ERNEST
Then I"m disappointed in you.
HELEN
And I in you.
ERNEST
I thought you were sensible.
HELEN
I thought you were honest.
ERNEST
Honest! You accuse me of dishonesty?
HELEN
You don"t believe in "half of that gibberish." Yet you are willing to work the Church for our own worldly advantage! You are willing to prost.i.tute the most sacred thing in life!... If that is not dishonest, what is!
ERNEST
And you are the woman I love and want to marry! In all my life I was never accused of dishonesty before.
HELEN
You never tried to marry before. No one is honest about marriage.
ERNEST
I never shall try again. I"m going to Paris to-morrow and I"m going alone.
HELEN
Then do it. Don"t threaten it so often--do it.
ERNEST
I shall. And I"ll never come back.
HELEN
n.o.body asked you to.
ERNEST
Helen--for the last time--just for my sake--marry me.
HELEN
For the last time--no! no! NO!! I won"t be a hypocrite even for your sake.
[_She turns away, he starts off, then stops, rushes over to her._
ERNEST
[_holds out arms_]
I can"t. You know it. Without you I"m nothing.
HELEN
[_taking both his hands_]
Without you.... Oh, my dear, my dear.
ERNEST
Forgive me, forgive me.
HELEN
It was all my fault.
ERNEST
No, I was a brute. I"m not worthy of you.