DE VERE. (crossing to him). Dinner, Richard.

RICHARD. I don't want dinner.

DE VERE. You will when you see it.

RICHARD. (in a burst). It is all coming to pieces, Robert! They won't try to understand, and Parliament will think as they do. It is going to fail.

DE VERE. (putting his arm across RICHARD'S shoulder in casual friendliness). Cheer up, Richard! It may fail this time. You can't expect them to absorb anything as repulsive as a new idea without some coaxing. But we are young, thank God; we have all our lives in front of us. We keep on coaxing, and presently they swallow the dose.

RICHARD. But you would think that we were trying to do something that would harm them, instead of something that would be to everyone's advantage!

DE VERE. Everyone's advantage is nobody's business. You