her. As they part Dormer enters
door L., with a stern face.)_

{Eric.} Mr. Dormer!

{Dormer.} _(L.)_ We meet, as we have met before,
sir, in hot blood. Mr. Thorndyke, you have no secret
that is not shared by me, and yet you are here, sir!
For shame!

{Eric.} _(C.)_ Let me remind you, Mr. Dormer,
that one of the few advantages of being neither a
pauper nor a felon is freedom of action.

{Dormer.} Mr. Thorndyke, I am without the
smooth tongue of my class. I find you in a woman's
house, where you are a guest by night as well as by
day. I bid you begone. You are a soldier lacking
chivalry--a man who makes war upon weakness
--you are a coward! _(step)_

{Eric.} A coward, Mr. Dormer, is one who, under
the cover of his age and profession, uses language
for which a younger and a braver man would be
chastised, _(goes up stage toward fire-place)_

{Kate.} _(crosses to Dormer R.)_ Parson, you don't
guess the truth. If you knew! _(crosses to C. Eric
drops R.)_

{Dormer.} I'll know no more. Miss Verity, I am
the pastor of a flock of poor, simple people, who
regard your words as precepts, and your actions as
examples. I will spare you the loss of their good
will, but I demand, so long as you remain in this
parish, that Mr. Thorndyke be excluded from your
house.

_(Kate goes up to bureau.)_

{Eric.} Oh, sir, I can relieve your mind on that
point; a moment later you would have found me
gone. Good-bye, Miss Verity, I shall inform you of
my arrival abroad if you will let me.

{Kate.} _(takes his hand, and looks firmly at
Dormer)_ Stop! Parson Dormer, this house is mine;
while my heart beats, for good or for evil, neither
you nor your bishop could shut my doors upon the
man I love. That is _your_ answer.

{Dormer.} And to think that yesterday your voice
had a charm and a melody for me. It serves me
rightly for forgetting my old lesson. What a fool!
What a fool! _(he goes deliberately to bell rope L.,
and pulls it)_

{Kate.} What are you going to do?

{Dormer.} My duty.

{Kate.} What is that?

{Dormer.} To open the eyes of these blind people.

{Kate.} Open their eyes to what?

{Dormer.} Your guilt.

_(Eric gives an indignant cry. Kate goes to
Dormer.)_