." "I'm very sorry." "I think she had only herself to blame." "Was it due to your influence in the committee that help was refused this girl?" "Possibly." "Come now, Mrs. Birling." "Was it or was it not your influence?" "Yes, it was." "I didn't like her manner." " Why did she ask for help?" " You know very well why." "No, I don't." "As I wasn't there, I don't know why she asked it from your committee." "I don't think we need discuss it." "You have no hope of not discussing it, Mrs. Birling." "If you think you can bring any pressure to bear upon me, you're very much mistaken!" "Unlike the other three, I've done nothing that I'm ashamed of or that won't bear investigation." "This girl asked for assistance." "We are required to look carefully into the claims made upon us." "I wasn't satisfied with this girl's claim." "It seemed to me that she was not a good case, so I used my influence to have it refused." "In spite of what's happened since, I still think that I did my duty." "So if I don't choose to discuss it any further, you have no power to make me change my mind!" "I'm afraid I have that power, Mrs. Birling." "No, you have not!" "Simply because I've done nothing wrong and you know it." "If you've done nothing wrong, why are you afraid to discuss it, Mrs. Birling?" "How dare you say I'm afraid!" "In the circumstances, I consider I was perfectly justified." "The girl told us a pack of lies." "She made me lose all patience with her." "She claimed elaborate, fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in that position." "She gave herself ridiculous airs!" "She'd no ridiculous airs when I saw her last." "In the infirmary." "Come now, Mrs. Birling." "Let us have some facts." "Facts, please!" "There was a committee meeting to which this girl appealed for help." " Isn't that so?" " Yes." "Under what name?" "Not as Eva Smith?" " No." "Nor as Daisy Renton." " As what, then?" "Mrs. Birling." " What did you say?" " Pardon?" " You called yourself Mrs. Birling." " I'm sorry?" "That's not your husband's name, is it?" " No." " But you knew that it is mine?" "No!" "Did you come here for the purpose of being impertinent?" "No." "It was the first name I thought of." "I worked at Birling's once." "What is your husband's name?" "I can't say." "You can't say?" "In fact, you're not married at all, are you?" "No." "So your whole story about a husband who deserted you is quite false, isn't it?" "Yes." "A tissue of lies." "Have you tried to get work?" " I can't get work." " (Member) Why not?" "I can't say." "If you don't confide in us, we can't help you, can we?" " Now, why can't you work?" " I'm going to have a baby." "Oh... come along, my dear." "You must sit down." "There are plenty of chairs." " Sit down now." " Thank you, ma'am." "There are certain circumstances in which it is prudent to be seated as much as possible." "May we now proceed, Mrs. Livson?" "Oh, do." "Do." "Now, this man." "Why must you lie about him?" " I didn't want to bring him into it." " (Sybil) Why not?" "He didn't mean any harm." "He was just silly and wild." "Sometimes he drank too much." "Why don't you make him marry you?" "He should be compelled to marry you." "It isn't that he won't marry me." "We couldn't." "We're not of the same class." "This is ridiculous." "A girl in your position can't afford these fine airs and scruples." "You don't mind coming begging for charity." "Why not go to this drunken, young idler?" "Make him support you." "He did." "He gave me money." "And now he won't give you any more?" "He would, but I can't take it." "And so this young ne'er-do-well, because of your highfalutin notions, is to escape the consequences of his actions and shift his responsibility on to a charitable organisation such as this." "I think the members of this committee will agree with me that it would be monstrous to recommend the expenditure of funds in such a way." "In my opinion, he should be publicly exposed." "If you want help, young woman, go to him." "So I think I was justified in advising my committee not to allow her claim." "And you still think that?" "I'm sorry she should have come to such a horrible end, but I accept no blame for it at all." "Tell me who... who do you say is to blame, then?" "First, the girl herself." "By letting Father and me have her chucked out of her jobs?" "Secondly, I blame the young man." "He ought to be dealt with very severely." "If the girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him." " Ah, then he's the chief culprit." " (Sybil) Certainly." "He's responsible for the whole thing." "The girl's death." "Everything." "He ought to be dealt with very severely." " Mother, please stop!" " You're behaving like a hysterical child." "And if you would find this young man, make him admit his responsibilities, instead of asking unnecessary questions, then you would be doing your duty." "Don't worry, Mrs. Birling." "I'll do my duty." " Now perhaps you'd like to say goodnight." " Not yet." "I'm waiting." "Waiting?" "For what?" "To do my duty." "Now, Mother, can't you see?" "Are you suggesting that... my boy...?" "If it was, Mrs. Birling, we know what to do." "You just told us." "Yes, but..." "look here, Inspector." "Mother, I begged and begged you to stop." "I don't believe it." "I won't believe it." " Come in, Mr. Birling." " What?" " I think I heard your son come in." " I didn't hear anything." "(Poole) Ah, yes." "There he is." "(Sybil) Eric." " You know, don't you?" " (Sybil) I don't know anything." "Not any more." "Mother's been blaming the young man who got this girl into trouble." "Saying he shouldn't escape and should be made an example of." "(Arthur) That's enough." "You haven't made it any easier for me." "You're not like that." "Mother, what's the use of pretending?" " (Arthur) If you had any loyalty..." " Don't talk to Sheila like that." " Hold your tongue!" "I've had about enough." " One moment, please." "You'll have plenty of time to adjust family relationships after I've gone." "Now, Mr. Birling, I'd like to ask your son about his association with Eva Smith." "Sheila, take your mother into the dining room." " Father, I want to hear..." " You heard what I said." "Go on, Sybil." "Could I have a drink first?" " No, you don't!" " Yes." "I know, I know, this is your house and he's your son, but look at him." " This is one time he needs a drink." " All right." "Go on." "Now, when did you first meet this girl?" "It was one night last winter." "I'd been out with some of the chaps." "I was a bit squiffy." "I..." "It was late, but I didn't want to go home." "So for some reason, I don't know why, I got on a tram." "Never mind about trams!" "Go on!" "Fares, please." "Fares, please." "(Tram bell rings)" " Fares, please." " How much?" " It depends on how far you're going." " Not too far." "We mustn't overdo it." "You're the one that's been overdoing it." "We'll call it tuppence, then." "Yes." "Yes, that's very reasonable." "Here you are and I want 19 and tenpence change." "Well, I haven't got 19 and tenpence." "Stop trying to make a fool of me." "I've had a long day." "Either pay your fare or get off my tram." "I am trying to pay my fare." "You won't let me." "I'm putting you off the next stop." "Fares, please." "Well, I tried to..." "Two tuppennies." "I'll pay his fare." "You know, that was extraordinarily kind of you." "If I give you this..." "No, I haven't got 19 and tenpence change either." "It doesn't matter." "Well, of course it matters." "It's these little things that do matter." " By the way, where are we?" " Turning into Alma Bridge Road." "This is where I get out." "So do I. I always get out somewhere on Alma Bridge Road." "That's just silly!" "(Giggles)" "I insist." "This is the only place open and here I can get change and pay my debt." "And I have no doubt..." "I have no doubt that we shall find something very delicious to eat." "You're hungry, I'm hungry." " Are you hungry?" " Yes." "Yes, well, everbody's hungry." "Except him." "Hello, my good friend." "I want to see if I got this shipping order right." "Now, let's have it again." "A tall and a middle twice." "Two tails and a middle." "Two pennyworth of chips four times and here's your money." "Now, what's yours?" "Good night, princess." "I shall have eight pennyworth of them both." "That guarantees me the right kind of change." ""Birling the businessman," they call me." " Are you one of the Birlings?" " Eric, of that ilk." " I worked there once." " Did you?" "I work there now." "Well, what happened to you?" " I got the sack." " Hmm, they didn't have a sack for me." "And I'm so bored all day that I have to go out with the boys at night, otherwise I'd go barmy." "Unless I am barmy and I just don't know it." "(Shop owner) Here you are." "Ah, your tuppence!" "Thank you very, very much." "With the compliments of E. Birling Esq., some delicious chish and fips!" " And now, I shall see you home." " No..." "I shall see you home!" "Good night, monsieur le restaurateur!" "Well, I'd say you are barmy." "Well, this is it." "Well, if you don't mind me saying so, I don't think much of it." "Neither do I." "Now, you go home like a good boy." "Good night." "But I'm not a good boy." "I'm a bad boy." "Eric, or little by little." "Well, give me a kiss." "Then I'll go home." "(Sighs)" "All right, then." "Just one." "Now, off you go." "You'll get wet through." "You know, you've disappointed me." "(Sobs) I'm very, very sad." "You really must go home." "I'll tell you a secret." "I daren't go home." "Not yet." "I must sober up first." "I really ought to have something to eat." "Because I'm very hungry and it's cold and I'm tired and... it's wet." "A nice girl wouldn't turn a dog away on a night like this." "All right, then." "But do be good." "Try to be sensible." "(Whispers) Shh." "I won't breathe." " And so you stayed for an hour or two?" " Yes." "And then you met her again." "In fact, you met her lots of times!" "Until one night she told you that something had happened." "Yes." "What did she tell you had happened?" "Oh, for heaven's sake, leave me alone!" "All of you!" "Eric, what's the matter?" "Eric!" "Oh, don't you start on me, too!" " Eric!" " Oh, stop it!" "I tell you!" "All of you!" "(Arthur) What did she tell you?" "Come on, boy!" "Out with it!" "What is it, Eric?" "(Eva) 'No, I couldn't be mistaken." "I'm sorry, Eric, but I'm quite sure.'" "I'm glad you said that." "I was hoping you would." "But I can't marry you, Eric." "It wouldn't be right." "You see, you don't love me." "You were lonely and so was I." "That's all it ever amounted to." "No, I don't know what I'm going to do." "But you haven't got any money." "How?" "Oh, promise me you won't do anything silly." "I know you don't want to let me down, but you mustn't do anything stupid." "(Door creaks open)" " Oh, hello, boy." "Got no work to do?" " Yes, I have, Father... well, you'd better get on with it, hadn't you?" "I wanted to talk to you about something." "I'm very busy just now." "Can't it wait?" " It's rather urgent, I'm afraid." " Well, well, what is it?" "I wanted to ask you for a rise, Father." "A rise?" "Good heavens, boy!" "You're getting 30 bob a week!" "What more do you want at your age?" "I'm 25." "Other chaps my age get more than that." "Gerald, for instance." "Gerald's a good deal older and a good deal more responsible." "I don't like to see young men having a lot of money to waste." " I can't manage on it, Father." " Can't manage on it?" "You've got nothing to spend it on." " You live at home." "You have everything." " I've got debts." "Debts?" "Debts?" "Well, I'll tell you something." "I'm not going to pay your debts or anybody else's." "Save up and pay your own debts." "Or tell whoever you owe the money to to whistle and wait for it." " It's a matter of honour, Father." " Oh, so that's it, is it?" "A debt of honour?" "Betting, horses, eh?" "Well, I'll tell you something else." "I'm not going to hand over this firm's money to a lot of bookmakers!" "You've got into this mess and you'll get out of it." "And it'll teach you a good lesson." "We'll talk about that rise when you've learned a bit of common sense." "(Door slams shut)" "well?" "Come on." "Out with it!" "I was the father of the child, so... it was up to me to stand by her as best I could." "(Arthur) What did you do?" "I gave her some money, as I said I would." "How much?" "I suppose about £50, all told." " £50?" "Where did you get £50 from?" " From the office, Father." " From my office?" " Yes." "You stole it!" "No, I collected accounts in cash without a carbon copy receipt in the book." " Pocketed the money!" "Pinched it!" " Not really." " I intended to pay it back." " And you will pay it back." "You'll pay it back if you work for nothing for the rest of your life!" "£50!" "I've a very good mind to give you in charge!" "I'm not sure it rests with you, Mr. Birling." "Your son may have committed a criminal offence." "Criminal..." "You mean...?" "Police courts?" "Papers?" "No, Inspector!" "No!" "That's scarcely your attitude of a few minutes ago, Mrs. Birling." "(Arthur) Why didn't you come to me when you found yourself in this mess?" "You're the last person anyone could go to in trouble." "Your trouble is that you're being spoiled!" "You can divide the responsibility between you after I've gone." "Now, the girl knew that the money you were giving her was stolen, didn't she?" "Yes." "Yes, that was the worst part." "She wouldn't take any more and she didn't want to see me again." " How did you know that?" "Did she tell you?" " No." "No, I never spoke to her." " She told Mother." " Sheila!" "Well, he has to know." "She told you?" "Well, did she come here?" "Don't just stand there. tell me!" "I'll tell you." "She applied to your mother's committee for help." "Your mother refused that help." "Then you killed her." "She came to you to protect me and you turned her away." "You killed her." "And the child!" "My child!" "You killed them both!" "Eric, please." "I didn't understand." "You don't understand anything." "You never did!" "Oh, Eric, don't!" "Please." "Inspector, is there bound to be an inquiry?" "Or... can all this be forgotten?" "People have short memories, Mr. Birling." "I'm not likely to forget it." "No." "No, I don't think you will." "You needn't look at me." "I know I shan't." "I started it." "Oh, no." "No, I don't think we can quite say that you started it, Miss Birling." "Can we, Mr. Birling?" "Inspector, I would..." "I'd give thousands." "Yes, thousands." "You're offering money at the wrong time, Father." "It isn't only Eva Smith, Father." "It's all the other Eva Smiths." "The things we do to people without realising it." "Only for once we've seen the consequences." "Yes, I was rather hoping one of you would say something like that." "I suppose if we all knew the consequences beforehand, we'd all be a bit more careful, eh, Mrs. Birling?" "But it's a pity that so often something horrible has to happen before we see some things at all, hmm?" "Do you know that not one of you is the same person that you were when I first came here tonight?" "Well, now..." "I wonder where I left my hat." "I think I saw it in the dining room, Arthur." "Yes, that's right." "Thank you, Mrs. Birling." "Thank you." " Eric..." " Sheila, please." "I don't think I can stand any more tonight." "I only want to say how sorry I am about you and that girl." "Thank you." "We've never been much of a brother and sister before, have we?" "Things change, I suppose." "I can change." "Stop drinking." "Take my punishment over the money." "Try and pay it back somehow." "Nobody really cares about the money any more." "It's you I'm thinking of." "Don't let it make you feel bitter about Father and Mother." "Don't let it, Eric." "All right." "But you mustn't feel like that about Gerald either." " I don't any longer." "Not really." " Because he's in love with you." "And you are with him, aren't you?" "I was very much, but... after hearing about him and that girl..." "That doesn't matter." "Gerald's all right." "I know he puts on the grand Croft manner sometimes, but he's all right behind it all." " You know that, don't you?" " Yes." "(Horses trotting)" "Good evening, Mr. Croft." "Oh, it's you, Sergeant." "Good evening." "Everything all right, sir?" "Yes." "Yes, everything's fine." "Taking a stroll before I turn in." " Looks like a change in the weather, sir." " Yes. well, I'd better be going." "By the way, Sergeant, what sort of a fellow is this Inspector Poole?" "Poole?" "Which division, sir?" "Well, here in Brumley." "There's no Inspector Poole in Brumley, sir." " Are you certain?" " Positive, sir." "You couldn't be mistaken?" "There couldn't be a new man transferred that you didn't know about?" "Impossible, sir." "I'd have heard of it down at the station." "No, you can rest assured there is no Inspector Poole in Brumley." "Thank you, Ransom." "Good night." "Good night, sir." "(Knocking on door)" " Is the inspector still here?" " What inspector?" " You don't know, do you?" " They're in the dining room, sir." "Goodbye, Mrs. Birling." "Goodbye, Miss Birling." " Good night, Mr. Croft." " Just a moment, Inspector." "Something has happened." "I must speak to Mr. and Mrs. Birling." "Do you mind waiting?" "Not at all, Mr. Croft, but it won't make any difference, you know." " Where would you like me to wait?" " Wait?" "Er... well..." " would you mind waiting in my study?" " Certainly." "(Poole) Thank you, Mr. Birling." "(Arthur) will you take a seat?" "I don't think we shall keep you more than a few moments." " (Arthur) You know something?" " That man isn't a police officer!" " What?" " Are you certain?" " Absolutely." " But how did you find out?" "I met a policeman I know and I asked him about the inspector." "He swore there was no Inspector Poole on the force." " By jingo!" "A fake!" " Yes." "I knew a real inspector would never have spoken to me like that." "Yes." "Look at the way he talked to me too, ordering me about in my own house." "He must've known I was an ex-Lord Mayor and a magistrate." "I mean, real inspectors just don't talk like that." "You were right." "He wasn't real." "There's no such inspector." "We've been had." " I just can't believe it." " (Gerald) There's no doubt about it." "But this makes a difference, you know." "I suppose we're all nice people now?" "If you've got nothing more sensible to say, you'd better keep quiet!" " She's right, though." " And you'd better keep quiet anyhow!" "You'd better know, Gerald, I stole some money." "(Arthur) And you'll pay it back." "It's what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters!" "Eric's right." "Just remember what that inspector said." " But he's not an inspector!" " Well, he inspected us all right." "What do you make of this business now?" "(Arthur) There are people in this town who dislike me enough to arrange a put-up job of this sort." "What on earth are you doing?" " I'm going to phone the police." " Idiot!" "Give me that." "If the man's an impostor, we'd better have him arrested." "You keep out of this." "And keep the police out too." "Anyway, he can't escape without coming out here." " The windows?" " (Arthur) Impossible." "They're barred." "Just a moment." "I'm sorry, Inspector." "We shan't keep you much longer." "Now, we've got him!" "All we have to do is to settle quietly amongst ourselves what to do and the best way to deal with him." "We've established he's an impostor." "It's the same rotten story whether we told it to an inspector or somebody else!" "It makes all the difference between a lot of stuff like this coming out in private and a public scandal!" "Scandal?" "What does a scandal matter?" "The girl's dead and we all helped to kill her." "But did we?" "Who says so?" "There's no real evidence that we did." " There is!" " No, there isn't." "Just think." "A man comes here pretending to be a police officer." "Now, what does he do?" "Very artfully, working on information he's picked up here and there, he bluffs us into confessing that we've been mixed up in this girl's life." " And so we have." " But how do we know it's the same girl?" " We all admitted it." " No, we didn't." "We admitted something to do with a girl, but how do we know it's the same girl?" "By the photograph." "How do we know it's the same photograph?" "He was careful Eric and I shouldn't see the one he showed to your father." "Now, just think back." "Did any two of us look at the same photograph at once?" " (Arthur) No." " Well, no." " No." " (Gerald) Precisely." "There's no proof it was the same." "Therefore, no proof it was the same girl." "There isn't the slightest proof that this Daisy Renton was really Eva Smith." "We've only got his word for it." "He may have been lying all the time." "There were probably four or five different girls." "That doesn't matter to me." "The one I knew is dead." " well, we can soon settle that." " Oh?" "How?" "By ringing the infirmary." "Hello. will you get me the infirmary?" "It's urgent." "No, I don't know the number." "Either there's a dead girl there or there isn't." "And if there isn't?" "Well..." "Hello?" "Is that the infirmary?" "Yes, this is Mr Gerald Croft speaking of Croft's Limited." "We are rather worried about one of our employees." "Have you had a girl brought in this afternoon who committed suicide by drinking disinfectant, or any suicide?" "Yes, I'll wait." "Yes?" "You're certain of that?" "I see." "Thank you very much." "Goodbye." "No girl has died there today." "They haven't had a suicide in months." "What a relief!" "Gerald, my boy, pour us out some drinks at once." " To think that it's all over." " Is it?" "(Chuckles) well, isn't it?" "We've just been had, that's all." "So nothing's really happened?" "Just because it didn't end tragically, there's nothing to be sorry for?" "Nothing to learn?" "We can all go on behaving just as we did?" "Well, why shouldn't we?" "We all began to learn something, but now you're ready to go on the same old way." "Oh, and you're not, eh?" "No." "Because I remember what he said and how he made me feel." "It frightens me the way you talk." "It frightens me too." "Just look at them!" "The famous younger generation who know it all." "And they can't even take a joke!" "I tell you, whoever that inspector is, as long as I live, I shall never forget him." "By Jove!" "I'd forgotten all about him!" "Oh, good gracious!" "Now, Arthur, what do you think we'd better do?" " We don't want any fuss or scandal." " (Arthur) Leave it to me." "We'll just give him a fright and send him away with a flea in his ear." "After all, you know, we owe him the right." "Now, look here." "I want to have a few straight words with you." "(Phone rings)" "One or two facts have come my way, Mr. So-called Inspector." "It's my turn to ask you a few questions." "I don't think you're going to like them." "Father, you're wanted on the telephone." "Just a minute." " Mr. Birling speaking." " (Man) 'I'm sorry to trouble you.'" "Yes, Fletcher?" "What?" "Here?" "That was the police." "A girl has just died on her way to the infirmary." "After swallowing some disinfectant." "The police inspector is on his way here to ask some questions."