hands in his): Tell me what's troubling you, Phyllis. Something's wrong, I'm afraid.

PHYLLIS (without looking at him): It's-I can't sleep at night. I lie awake, and think-and think. Oh, I'm a coward, Grahame! -I-I can't do it!

SINGLETON (Soothingly): But it's all decided, dear—all decided. That night at Southhampton? You remember?

PHYLLIS (thrillingly): Remember-! Grahame!

SINGLETON (slowly): We didn't say a word. We just looked at each other and I took your hand. That was all. But it meant the world to me!

PHYLLIS (almost whispering): I know-I know!

SINGLETON: But if you won't go, it proves that you never loved me, Phyllis.

PHYLLIS (going over to the desk): See! (She shows him the picture and violets.) I put the violets there myself every morning-it's my shrine, my altar-I sit for hours sometimes and look and look-the days you are not with me.-I talk to it-I kiss it the last thing every night.-I-oh, Grahame, and you say I don't love you!

SINGLETON: Then come. You will never regret it, I promise. But I can't stay here and act a lie-live a lie! Why, our whole existence would be a sham!-Our love would be degraded-cheapened. Look at the Stanley affair, that came out this afternoon! You and I can't do that, Phyllis!

PHYLLIS: The Stanley affair? I haven't heard-What is it? SINGLETON: Hasn't Mrs. Randolph told you? She's Mrs. Stanley's sister, isn't she?

PHYLLIS: She called this morning, but I was out. (Looks down at the letters on desk.) Here's a note from her. It just came. SINGLETON (walking away): Read it.

PHYLLIS (opening the letter and reading):

My darling Phyllis :

Why weren't you in when I called? I need your help. I am positively in a dreadful condition. Mr.

Stanley has decided to bring a divorce suit against
poor Dora! Think of her sufferings! Of course we
all knew about Freddy Batcheldor and I kept telling
her she was foolish-but why couldn't they have
kept it hushed up? Think what people are saying-
and the newspapers! Dora has left for a sanitarium
-she is positively ill! I follow her to-morrow.
Come around for a moment in the morning and con-
sole me, Phyllis darling. I am at home only to a few
friends. The reporters have been so odious!

Affectionately, your broken-hearted,

LAURA.

P. S. I always said Stanley was an old brute! This proves it!

PHYLLIS (crumpling the letter fiercely in her hand): And all this under her charities and sewing-societies! Grahame, how vile! SINGLETON: We mustn't give people any chance to say that of us, dear.

PHYLLIS: NO. Let's be square and frank at any rate. I won't lie, Grahame, it's got to be open. And I'm not ashamed-I'm glad, I'm proud!At Sherry's at 11.45?

SINGLETON (going to her): My dearest, I knew you—

PHYLLIS (stopping him): No! Wait till Japan! Now you must go. It's time for me to dress for my dinner. Only six hours more, Grahame, and then-! Is your motor here? (She goes quickly to the window and pulls aside the curtains to look out.) Yes, there it is (Suddenly.) Why-Grahame, John is walking up the steps! How odd! He never comes up-town before six.-Please, please go! I can't bear to think of your meeting him! SINGLETON: 11.45? The coat-room?

there?

Promise me you'll be

PHYLLIS (hurriedly): Yes-yes, I promise. Do go! SINGLETON: One thing more! (He takes her in his arms and kisses her twice, in spite of her remonstrances.) For Japan, dearest!

(He goes out, leaving her gazing after him, a smile of happiness on her lips. As the door closes, she turns with a little sigh, goes slowly to the piano, and, sitting down, sings.)

PHYLLIS (singing): “Qu'importe que le jour finisse et recom

Et vous aurez vécu, si vous avez aimé—” (There is a knock. She stops, turns on the bench and says, "Come in!" GILES enters.)

GILES: Beg pardon, madam, but Mr. Blake 'as just returned and wishes to know if you are disengaged.

PHYLLIS (hurriedly): Tell him I'm very sorry, but I'm just about to dress. I'm rather late.

GILES: Thank you.

(He is about to go when, as if ashamed of her cowardice, she calls him back.)

PHYLLIS:

Giles!-Tell Mr. Blake that I will see him. Ask him

to come up here, please.

(GILES bows and goes out. PHYLLIS rises with a worried look, crosses to the window and pulls down the shades. In the preceding scenes, it was gradually growing darker and darker, until only the firelight remained. She switches on the electric lamps. She stands looking about her nervously. There is a knock.)

PHYLLIS: Come in!

(Enter JOHN BLAKE,—a rugged, badly-dressed, awkward man, of forty-five, with gray hair, a lined face. His man

ner is rather timid as if he did not feel quite at home, but wished to make a good impression.)

PHYLLIS (in a society manner): How do you do? How nice of you to come and see me! (She shakes hands.)

BLAKE: I wanted to have a little chat with you

for Florida to-morrow, so I came home early.

before you leave

PHYLLIS: Won't you sit down? I'm afraid I can't ask you to stay more than a quarter of an hour-but you'll understand, I am going out. Will you have some tea? (He sits in the easy chair.) BLAKE: Yes-thank you-thank you.

PHYLLIS (pressing a button by the door): I'll ring for it.-You see I feel I must kill the fatted calf for you, you come so seldom. BLAKE: I'm going to try and-come oftener after this. PHYLLIS (wincing): Ah? That's good! (There is a short pause.)

BLAKE (hunting for a topic): And where are you going tonight, may I ask?

PHYLLIS (easily): To Mrs. Davidson's dinner for Lady Carton. -And then I'm going to take some people on to the opera afterwards. It's "Tosca" to-night-and I adore Eames!

BLAKE: I shall read about it all in the paper to-morrow morning-what you wore and who were in your box and so forth-(After a moment, hesitatingly.) The only glimpses I catch of you nowadays are through the society columns!

PHYLLIS (in a hard voice): Pray, don't blame me. You won't go out in the evening, I leave before you come home. You go downtown in the morning hours before I'm up. Ce n'est pas ma faute! (She shrugs her shoulders and turns her back on him, humming a little tune. The door opens and GILES comes in with a tea-tray, which he places on table LEFT-FRONT, near BLAKE's chair. Then he bows and goes out.)

PHYLLIS: Ah, tea! (To GILES.) Thank you, that will be all. (She sits facing audience, back of table, and busies herself with making tea.)

BLAKE (feeling in his pocket): By-the-way, I forgot what I really wanted to see you for! (He produces a morocco-covered box.) I dropped in at Tiffany's on the way up. Hope you like it.

PHYLLIS (opening the box): What an exquisite bracelet! The stones are beauties! How did you know my latest fad was opals? BLAKE (drily): The man at Tiffany's told me.

PHYLLIS (still enthusiastically examining the jewel): It's beautiful!-beautiful! You're too good to me! (Suddenly she breaks off, puts the bracelet back in the box, shuts it, and lays it on the table.) Thank you. (Her voice is subdued and her eyes are lowered.) BLAKE: It's nothing; but-(Suddenly.)—won't you do me a favor, Phyllis?

PHYLLIS (forcing herself to smile): A favor? Certainly! BLAKE (turning to her): Don't go to Florida to-morrow morning. Stay here and we'll see more of each other-my dear!

(Stung by the unconscious rebuke, she rises from her tea and crosses to the window, then goes to her desk and stands looking at SINGLETON's picture. There is a pause.)

PHYLLIS (in a low tone): I'm afraid-it's too late.

BLAKE: What do you mean?

PHYLLIS: It's too late-that's all. Perhaps if you'd said that to me seven-eight years ago, I could have listened. I was willing then. I was grateful to you for all that you'd done for mamma and me.Your opportunity was then. You let it go by.

BLAKE: But—

-

PHYLLIS (impatiently): Oh, I admit you kept to the strict letter of the bargain. You rescued us from the front hall bedroom of a boarding-house after father's death and everything had gone; you gave us all the luxuries we had been used to; you paid my dressmaker's bills with charming generosity. And in return I did what you married me for.-I went out—I entertained—I gave your name every social prominence. I could do that-it was position against money in our bargain. But-couldn't you see that I was starving for -something besides- -mere clothes?