EDGAR. Men of business are excused from decency, you think?

WILDER. Nobody's more sorry for the men than I am, but if they
[lashing himself] choose to be such a pig-headed lot, it's nothing
to do with us; we've quite enough on our hands to think of ourselves
and the shareholders.

EDGAR. [Irritably.] It won't kill the shareholders to miss a
dividend or two; I don't see that that's reason enough for knuckling
under.

SCANTLEBURY. [With grave discomfort.] You talk very lightly of your
dividends, young man; I don't know where we are.

WILDER. There's only one sound way of looking at it. We can't go on
ruining ourselves with this strike.

ANTHONY. No caving in!

SCANTLEBURY. [With a gesture of despair.] Look at him!

[ANTHONY'S leaning back in his chair. They do look at him.]

WILDER. [Returning to his seat.] Well, all I can say is, if that's
the Chairman's view, I don't know what we've come down here for.

ANTHONY. To tell the men that we've got nothing for them----
[Grimly.] They won't believe it till they hear it spoken in plain
English.