TREBELL. Does he drink too?
AMY O'CONNELL. Oh, no. You'd like Justin, I daresay. He's clever. The
thirteenth century's what he knows about. He has done a book on its statutes
... has been doing another.
TREBELL. And after an evening's hard work I find you here ready to flirt
with.
AMY O'CONNELL. What have you been working at?
TREBELL. A twentieth century statute perhaps. That's not any concern of
yours either.
_She does not follow his thought._
AMY O'CONNELL. No, I prefer you in your unprofessional moments.
TREBELL. Real flattery. I didn't know I had any.
AMY O'CONNELL. That's why you should flirt with me ... Henry ... to
cultivate them. I'm afraid you lack imagination.
TREBELL. One must choose something to lack in this life.
AMY O'CONNELL. Not develop your nature to its utmost capacity.
TREBELL. And then?
AMY O'CONNELL. Well, if that's not an end in itself ... [_With a touch of
romantic piety._] I suppose there's the hereafter.
TREBELL. [_Grimly material._] What, more developing! I watch people wasting
time on themselves with amazement ... I refuse to look forward to wasting
eternity.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Shaking her head._] You are very self-satisfied.
TREBELL. Not more so than any machine that runs smoothly. And I hope not
self-conscious.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Rather attractively treating him as a child._] It would do
you good to fall really desperately in love with me ... to give me the power
to make you unhappy.
_He suddenly becomes very definite._
TREBELL. At twenty-three I engaged myself to be married to a charming and
virtuous fool. I broke it off.
AMY O'CONNELL. Did she mind much?
TREBELL. We both minded. But I had ideals of womanhood that I wouldn't
sacrifice to any human being. Then I fell in with a woman who seduced me,
and for a whole year led me the life of a French novel ... played about
with my emotion as I had tortured that other poor girl's brains. Education
you'd call it in the one case as I called it in the other. What a waste of
time!
AMY O'CONNELL. And what has become of your ideal?
TREBELL. [_Relapsing to his former mood._] It's no longer a personal matter.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_With coquetry._] You're not interested in my character?
TREBELL. Oh, yes, I am ... up to kissing point.
_She does not shrink, but speaks with just a shade of contempt._
AMY O'CONNELL. You get that far more easily than a woman. That's one of my
grudges against men. Why can't women take love-affairs so lightly?
TREBELL. There are reasons. But make a good beginning with this one. Kiss me
at once.
_He leans towards her. She considers him quite calmly._
AMY O'CONNELL. No.
TREBELL. When will you, then?
AMY O'CONNELL. When I can't help myself ... if that time ever comes.
TREBELL. [_Accepting the postponement in a business-like spirit._] Well ...
I'm an impatient man.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Confessing engagingly._] I made up my mind to bring you
within arms' length of me when we'd met at Lady Percival's. Do you remember?
[_His face shows no sign of it._] It was the day after your speech on the
Budget.
TREBELL. Then I remember. But I haven't observed the process.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Subtly._] Your sister grew to like me very soon. That's all
the cunning there has been.
TREBELL. The rest is just mutual attraction?
AMY O'CONNELL. And opportunities.
TREBELL. Such as this.
_At the drop of their voices they become conscious of the silent
house._
AMY O'CONNELL. Do you really think everyone has gone to bed?
TREBELL. [_Disregardful._] And what is it makes my pressing attentions
endurable ... if one may ask?
AMY O'CONNELL. Some spiritual need or other, I suppose, which makes me risk
unhappiness ... in fact, welcome it.
TREBELL. [_With great briskness._] Your present need is a good shaking.... I
seriously mean that. You get to attach importance to these shades of
emotion. A slight physical shock would settle them all. That's why I asked
you to kiss me just now.
AMY O'CONNELL. You haven't very nice ideas, have you?
TREBELL. There are three facts in life that call up emotion ... Birth,
Death, and the Desire for Children. The niceties are shams.
AMY O'CONNELL. Then why do you want to kiss me?
TREBELL. I don't ... seriously. But I shall in a minute just to finish the
argument. Too much diplomacy always ends in a fight.
AMY O'CONNELL. And if I don't fight ... it'd be no fun for you, I suppose?
TREBELL. You would get that much good out of me. For it's my point of honour
... to leave nothing I touch as I find it.
_He is very close to her._
AMY O'CONNELL. You're frightening me a little ...
TREBELL. Come and look at the stars again. Come along.
AMY O'CONNELL. Give me my wrap ... [_He takes it up, but holds it._] Well,
put it on me. [_He puts it round her, but does not withdraw his arms._] Be
careful, the stars are looking at you.
TREBELL. No, they can't see so far as we can. That's the proper creed.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Softly, almost shyly._] Henry.
TREBELL. [_Bending closer to her._] Yes, pretty thing.
AMY O'CONNELL. Is this what you call being in love?
_He looks up and listens._
TREBELL. Here's somebody coming.
AMY O'CONNELL. Oh!...
TREBELL. What does it matter?
AMY O'CONNELL. I'm untidy or something....
_She slips out, for they are close to the window. The_ FOOTMAN
_enters, stops suddenly._
THE FOOTMAN. I beg your pardon, sir. I thought everyone had gone.
TREBELL. I've just been for a walk. I'll lock up if you like.
THE FOOTMAN. I can easily wait up, sir.
TREBELL. [_At the window._] I wouldn't. What do you do ... just slide the
bolt?
THE FOOTMAN. That's all, sir.
TREBELL. I see. Good-night.
THE FOOTMAN. Good-night, sir.
_He goes._ TREBELL'S _demeanour suddenly changes, becomes alert, with
the alertness of a man doing something in secret. He leans out of the
window and whispers._
TREBELL. Amy!
_There is no answer, so he gently steps out. For a moment the room is
empty and there is silence. Then_ AMY _has flown from him into the
safety of lights. She is flushed, trembling, but rather ecstatic, and
her voice has lost all affectation now._
AMY O'CONNELL. Oh ... oh ... you shouldn't have kissed me like that!
TREBELL _stands in the window-way; a light in his eyes, and speaks low
but commandingly._
TREBELL. Come here.
_Instinctively she moves towards him. They speak in whispers._
AMY O'CONNELL. He was locking up.
TREBELL. I've sent him to bed.
AMY O'CONNELL. He won't go.
TREBELL. Never mind him.
AMY O'CONNELL. We're standing full in the light ... anyone could see us.
TREBELL. [_With fierce egotism._] Think of me ... not of anyone else. [_He
draws her from the window; then does not let her go._] May I kiss you again?
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Her eyes closed._] Yes.
_He kisses her. She stiffens in his arms; then laughs almost joyously,
and is commonplace._
AMY O'CONNELL. Well ... let me get my breath.
TREBELL. [_Letting her stand free._] Now ... go along.
_Obediently she turns to the door, but sinks on the nearest chair._
AMY O'CONNELL. In a minute, I'm a little faint. [_He goes to her quickly._]
No, it's nothing.
TREBELL. Come into the air again. [_Then half seriously._] I'll race you
across the lawn.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Still breathless and a little hysterical._] Thank you!
TREBELL. Shall I carry you?
AMY O'CONNELL. Don't be silly. [_She recovers her self-possession, gets up
and goes to the window, then looks back at him and says very beautifully._]
But the night's beautiful, isn't it?
_He has her in his arms again, more firmly this time._
TREBELL. Make it so.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Struggling ... with herself_] Oh, why do you rouse me like
this?
TREBELL. Because I want you.
AMY O'CONNELL. Want me to...?
TREBELL. Want you to ... kiss me just once.
AMY O'CONNELL. [_Yielding._] If I do ... don't let me go mad, will you?
TREBELL. Perhaps. [_He bends over her, her head drops back._] Now.
AMY O'CONNELL. Yes!
_She kisses him on the mouth. Then he would release her, but suddenly
she clings again._
Oh ... don't let me go.
TREBELL. [_With fierce pride of possession._] Not yet.
_She is fragile beside him. He lifts her in his arms and carries her
out into the darkness._