wing my feelings, as you know. What d'you want me to do? Stand
on one leg and crow?
JILL. Yes, Dodo, yes! Mother, hold him while I [Suddenly she
stops, and all the fun goes out of her] No! I can't--I can't help
thinking of her.
CURTAIN falls for a minute.
SCENE II
When it rises again, the room is empty and dark, same for
moonlight coming in through the French window, which is open.
The figure of CHLOE, in a black cloak, appears outside in the
moonlight; she peers in, moves past, comes bank, hesitatingly
enters. The cloak, fallen back, reveals a white evening dress;
and that magpie figure stands poised watchfully in the dim
light, then flaps unhappily Left and Right, as if she could not
keep still. Suddenly she stands listening.
ROLF'S VOICE. [Outside] Chloe! Chloe!
[He appears]
CHLOE. [Going to the window] What are you doing here?
ROLF. What are you? I only followed you.
CHLOE. Go away.
ROLF. What's the matter? Tell me!
CHLOE. Go away, and don't say anything. Oh! The roses! [She has
put her nose into some roses in a bowl on a big stand close to the
window] Don't they smell lovely?
ROLF. What did Jill want this afternoon?
CHLOE. I'll tell you nothing. Go away!
ROLF. I don't like leaving you here in this state.
CHLOE. What state? I'm all right. Wait for me down in the drive,
if you want to.
[ROLF starts to go, stops, looks at her, and does go. CHLOE,
with a little moaning sound, flutters again, magpie-like, up
and down, then stands by the window listening. Voices are
heard, Left. She darts out of the window and away to the
Right, as HILLCRIST and JILL come in. They have turned up the
electric light, and come down in frond of the fireplace, where
HILLCRIST sits in an armchair, and JILL on the arm of it. They
are in undress evening attire.]
HILLCRIST. Now, tell me.
JILL. There isn't much, Dodo. I was in an awful funk for fear I
should meet any of the others, and of course I did meet Rolf, but I
told him some lie, and he took me to her room-boudoir, they call it
--isn't boudoir a "dug-out" word?
HILLCRIST. [Meditatively] The sulking room. Well?
JILL. She was sitting like this. [She buries her chin in her
hands, wide her elbows on her knees] And she said in a sort of
fierce way: "What do you want?" And I said: "I'm awfully sor
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