[Speaking together.] No, it hasn't arrived.
LORETTA. [Suddenly moving toward door to right.] I am going to see.
[NED looks at her reproachfully.]
[LORETTA looks back tantalisingly from doorway and disappears.]
[NED flings himself disgustedly into Morris chair.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Moving over and standing in front of him. Speaks
accusingly.] What have you been saying to her?
NED. [Disgruntled.] Nothing.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Threateningly.] Now listen to me, Ned.
NED. [Earnestly.] On my word, Alice, I've been saying nothing to her.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [With sudden change of front.] Then you ought to have
been saying something to her.
NED. [Irritably. Getting chair for her, seating her, and seating
himself again.] Look here, Alice, I know your game. You invited me down
here to make a fool of me.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. Nothing of the sort, sir. I asked you down to meet a
sweet and unsullied girl--the sweetest, most innocent and ingenuous girl
in the world.
NED. [Dryly.] That's what you said in your letter.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. And that's why you came. Jack had been trying for a
year to get you to come. He did not know what kind of a letter to write.
NED. If you think I came because of a line in a letter about a girl I'd
never seen--
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Mockingly.] The poor, jaded, world-worn man, who is
no longer interested in women . . . and girls! The poor, tired pessimist
who has lost all faith in the goodness of women--
NED. For which you are responsible.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Incredulously.] I?
NED. You are responsible. Why did you throw me over and marry Jack?
ALICE HEMINGWAY. Do you want to know?
NED. Yes.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Judiciously.] First, because I did not love you.
Second, because you did not love me. [She smiles at his protesting hand
and at the protesting expression on his face.] And third, because there
were just about twenty-seven other women at that time that you loved, or
thought you loved. That is why I married Jack. And that is why you lost
faith in the goodness of women. You have only yourself to blame.
NED. [Admiringly.] You talk so convincingly. I almost believe you as I
listen to you. And yet I know all the time that you are like all the
rest of your sex--faithless, unveracious, and . . .
[He glares at her, but does not proceed.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. Go on. I'm not afraid.
NED. [With finality.] And immoral.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. Oh! You wretch!
NED. [Gloatingly.] That's right. Get angry. You may break the
furniture if you wish. I don't mind.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [With sudden change of front, softly.] And how about
Loretta?
[NED gasps and remains silent.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. The depths of duplicity that must lurk under that sweet
and innocent exterior . . . according to your philosophy!
NED. [Earnestly.] Loretta is an exception, I confess. She is all that
you said in your letter. She is a little fairy, an angel. I never
dreamed of anything like her. It is remarkable to find such a woman in
this age.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Encouragingly.] She is so naive.
NED. [Taking the bait.] Yes, isn't she? Her face and her tongue betray
all her secrets.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Nodding her head.] Yes, I have noticed it.
NED. [Delightedly.] Have you?
ALICE HEMINGWAY. She cannot conceal anything. Do you know that she
loves you?
NED. [Falling into the trap, eagerly.] Do you think so?
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Laughing and rising.] And to think I once permitted
you to make love to me for three weeks!
[NED rises.]
[MAID enters from left with letters, which she brings to ALICE
HEMINGWAY.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Running over letters.] None for you, Ned. [Selecting
two letters for herself.] Tradesmen. [Handing remainder of letters to
MAID.] And three for Loretta. [Speaking to MAID.] Put them on the
table, Josie.
[MAID puts letters on table to left front, and makes exit to left.]
NED. [With shade of jealousy.] Loretta seems to have quite a
correspondence.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [With a sigh.] Yes, as I used to when I was a girl.
NED. But hers are family letters.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. Yes, I did not notice any from Billy.
NED. [Faintly.] Billy?
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Nodding.] Of course she has told you about him?
NED. [Gasping.] She has had lovers . . . already?
ALICE HEMINGWAY. And why not? She is nineteen.
NED. [Haltingly.] This . . . er . . . this Billy . . . ?
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Laughing and putting her hand reassuringly on his
arm.] Now don't be alarmed, poor, tired philosopher. She doesn't love
Billy at all.
[LORETTA enters from right.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [To LORETTA, nodding toward table.] Three letters for
you.
LORETTA. [Delightedly.] Oh! Thank you.
[LORETTA trips swiftly across to table, looks at letters, sits down,
opens letters, and begins to read.]
NED. [Suspiciously.] But Billy?
ALICE HEMINGWAY. I am afraid he loves her very hard. That is why she is
here. They had to send her away. Billy was making life miserable for
her. They were little children together--playmates. And Billy has been,
well, importunate. And Loretta, poor child, does not know anything about
marriage. That is all.
NED. [Reassured.] Oh, I see.
[ALICE HEMINGWAY starts slowly toward right exit, continuing conversation
and accompanied by NED.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Calling to LORETTA.] Are you going fishing, Loretta?
[LORETTA looks up from letter and shakes head.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [To NED.] Then you're not, I suppose?
NED. No, it's too warm.
ALICE HEMINGWAY. Then I know the place for you.
NED. Where?
ALICE HEMINGWAY. Right here. [Looks significantly in direction of
LORETTA.] Now is your opportunity to say what you ought to say.
[ALICE HEMINGWAY laughs teasingly and goes out to right.]
[NED hesitates, starts to follow her, looks at LORETTA, and stops. He
twists his moustache and continues to look at her meditatively.]
[LORETTA is unaware of his presence and goes on reading. Finishes
letter, folds it, replaces in envelope, looks up, and discovers NED.]
LORETTA. [Startled.] Oh! I thought you were gone.
NED. [Walking across to her.] I thought I'd stay and finish our
conversation.
LORETTA. [Willingly, settling herself to listen.] Yes, you were going
to . . . [Drops eyes and ceases talking.]
NED. [Taking her hand, tenderly.] I little dreamed when I came down
here visiting that I was to meet my destiny in--[Abruptly releases
LORETTA's hand.]
[MAID enters from left with tray.]
[LORETTA glances into tray and discovers that it is empty. She looks
inquiringly at MAID.]
MAID. A gentleman to see you. He hasn't any card. He said for me to
tell you that it was Billy.
LORETTA. [Starting, looking with dismay and appeal to NED.] Oh! . . .
Ned!
NED [Gracefully and courteously, rising to his feet and preparing to
go.] If you'll excuse me now, I'll wait till afterward to tell you what
I wanted.
LORETTA. [In dismay.] What shall I do?
NED. [Pausing.] Don't you want to see him? [LORETTA shakes her head.]
Then don't.
LORETTA. [Slowly.] I can't do that. We are old friends. We . . . were
children together. [To the MAID.] Send him in. [To NED, who has
started to go out toward right.] Don't go, Ned.
[MAID makes exit to left.]
NED. [Hesitating a moment.] I'll come back.
[NED makes exit to right.]
[LORETTA, left alone on stage, shows perturbation and dismay.]
[BILLY enters from left. Stands in doorway a moment. His shoes are
dusty. He looks overheated. His eyes and face brighten at sight of
LORETTA.]
BILLY. [Stepping forward, ardently.] Loretta!
LORETTA. [Not exactly enthusiastic in her reception, going slowly to
meet him.] You never said you were coming.
[BILLY shows that he expects to kiss her, but she merely shakes his
hand.]
BILLY. [Looking down at his very dusty shoes.] I walked from the
station.
LORETTA. If you had let me know, the carriage would have been sent for
you.
BILLY. [With expression of shrewdness.] If I had let you know, you
wouldn't have let me come.
[BILLY looks around stage cautiously, then tries to kiss her.]
LORETTA. [Refusing to be kissed. ] Won't you sit down?
BILLY. [Coaxingly.] Go on, just one. [LORETTA shakes head and holds
him off.] Why not? We're engaged.
LORETTA. [With decision. ] We're not. You know we're not. You know I
broke it off the day before I came away. And . . . and . . . you'd
better sit down.
[BILLY sits down on edge of chair. LORETTA seats herself by table.
Billy, without rising, jerks his chair forward till they are facing each
other, his knees touching hers. He yearns toward her. She moves back
her chair slightly.]
BILLY. [With supreme confidence.] That's what I came to see you for--to
get engaged over again.
[BILLY hudges chair forward and tries to take her hand.]
[LORETTA hudges her chair back.]
BILLY. [Drawing out large silver watch and looking at it.] Now look
here, Loretta, I haven't any time to lose. I've got to leave for that
train in ten minutes. And I want you to set the day.
LORETTA. But we're not engaged, Billy. So there can't be any setting of
the day.
BILLY. [With confidence.] But we're going to be. [Suddenly breaking
out.] Oh, Loretta, if you only knew how I've suffered. That first night
I didn't sleep a wink. I haven't slept much ever since. [Hudges chair
forward.] I walk the floor all night. [Solemnly.] Loretta, I don't eat
enough to keep a canary bird alive. Loretta . . . [Hudges chair
forward.]
LORETTA. [Hudging her chair back maternally.] Billy, what you need is a
tonic. Have you seen Doctor Haskins?
BILLY. [Looking at watch and evincing signs of haste.] Loretta, when a
girl kisses a man, it means she is going to marry him.
LORETTA. I know it, Billy. But . . . [She glances toward letters on
table.] Captain Kitt doesn't want me to marry you. He says . . . [She
takes letter and begins to open it.]
BILLY. Never mind what Captain Kitt says. He wants you to stay and be
company for your sister. He doesn't want you to marry me because he
knows she wants to keep you.
LORETTA. Daisy doesn't want to keep me. She wants nothing but my own
happiness. She says--[She takes second letter from table and begins to
open it.]