[He takes it greedily and buries his face in it.]
KATHERINE. [Drawing her hair away] Well?
MORE. At last!
KATHERINE. [Pointing to OLIVE"s room] Hssh!
MORE. How is she?
KATHERINE. All right.
MORE. And you?
[KATHERINE shrugs her shoulders.]
MORE. Six weeks!
KATHERINE. Why have you come?
MORE. Why!
KATHERINE. You begin again the day after tomorrow. Was it worth while?
MORE. Kit!
KATHERINE. It makes it harder for me, that"s all.
MORE. [Staring at her] What"s come to you?
KATHERINE. Six weeks is a long time to sit and read about your meetings.
MORE. Put that away to-night. [He touches her] This is what travellers feel when they come out of the desert to-water.
KATHERINE. [Suddenly noticing the cut on his forehead] Your forehead! It"s cut.
MORE. It"s nothing.
KATHERINE. Oh! Let me bathe it!
MORE. No, dear! It"s all right.
KATHERINE. [Turning away] Helen has just been telling me a dream she"s had of Hubert"s death.
MORE. Poor child!
KATHERINE. Dream bad dreams, and wait, and hide oneself--there"s been nothing else to do. Nothing, Stephen--nothing!
MORE. Hide? Because of me?
[KATHERINE nods.]
MORE. [With a movement of distress] I see. I thought from your letters you were coming to feel----. Kit! You look so lovely!
[Suddenly he sees that she is crying, and goes quickly to her.]
MORE. My dear, don"t cry! G.o.d knows I don"t want to make things worse for you. I"ll go away.
She draws away from him a little, and after looking long at her, he sits down at the dressing-table and begins turning over the brushes and articles of toilet, trying to find words.
MORE. Never look forward. After the time I"ve had--I thought-- tonight--it would be summer--I thought it would be you--and everything!
While he is speaking KATHERINE has stolen closer. She suddenly drops on her knees by his side and wraps his hand in her hair.
He turns and clasps her.
MORE. Kit!
KATHERINE. Ah! yes! But-to-morrow it begins again. Oh! Stephen!
How long--how long am I to be torn in two? [Drawing back in his arms] I can"t--can"t bear it.
MORE. My darling!
KATHERINE. Give it up! For my sake! Give it up! [Pressing closer to him] It shall be me--and everything----
MORE. G.o.d!
KATHERINE. It shall be--if--if----
MORE. [Aghast] You"re not making terms? Bargaining? For G.o.d"s sake, Kit!
KATHERINE. For G.o.d"s sake, Stephen!
MORE. You!--of all people--you!
KATHERINE. Stephen!
[For a moment MORE yields utterly, then shrinks back.]
MORE. A bargain! It"s selling my soul!
He struggles out of her arms, gets up, and stands without speaking, staring at her, and wiping the sweat from his forehead. KATHERINE remains some seconds on her knees, gazing up at him, not realizing. Then her head droops; she too gets up and stands apart, with her wrapper drawn close round her. It is as if a cold and deadly shame had come to them both. Quite suddenly MORE turns, and, without looking back, feebly makes his way out of the room. When he is gone KATHERINE drops on her knees and remains there motionless, huddled in her hair.
THE CURTAIN FALLS
ACT IV