am looking the fact in the face--the
fact that there must be no fact! [Avoiding her eyes--as if defying his
own finer feelings.] There are doctors who--

MARTHA--[Shrinking back from him.] Curt! You propose that--to me! [With
overwhelming sorrow.] Oh, Curt! When I feel him--his life within
me--like a budding of my deepest soul--to flower and continue me--you
say what you have just said! [Grief-stricken.] Oh, you never, never,
never will understand!

CURTIS--[Shamefacedly.] Martha, I--[Distractedly.] I don't know what
I'm saying! This whole situation is so unbearable! Why, why does it
have to happen now?

MARTHA--[Gently.] It must be now--or not at all--at my age, dear. [Then
after a pause--staring at him frightenedly--sadly.] You have changed,
Curt. I remember it used to be your happiness to sacrifice yourself for
me.

CURTIS--I had no work then--no purpose beyond myself. To sacrifice
oneself is easy. But when your only meaning becomes as a searcher for
knowledge--you cannot sacrifice that, Martha. You must sacrifice
everything for that--or lose all sincerity.

MARTHA--I wonder where your work leaves off and you begin. Hasn't your
work become you?

CURTIS--Yes and no. [Helplessly.] You can't understand, Martha! ...

MARTHA--Nor you.

CURTIS--[With a trace of bitter irony.] And you and your work? Aren't
they one and the same?

MARTHA--So you think mine is selfish, too? [After a pause--sadly.] I
can't blame you, Curt. It's all my fault. I've spoiled you by giving up
my life so completely to yours. You've forgotten I have one. Oh, I
don't mean that I was a martyr. I know that in you alone lay my
happiness and fulfillment in those years--after the children died. But
we are no longer what we were then. We must, both of us, relearn to
love and respect--what we have become.

CURTIS--[Violently.] Nonsense! You talk as if love were an intellectual
process--[Taking her into his arms--passionately.] I love you--always
and forever! You are me and I am you. What use is all this vivisecting?
[He kisses her fiercely. They look into each other's eyes for a
second--then instinctively fall back from one another.]

MARTHA--[In a whisper.] Yes, you love me. But who am I? There is no
recognition in your eyes. You don't know.

CURTIS--[Frightenedly.] Martha! Stop! This is terrible! [They continue
to be held by each other's fearfully questioning eyes.]

[The Curtain Falls]

ACT III

SCENE--Same as Act II. As the