*The Bible, Corinthians 12:12-26

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. [...] The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.

“I’m talking as a hard-headed practical man of business.”

‘you’ll hear some people say war is Inevitable … fiddlesticks!” 

‘The Titanic – she sails next week…and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.” 

“I gather there’s a very good chance of a knighthood.” 

“A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course.” 

“Yes, yes. But I see no point in mentioning the subject – especially – (indicating Sheila).” 

“I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can. You damned fool – why didn’t you come to me when you found yourself in this mess?”

“There’s every excuse for what your mother and I did.”

“Probably a Socialist or some sort of crank.”

“Well, my dear, they’re so damned exasperating. They just won’t try to understand our position.”

“Look, you’d better ask Gerald for that ring you gave back to him, hadn’t you? Then you’ll feel better.”

“Now look at the pair of them- the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke.”

“When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business.” 

“I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class.” 

“You know, my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate.” 

‘‘I’m very sorry. But I think she only had herself to blame.” 

“I’ve done nothing wrong – and you know it.”

“Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.” 

“She was giving herself ridiculous airs…claiming elaborate fine feelings…that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”

“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!” 

“I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame at all.” 

“He ought to be dealt with very severely-…make sure that he’s compelled to confess in public his responsibility.” 

“He certainly didn’t make me confess – I had done no more than my duty.” 

“Really, from the way you children talk, you might be wanting to help him instead of us. Now just be quiet so that your father can decide what we ought to do.” 

“You’re squiffy.” 

“(Rather distressed) I can’t help thinking about this girl- destroying herself so horribly- and I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you hadn’t told me.” 

“I went to the manger at Milwards and told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go near the place again and I’d persuade  mother to close our account with them.”

“If she’d been some miserable plain little creature, I don’t suppose I’d have done it.”

“Why- you fool- he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see.” 

“You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do the Inspector will just break it down. And it’ll be all the worse when he does.” 

“No, he’s giving us the rope- so that we’ll hang ourselves.” 

“And probably between us we killed her.” 

“You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here.” 

(Bitterly) ”I suppose we’re all nice people now.”  

“Everything we said had happened really had happened. If it didn’t end tragically, then that’s lucky for us. But it might have done.” 

“I want to get out of this. It frightens me the way you talk.” 

“He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out. I call it tough luck.” 

“It isn’t as if you can go and work somewhere else.”

“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices.” 

“Well I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty- and I threatened to make a row.” 

“And I don’t even remember- that’s the hellish thing.” 

“I wasn’t in love with her or anything- but I liked her- she was pretty and a good sport.” 

“She didn’t want me to marry her. Said I didn’t love her- and all that. In a way, she treated me- as if I were a kid.”

“You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble that’s why.” 

“Then- you killed her… and the child she’d have had too- my child- your own grandchild- you killed them both- damn you, damn you.” 

“He was our police inspector all right.” 

“(Shouting) And I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her- and that’s what matters.” 

“I agree with Sheila. It frightens me too.” 

“You couldn’t have done anything else.” [referring to the sacking Eva Smith]

“After all, y’know, we’re respectable citizens and not criminals.” 

“Why should I have known her?” 

“For God’s sake – don’t say anything to the Inspector.” 

“I think Miss Birling ought to be excused.” 

[About Sheila] ”She’s obviously had about as much as she can stand.”

“You’ve been through it and now you want somebody else put through it.”

“[Daisy] gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help.”

“She was young and pretty and warm-hearted- and intensely grateful. I became at once the most important person in her life.”

“She told me she’d been happier than she’d ever been before.”

“But how do you know it’s the same girl? ... We’ve no proof it was the same photograph and therefore no proof it was the same girl.” 

“Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?"

“Two hours ago a young woman died in the Infirmary. She’d been taken there this afternoon because she’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course.”

“Now – about this girl, Eva Smith. I remember her quite well now. She was a lively good-looking girl – country-bred, I fancy – and she’d been working in one of our shops for over a year. A good worker too.” 

“…and died, after several hours of agony…” 

“She was a very pretty girl…that didn’t make it any better.” 

“…this girl, to show us what she meant, had held the dress up… And it just suited her. She was the right types for it, just as I was the wrong type for it.” 

“She looked young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down there.”

“She felt there’d never be anything as good for her – so she had to make it last a little longer.”

“He had given her money but she didn’t want to take any more money from him… it wasn’t his money.” 

“There was some woman who wanted her to go there.” 

‘”She told me she didn’t want me to go in but… I threatened to make a row.” 

“She didn’t want me to marry her. Said I didn’t love her- and all that.” 

“Just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person.” 

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Edna’ll answer it.”

“All right, Edna. Show him in here. Give us some more light.” 

“Please, sir, an inspector’s called.” 

“Giving us the port Edna? That’s right.”

“Edna’ll go. I asked her to wait up to make us some tea.”