She drops into an easy-chair
beside the tea-table, and stretches the tips of her feet out beyond
the hem of her skirt in extremely lady-like abandon. "Have a
cigarette." She reaches the box to him.

_Ashley_: "Thank you. I won't smoke, I believe." He stands frowning,
while she throws her cigarette into a teacup and lights another.

_Miss Ramsey_: "I thought everybody smoked. Then have a cocktail."

_Ashley_: "A what?"

_Miss Ramsey_: "A cocktail. So many people like them with their tea,
instead of rum, you know."

_Ashley_: "No, I didn't know." He regards her with amaze, rapidly
hardening into condemnation.

_Miss Ramsey_: "I hope you don't _object_ to smoking. Englishwomen all
smoke."

_Ashley_: "I think I've heard. I didn't know that American ladies
did."

_Miss Ramsey_: "They don't, _all_. But they will when they find how
nice it is."

_Ashley_: "And do Englishwomen all drink cocktails?"

_Miss Ramsey_: "They will when they find how nice it is. But why do
you keep standing? Sit down, if it's only for a moment. There is
something I would like to talk with you about. What were you saying
when you came in? I didn't catch it quite."

_Ashley_: "Nothing--now--"

_Miss Ramsey_: "And I can't persuade you to have a cocktail? I believe
I'll have another myself." She takes up the bottle, and tries several
times to pour from it. "I do believe Nora's forgotten to open it! That
is a good joke on me. But I mustn't let her know. Do you happen to
have a pocket-corkscrew with you, Mr. Ashley?"

_Ashley_: "No--"

_Miss Ramsey_: "Well, never mind." She tosses her cigarette into the
grate, and lights another. "I wonder why they always have cynical
persons smoke, on the stage? I don't see that the two things
necessarily go together, but it does give you a kind of thrill when
they strike a match, and it lights up their faces when they put it to
the cigarette. You know something good and wicked is going to happen."
She puffs violently at her cigarette, and then suddenly flings it away
and starts to her feet. "Will you--would you--open the window?" She
collapses into her chair.

_Ashley_, springing toward her: "Miss Ramsey, are you--you are ill!"

_Miss Ramsey_: "No, no! The window! A little faint--it's so
close-- There, it's all right now. Or it will be--when--I've
had--another cigarette." She leans forward to take one; Ashley gravely
watches her, but says nothing. She lights her cigarette, but, without
smoking, thr