get out.

REDPENNY. Certainly, Sir Patrick [He collects his papers and
makes for the door].

SIR PATRICK. Thank you. Thats a good lad. [Redpenny vanishes].
They all put up with me, these young chaps, because I'm an old
man, a real old man, not like you. Youre only beginning to give
yourself the airs of age. Did you ever see a boy cultivating a
moustache? Well, a middle-aged doctor cultivating a grey head is
much the same sort of spectacle.

RIDGEON. Good Lord! yes: I suppose so. And I thought that the
days of my vanity were past. Tell me at what age does a man leave
off being a fool?

SIR PATRICK. Remember the Frenchman who asked his grandmother at
what age we get free from the temptations of love. The old woman
said she didn't know. [Ridgeon laughs]. Well, I make you the same
answer. But the world's growing very interesting to me now,
Colly.

RIDGEON. You keep up your interest in science, do you?

SIR PATRICK. Lord! yes. Modern science is a wonderful thing. Look
at your great discovery! Look at all the great discoveries! Where
are they leading to? Why, right back to my poor dear old father's
ideas and discoveries. He's been dead now over forty years. Oh,
it's very interesting.