er envied you your courage before. (He rises timidly
and puts his hand appealingly on Morell's forearm.) Stand by me, won't
you?

MORELL (casting him off gently, but resolutely). Each for himself,
Eugene. She must choose between us now. (He goes to the other side of
the room as Candida returns. Eugene sits down again on the sofa like a
guilty schoolboy on his best behaviour.)

CANDIDA (between them, addressing Eugene). Are you sorry?

MARCHBANKS (earnestly). Yes, heartbroken.

CANDIDA. Well, then, you are forgiven. Now go off to bed like a good
little boy: I want to talk to James about you.

MARCHBANKS (rising in great consternation). Oh, I can't do that,
Morell. I must be here. I'll not go away. Tell her.

CANDIDA (with quick suspicion). Tell me what? (His eyes avoid hers
furtively. She turns and mutely transfers the question to Morell.)

MORELL (bracing himself for the catastrophe). I have nothing to tell
her, except (here his voice deepens to a measured and mournful
tenderness) that she is my greatest treasure on earth--if she is really
mine.

CANDIDA (coldly, offended by his yielding to his orator's instinct and
treating her as if she were the audience at the Guild of St. Matthew).
I am sure Eugene can say no less, if that is all.

MARCHBANKS (discouraged). Morell: she's laughing at us.

MORELL (with a quick touch of temper). There is nothing to laugh at.
Are you laughing at us, Candida?

CANDIDA (with quiet anger). Eugene is very quick-witted, James. I hope
I am going to laugh; but I am not sure that I am not going to be very
angry. (She goes to the fireplace, and stands there leaning with her
arm on the mantelpiece and her foot on the fender, whilst Eugene steals
to Morell and plucks him by the sleeve.)

MARCHBANKS (whispering). Stop Morell. Don't let us say anything.

MORELL (pushing Eugene away without deigning to look at him). I hope
you don't mean that as a threat, Candida.

CANDIDA (with emphatic warning). Take care, James. Eugene: I asked you
to go. Are you going?

MORELL (putting his foot down). He shall not go. I wish him to remain.

MARCHBANKS. I'll go. I'll do whatever you want. (He turns to the door.)

CANDIDA. Stop! (He obeys.) Didn't you hear James say he wished you to
stay? James is master here. Don't you know that?

MARCHBANKS (flushing with a young poet's rage against tyranny). By what
right is he master?

CANDIDA (quietly). Tell him, James.

MORELL (taken aback). My dear: