urray!

MURRAY. Wait here, Eileen.

(_He goes to the scales._ Eileen _keeps her back turned. Her body
stiffens rigidly in the intensity of her conflicting emotions.
She stares straight ahead, her eyes full of anguish._ Murray
_steps on the scales nervously. The balance rod hits the top
smartly. He has gained. His face lights up and he heaves a great
sigh of relief._ Eileen _seems to sense this outcome and her head
sinks, her body sags weakly and seems to shrink to a smaller
size._ Murray _gets off the scales, his face beaming with a
triumphant smile._ Doctor Stanton _smiles and murmurs something
to him in a low voice._ Murray _nods brightly; then turns back
to_ Eileen.)

STANTON. Nathan! (_Another patient advances to the scales._)

MURRAY (_trying to appear casual_). Well--three rousing cheers! Stanton
told me to come to his office at eleven. That means a final exam--and
release!

EILEEN (_dully_). So you gained?

MURRAY. Three pounds.

EILEEN. Funny--I lost three. (_With a pitiful effort at a smile_.) I
hope you gained the ones I lost. (_Her lips tremble._) So you're surely
going away.

MURRAY (_his joy fleeing as he is confronted with her sorrow--slowly_).
It looks that way, Eileen.

EILEEN (_in a trembling whisper broken by rising sobs_). Oh--I'm so
glad--you gained--the ones I lost, Stephen---- So glad! (_She breaks
down, covering her face with her hands, stifling her sobs._)

MURRAY (_alarmed_). Eileen! What's the matter? (_Desperately._) Stop
it! Stanton'll see you!

THE CURTAIN FALLS

Act Two: Scene Two

_Midnight of the same day. A cross-road near the sanatorium. The
main road comes down forward from the right. A smaller road,
leading down from the left, joins it towards left centre._

_Dense woods rise sheer from the grass and bramble-grown ditches at
the roadsides. At the junction of the two roads there is a
signpost, its arms pointing towards the right and the left, rear. A
pile of round stones is at the road corner, left forward. A full
moon, riding high overhead, throws the roads into white, shadowless
relief and masses the woods into walls of compact blackness. The
trees lean heavily together, their branches motionless, unstirred
by any trace of wind._

_As the curtain rises,_ Eileen _is discovered standing in the
middle of the road, front centre. Her face sho