wels with his hat.

HATCH lifts a diamond necklace.)

ALICE:
I suppose you know your own business--but THAT IS PASTE.

HATCH:
Do you want to be gagged NOW?

ALICE:
Pardon me, of course you know what you want.
(Notices another necklace.)
Oh, that Mrs. Warren's necklace! So you called on her, too, did
you? Isn't she attractive!

REDDY:
We didn't ask for the lady of the house. They ain't always as
sociable as you are.

ALICE:
Well, that's her necklace. You got that at the house on the hill
with the red roof--the house has the red roof, not the hill.
(She recognizes, with an exclamation, a gold locket and chain which
HATCH is about to place in his pocket.)
Oh! That's Mrs. Lowell's locket! How could you!
(She snatches locket from HATCH, and clasps it in both hands. She
rises indignantly.)
How dared you take that!

HATCH:
Put that down!

ALICE:
(wildly and rapidly)
No, I will not. Do you know what that means to that woman? She
cares more for that than for anything in this world. Her husband
used to wear this.
(Points.)
That's a lock of their child's hair. The child's dead, and the
husband's dead, and that's all she has left of either of them. And
you TOOK it, YOU BRUTES!

REDDY:
Of course we took it. Why does she wear it where everybody can see
it?

HATCH:
(savagely)
Keep quiet, you fool.

ALICE:
She WORE it? You took it--FROM HER?

HATCH:
We didn't hurt her. We only frightened her a bit.
(Angrily.)
And we'll frighten you before we're done with you, Miss
Civilization!

ALICE:
(defiantly, her voice rising)
Frighten me! You--you with your faces covered! You're not men
enough. You're afraid to even steal from men. You rob WOMEN when
they're alone--at night.
(Holds up locket.)
Try to take that from me!

VOICE:
(calling)
Alice--Alice!

ALICE:
Mother! Oh, I forgot, I forgot.
(The burglars rise and move toward her menacingly.)
Please, please keep quiet. For God's sake, don't--let--her--know!

VOICE:
Alice, what's wrong? Who are you talking to?

(ALICE runs to the curtains, with one hand held out to the
burglars, entreating silence.)

ALICE:
I'm--I'm talking to James, the coachman. One of the horses is ill.
Don't come down, mother. Don't come down. Go back to bed.