_Midnight of the same day. A cross-road near the sanatorium. The
main road comes down forward from the right. A smaller road,
leading down from the left, joins it towards left centre._
_Dense woods rise sheer from the grass and bramble-grown ditches at
the roadsides. At the junction of the two roads there is a
signpost, its arms pointing towards the right and the left, rear. A
pile of round stones is at the road corner, left forward. A full
moon, riding high overhead, throws the roads into white, shadowless
relief and masses the woods into walls of compact blackness. The
trees lean heavily together, their branches motionless, unstirred
by any trace of wind._
_As the curtain rises,_ Eileen _is discovered standing in the
middle of the road, front centre. Her face shows white and clear in
the bright moonlight as she stares with anxious expectancy up the
road to the left. Her body is fixed in an attitude of rigid
immobility as if she were afraid the slightest movement would break
the spell of silence and awaken the unknown. She has shrunk
instinctively as far away as she can from the mysterious darkness
which rises at the roadsides like an imprisoning wall. A sound of
hurried footfalls, muffled by the dust, comes from the road she is
watching. She gives a startled gasp. Her eyes strain to identify
the oncomer. Uncertain, trembling with fright, she hesitates a
second; then darts to the side of the road and crouches down in the
shadow._
Stephen Murray _comes down the road from the left. He stops by the
signpost and peers about him. He wears a cap, the peak of which
casts his face into shadow. Finally he calls in a low voice._
MURRAY. Eileen!
EILEEN (_coming out quickly from her hiding-place--with a glad little
cry_). Stephen! At last! (_She runs to him as if she were going to
fling her arms about him, but stops abashed. He reaches out and takes
her hands._)
MURRAY. At last? It can't be twelve yet. (_He leads her to the pile of
stones on the left._) I haven't heard the village clock.
EILEEN. I must have come early. It seemed as if I'd been waiting for
ages. I was so anxious----
MURRAY. How your hands tremble! Were you frightened?
EILEEN (_forcing a smile_). A little. The woods are so black--and
queer-looking. I'm all right now.
MURRAY. Sit down. You must rest. (_In a tone of annoyed reproof._) I'm
going to read you a lecture, young lady. You shouldn't ever have done
this--running a temp and---- Good heavens, don't you want to get well?