ous . . . bosh, I’m only humoring her as a friend . . . as her doctor . . . and why shouldn’t I have a talk with Gordon? . . . a father owes something to his son . . . he ought to advise him. . . .
[Then alarmed]
But I was never going to meddle again . . .
[Sternly]
I swore I’d never again meddle with human lives, Nina!
Nina
[Unheedingly]
You must keep him from ruining his life.
Darrell
[Doggedly—struggling with himself]
I won’t touch a life that has more than one cell!
[Harshly]
And I wouldn’t help you in this, anyway! You’ve got to give up owning people, meddling in their lives as if you were God and had created them!
Nina
[Strangely forlorn]
I don’t know what you mean, Ned. Gordon is my son, isn’t he?
Darrell
[With a sudden strange violence]
And mine! Mine, too!
[He stops himself]
[Thinking]
Shut up, you fool! . . . is that the way to humor her? . . .
