PAMELA. Will it help you to think of me?

BOB. You're the only person in the world I've got to think of. I
found you first--and then Gerald took you from me. Just as he's
always taken everything from me.

PAMELA. No, no. Not about Gerald again. Let's get away from Gerald.

BOB. You can't. He's a devil to get away from. (There is silence for
a little.) When I was a small boy, I used to pray very hard on the
last day of the holidays for a telegram to come saying that the
school had been burnt down. ... It never had.

PAMELA. Oh, Bob!

BOB. I suppose I've got about ten minutes more. But nothing will
happen.

PAMELA (in a hopeless effort to be hopeful). Perhaps after all you might--

BOB. Why can't the world end suddenly now? It wouldn't matter to
anybody. They wouldn't know; they wouldn't have time to understand.
(He looks up and sees her face of distress and says) All right,
Pamela, you needn't worry. I'm going through with it all right.

PAMELA. You must keep thinking of the afterwards. Only of the
afterwards. The day when you come back to us.

BOB. Will that be such a very great day? (PAMELA is silent.)
Triumphant procession through the village. All the neighbours