t was waiting for us
before we knew anything. You and I had each a star which shone at the
other's birth.

KATHARINE. Your star was mine, dearest. I hadn't one of my own.

PARNELL. Well, if nations wish to be fooled, let them go to the devil
their own way, not laying the blame of their own folly on others! But
having got _you_--would I ever have let you go for any power under
Heaven? Why (as soon as you were free) did I marry you? I knew that,
politically, it was a blunder: that over there it would go against us--
prove the case. Half Ireland cared nothing for the verdict of an English
jury. But when we married, they had to believe it then.... Well, I wanted
them to believe it. I know my love would have waited, had I asked her. And
it wasn't--it wasn't honour, my dear; it was much more pride: for I am a
proud man, that I own: and not less since I have won you.

KATHARINE. If you hadn't been proud, dearest, you would never have got my
love.

PARNELL. Oh, yes, I should. Those who love, don't love for qualities good
or bad. They love them in the person they love--that's all. You have
qualities which I didn't care about till I found them in you. To love is
to see life--new!

KATHARINE. And whole. Some day--alone by ourselves--we will!

PARNELL. Don't we already?

KATHARINE. Yes, if only--these other things didn't interfere. But I
promised; so they must.

PARNELL. My dear, when they have quite broken me--they will in time--then
I'll come.

KATHARINE. You promise to go right away?

PARNELL. I promise, sweetheart.

(_Moving toward each other they are about to embrace, when the door
opens, and the Servant enters carrying a card upon a tray_.)

SERVANT. If you please, sir.

(_Parnell takes the card; there is a pause while he looks at the
name_)

PARNELL. Will you say I am engaged.

(_The Servant goes. Parnell hands the card to his wife_.)

I don't know the man. Do you?

KATHARINE. No. And yet I seem to remember. Yes; Willie had a man-servant
of that name.

(_The Servant returns, bearing a folded note upon her tray_)

SERVANT. If you please, sir, I was to give you this.

PARNELL (_having read the note_). Is the man still there?

SERVANT. Yes, sir.

(_There is a pause_.)

PARNELL. Show him in.

(_As the Servant goes he hands the note to Katharine, and watches while
she reads it_.)

So--you remember him?

KATHARINE. Only the name.... I may have seen him, now and then.

(_And then enters a smoot