[The dialogue starts with of Harold & Mrs.

Bramble were they are found sitting on the drinking table

and the conservation starts.]

Harold (suddenly) : “Ma” !

Mrs. Bramble : Yes, my dear child !

Harold : Will You hear me, Ma ?

Mrs. Bramble : Yes Harold , mother will hear you .

(She address him as if she is addressing a small child.)

Harold : Be good , sweet , maid.

Mrs. Bramble : (looks worried) Harold , you study so hard , you will get a
headache. Why don’t you take
a nice walk along the river. That will keep you fresh.
(Harold agrees with her mother , arranges his book and exits.)

[ It was constant source of amgement to Mrs. Bramble that she should have brought such a prodigy
as Harold into
the world . She and her Husbands were lovers of truth , but sometimes truth should be sacrificed.
And at any cost the profession of Mr. Bramble had to be kept from Harold.]
Once talking with Mr. Bramble she said-

Mrs. Bramble : Bill, we must keep it from Harold

[Next day Percy Mrs. Bramble’s brother entered-]

Percy : I hope you are keeping it from Harold. It is the least you can do
…………….

(Footsteps in the passage and the head and shoulders of Major Percy stoke insinuated themselves
into the room.)

Major Percy : Where is Harold?

Mrs. Bramble : He has gone for a walk. What brings you here Percy? (Showing
uncertainty.)

(Percy withdraws his head and again reappears. This time more footsteps in the passage and entered
Bill.)

Mrs. Bramble : Bill!

Mr. Bramble : The scales have fallen from his eyes.

Mrs. Bramble : What scales would you talking about? And what are you doing
here when you ought at
Be at the white Hart, training?
Major Percy : That’s just what I’M telling you. I been wrestling with Bill, and I
been The victory.

Mrs. Bramble : (with astonishment ) You !

Mr. Bramble : (Expressing regret) jerry Fisher’s a hard nut. He don’t like people
coming round talking to
a Man he’s training unless he introduces them.

Major Percy : It kept it away. But I wrote the letter and sent the tracts. Bill,
which of the tracts was it
That snatched you from the primrose path .

Mr. Bramble : It wasn’t the letters. It was that which you wrote about Harold.

Mrs. Bramble : (with temper) perhaps you will kindly allow me to speak. You can
stop talking for half an
Instant, if you know how, while Bill tells me what he’s doing when he
ought to be at the
Training center.

Mr. Bramble : Percy’s just been telling you. He wrote…………

Mrs. Bramble : I don’t wasn’t to make a head or tail. It is only that I just want a
plain answer to my plain
Question that, what are you doing here?

Mr. Bramble : I’ve come home, gain.

Major Percy : (exclaiming) glory!

Mrs. Bramble : (expressing anger) If you don’t keep quiet, I will forget that I am
your sister and will let
You have one. What do you understand Bill, you have come home?
Isn’t it there going to be the fight next week .

Major Percy : (joyfully) The fights over and Bill’s won, with me seconding him.

Mrs. Bramble : Percy!

Mr. Bramble : (in small voice) I’m not going to fight!

Mrs. Bramble : You are not going……………….!

Major Percy : He seen the errors of his ways. That’s what he’s gone and done.
At the eleventh hour.

Mr. Bramble : Oh! I’ve waited for this Joyful moment I’ve watched for it. I....

Mrs. Bramble : You aren’t going to fight!

(Bill, avoiding his wife’s eyes, shook his head.)
Mrs. Bramble : And what about the money?

Major Percy : (scornfully) what? What was the money was?

Mrs. Bramble : you ought to know, you have borrowed it enough from me
at your time.

Mrs. Bramble : (repeating) And what about the money? I’ve never liked your
profession but it carned you
Much money to give Harold a good education. You yourself said that if
you beat Murphy
you will get 50 pounds and if you lost it would be a Hundred and
twenty. But you are
giving up and I don’t know what will happen.

Mr. Bramble : ‘Talking of Harold.’ That’s really what I am driving at. As likely at
now there would be a piece about it in mail and he reads his mail
regularly. That’s what Percy pointed out to
Me, and I seen what he meant, so I hopped it.

Major Percy : At the eleventh hour (rubbing in the point.)

Mr. Bramble : “you see, Jane……” (bebbing)

(Suddenly there was a knock at the front door and a little, ferret faced man entered, removing his
shoes.)
(Enter jerry Fisher.)

Jerry Fisher : Beg Pardon, Mrs. Bramble. Coming in like this. Found the front door
ajar, so came in to
Ask if you’d happened to have seen.

Jerry Fisher : I thought so!

Mr. Bramble : Jerry.

Mrs. Bramble : Mr. Fisher!

Major Percy : Be reasonable.

Jerry Fisher : It’s hard. I just wanted to break his neck for him, but I suppose It’s not
to be. I know it’s
him that’s at the bottom of it. And here I find them together, so I know
back along of me
to the white Hart. I’m surprised at you. All the time I have known each
other. I’ve never known you do such a thing. You such a pleasure to train as
a rule. It all comes of getting with bad companions.

Mr. Bramble : You tell him.

Major Percy : you tell him, Jane.

Mrs. Bramble : I won’t

Jerry fisher : Tell him what? (Puzzled).

Mr. Bramble : Well? It’s only that I’m not going to fight on Monday.

Jerry Fisher : What!

Major Percy : Bill has seen a sudden bright light. At the eleventh hour, he has
turned from his wicked ways.

Major Percy : Glory!

Mr. Bramble : I’m sorry, Jerry. I know it’s hard on you.

Mr. Bramble : I’m sorry Jerry. I know its hard on you but I have to thin of
Harold. This will be reported in the mail and you know Harold reads his
mail regularly and now if he come to know about
my profession, He would die of shame.

Jerry Fisher : Bill (in crying voice), you are off your head. Think of the purse!

Mrs. Bramble : Ah!

Jerry Fisher : Think of all the swells that’ll be coming to see you. Think of what the
paper’ll say. Think of me.

Mr. Bramble : I know Jerry, it’s chronic. But Harold………….

Jerry Fisher : Think of all the trouble you’ve taken for the last weeks getting
yourself into condition.

Mr. Bramble : I know. But Harold…..

Jerry Fisher : You can’t not fight on Monday.

Mr. Bramble : But Harold, Jerry. He’d die of the disgrace of it. He aim like you
and me, Jerry. He’s a little gentleman. I got to think of Harold.

Harold : What about me, pa?? (in a youthful voice).

Harold : Halloa, pa! Halloa, uncle Percy! Somebody’s left the door open.
What you were saying about me, pa? Ma, will you hear me, my piece of
poetry again? I think I’ve forgotten it.

Jerry Fisher : So you’re Harold, are you. Tommy?(in a metallic voice), then just you
listen here a minute.

Mr. Bramble : Jerry. You keep your mouth shut, or I’ll give you one.

Jerry Fisher : You better.

Mrs. Bramble : Mr. Fisher, do be a gentleman.

Major Percy : My dear sir.

My dear sir, do nothing hasty. Think before you speak. Don’t go and be
so silly as to avt like a mutton-head. I’d be ashamed to be so spiteful.
Respect a father’s feelings.

Jerry Fisher : Tommy you think your pa’s a commercial. He ain’ t. He’s a fighting
man, doing his eight- like a mutton-head. I’d be ashamed to be so spiteful.
Respect a father’s feelings.

Mr. Bramble : I’d never have thought it of you, Jerry. If anyone had come to me
and told me that you could have acted so raw I’d have dotted him one.

Harold : And if anyone had come to me and told me that I should live to
see the day when you broke training a week before a fight at the National,
I’d given him for himself.

Percy : you mustn’t think any the worse of your pa for having been a man of
wath. He hadn’t seen the bright light then. It’s all over now. He’s given it
up for ever.

Mr. Bramble : That’s right. I’ve given it up. I was to have fought an American
named Murphy at the Nat - ional next Monday, but I ain’t going to now,
Not if they come to me on their bended knees. Not if the king England come
to me on his bended knees.

Harold : Oh! Oh, aren’t you? Then what about my two bob? What about
my two bob, I’ve betted Dicky Saunders that Jimmy Murphy won’t last
ten rounds?

Harold : It’s thick. It’s jolly. That’s a chap takes the trouble to study from
and save up his pocket money to have a bet on a good thing, And then he
goes and get let down like this. I call it rotten because you have kept it
from me. There’s a fellow at our school who goes about swanking in the
most rotten way because he once got Phil Scott’s autograph. It’s the
silliest idea, I’ve ever heard. Why if you beat jimmy Murphy then have to give you the
next chance with Sid!

Jerry Fisher : If I’ve told your Pa that once, I’ve told him twenty times.

Harold : well, I’ve made a study of it since I was a kid. Pa, cant you give
me a picture of yourself boxing? I could swank like anything.

Jerry Fisher : Bill, you and me had better be getting back to the white Hart.

Harold : Ma! [Breaking the silence]

Mrs. Bramble : Yes, Harold?

Harold : Will you hear me?

Mrs. Bramble : Yes, I will hear you.

Harold : “Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever-‘clever’. Do
noble things.”