St. Luke's.

SYBIL. [In a whisper.] Is that the woman?

ST. OLPHERTS. You see only one of 'em--there are two there.

[SANDFORD rises as AGNES comes slowly forward accompanied by GERTRUDE.
AMOS joins GERTRUDE; and they go together into the adjoining room,
GERTRUDE giving AGNES an appealing look.]

SIR SANDFORD. [To AGNES.] I--I am Mr. Lucas Cleeve's brother--[with a
motion of the hand towards SYBIL]--this is--this is--

[He swallows the rest of the announcement and retires to the back of
the room, where he stands before the stove. ST. OLPHERTS strolls away
and disappears.]

SYBIL. [To AGNES, in a hard, dry, disdainful voice.] I beg that you
will sit down. [AGNES sits mechanically, with an expressionless face.]
I--I don't need to be told that this is a very--a very unwomanly
proceeding on my part.

SIR SANDFORD. I can't regard it in that light, under the peculiar
circumstances.

SYBIL. I'd rather you wouldn't interrupt me, Sandford. [To AGNES.] But
the peculiar circumstances, to borrow my brother-in-law's phrase, are
not such as to develop sweetness and modesty, I suppose.

SIR SANDFORD. Again I say you wrong yourself there, Sybil--

SYBIL. [Impatiently.] Oh, please let me wrong myself, for a change. [To
AGNES.] When my husband left me, and I heard of his association with
you, I felt sure that his vanity would soon make an openly irregular
life intolerable to him. Vanity is the cause of a great deal of virtue
in men; the vainest are those who like to be thought respectable.

SIR SANDFORD. Really, I must protest--

SYBIL. But Lady Cleeve--the mother--and the rest of the family have
not had the patience to wait for the fulfilment of my prophecy. And so
I have been forced to undertake this journey.

SIR SANDFORD. I demur to the expression "forced", Sybil--

SYBIL. Cannot we be left alone? Surely--! [SANDFORD bows stiffly and
moves away, following ST. OLPHERTS.] However, there's this to be said
for them, poor people--whatever is done to save my husband's prospects
in life must be done now. It is no longer possible to play fast and
loose with friends and supporters--to say nothing of enemies. His
future now rests upon a matter of days--hours almost. [Rising and
walking about agitatedly.] That is why I am sent here--well, why I am
here.

AGNES. [In a low, quavering voice.] What is it you are all asking me to
do now?

SYBIL. We are asking you to continue to--to exert your influence over
him for a little whil