to
look at them; however, before she can carry out her impulse,_ FREDERIK
_starts up._

FREDERIK. My God! How you startled me! [MARTA _sets down the tray._] Oh!
To be off and out of this old rat-trap. [_He wipes his forehead with his
black-bordered handkerchief._] I mean--our loss comes home to us so keenly
here where we are accustomed to see him.

MARTA. A cup of coffee, sir?

FREDERIK. No, no, no.

MARTA. [_Pathetically._] I thought you wished to keep to your uncle's
customs.... He always took it at this time.

FREDERIK. [_Recovering._] Yes, yes, of course.

MARTA. ... No word?...

FREDERIK. [_Hesitates._] What do you mean?

MARTA. No letter?

FREDERIK. Letter?... [_Covering the letter with his hand._] From whom?...

MARTA. From ... At a time like this, I thought ... I felt ... that
Annamarie ... that there should be some message.... Every day I expect to
hear ...

FREDERIK. No.

PETER _gestures to_ MARTA--_pointing to the picture and letter, now
covered by_ FREDERIK'S _hand._

MARTA. [_Hesitating._] Are you certain?

FREDERIK. Quite certain. [_She curtsies and leaves the room._ FREDERIK,
_as though relieved to see her go, jumps to his feet, and, tearing the
letter in smaller pieces, lights them in the candle, dropping the burning
pieces on a tray. As the flame dies out,_ FREDERIK _brushes the blackened
paper into the waste-basket._] There's an end to _that_!

PETER _crouches near the basket--hovering over it, his hinds clasped
helplessly. After a pause, he raises his hand, until it points to a
bedroom above. An echo of the circus music is very faintly heard; not with
the blaring of brasses, but with the sounds of elfin horns, conveying the
impression of a phantom circus band. The door of_ WILLIAM'S _room opens,
and he comes out as though to listen to the music. He wears a sleeping
suit and is bare-footed. He has come down stairs before_ FREDERIK _sees
him._ FREDERIK _quickly puts aside the photograph, laying it on the desk,
covering it with his hand._

FREDERIK. [_Gruffly._] Why aren't you in bed? If you're ill, that's the
proper place for you.

WILLIAM. I came down to hear the circus music.

FREDERIK. Circus music?

WILLIAM. It woke me up.

FREDERIK. The circus left town days ago. You must have been dreaming.

WILLIAM. The band's playing now. Don't you hear it, sir? The procession's
passing. [_He runs to the window and opens it. The music stops. A breeze
sweeps through the room--bellies