e as her friend and my father's.

STERLING. I haven't said I betrayed her trust. I told her she should
_have_ the bonds she wants to-morrow.

BLANCHE. But _will_ she? That's what I want to know. I ask you if you
haven't her bonds, to tell us here now,--tell _us_, who have been and
must be still the best friends, perhaps the only friends, you can have.
Tell us where we all stand--are we the only ones to suffer or are there
others who will perhaps be less generous in their treatment of you? Tell
us now while there is time perhaps to save us from public scandal, from
the disgrace which would stamp your wife as the wife of a thief, and
send your boy out into the world the son of a convict cheat. [_She
breaks down, but in a moment controls herself. There is no answer._
STERLING _sinks into a chair, his arms on the table, his head on his
arms. A moment's silence._] You _love_ me--I know that. I appeal to your
love; let your love of me persuade you to do what I ask. I ask it for
your sake and for _mine_! Tell us here the truth now--it will spare me
much to-morrow, perhaps--me whom you love--for love of me--

STERLING. [_In an agony._] I'm afraid I'll lose you--

BLANCHE. No, I'll promise to stand by you if you'll only tell _us all_
the truth.

STERLING. [_In a low, shamed voice._] I'll tell _you_, but not
_now_--not before all these others.

[BLANCHE _looks up questioningly to_ MASON. MASON _shakes his head._

BLANCHE. It _must_ be _now_, Dick.

STERLING. No! no! I can't look you in the face and tell it! Let me tell
it to you _alone_, later, in the dark.

[BLANCHE _looks up questioningly to_ MASON. _He shakes his head._

BLANCHE. It must be now.

STERLING. No, no, I'm too ashamed, I can't face you; in the dark I'll
make a clean breast of it--let me tell you in the dark.

[WARDEN _moves and puts his hand on the electric-light button beside the
doorway at back._

WARDEN. In the DARK, then, _tell it_!

[_He presses the button and all the lights go out. The stage is in
complete darkness; only the voices are heard from the different places
in which the actors are last seen._

BLANCHE. [_Quickly._] Remember, to help you to help ourselves, we must
know everything. Go on.

STERLING. It began fourteen months ago, after Ned Warden put me on my
feet; I got a little ahead--why not get way ahead? There were plenty of
men around me making their fortunes! I wanted to equal them--climb as
high as they; it seemed easy enoug