ry, but
I thought you might like it."

HILLCRIST. Well?

JILL. She looked at me hard, and said: "I suppose you know all
about it." And I Said: "Only vaguely," because of course I don't.
And she said: "Well, it was decent of you to come." Dodo, she looks
like a lost soul. What has she done?

HILLCRIST. She committed her real crime when she married young
Hornblower without telling him. She came out of a certain world to
do it.

JILL. Oh! [Staring in front of her] Is it very awful in that
world, Dodo?

HILLCRIST. [Uneasy] I don't know, Jill. Some can stand it, I
suppose; some can't. I don't know which sort she is.

JILL. One thing I'm sure of: she's awfully fond of Chearlie.

HILLCRIST. That's bad; that's very bad.

JILL. And she's frightened, horribly. I think she's desperate.

HILLCRIST. Women like that are pretty tough, Jill; don't judge her
too much by your own feelings.

JILL. No; only----Oh! it was beastly; and of course I dried up.

HILLCRIST. [Feelingly] H'm! One always does. But perhaps it was
as well; you'd have been blundering in a dark passage.

JILL. I just said: "Father and I feel awfully sorry; if there's
anything we can do----"

HILLCRIST. That was risky, Jill.

JILL. (Disconsolately) I had to say something. I'm glad I went,
anyway. I feel more human.

HILLCRIST. We had to fight for our home. I should have felt like a
traitor if I hadn't.

JILL. I'm not enjoying home tonight, Dodo.

HILLCRIST. I never could hate proper; it's a confounded nuisance.

JILL. Mother's fearfully' bucked, and Dawker's simply oozing
triumph. I don't trust him. Dodo; he's too--not pugilistic--the
other one with a pug-naceous.

HILLCRIST. He is rather.

JILL. I'm sure he wouldn't care tuppence if Chloe committed
suicide.

HILLCRIST. [Rising uneasily] Nonsense! Nonsense!

JILL. I wonder if mother would.

HILLCRIST. [Turning his face towards the window] What's that? I
thought I heard--[Louder]--Is these anybody out there?

[No answer. JILL, springs up and runs to the window.]

JILL. You!

[She dives through to the Right, and returns, holding CHLOE'S
hand and drawing her forward]

Come in! It's only us! [To HILLCRIST] Dodo!

HILLCRIST. [Flustered, but making a show of courtesy] Good
evening! Won't you sit down?

JILL. Sit down; you're all shaky.

[She makes CHLOE sit down in the armchair, out of which they
have risen,