_Dolly._ No, I daresay it's only my imagination.

_Renie._ And if he did--Dolly, is there one man living, except my husband, who would condemn me for being the object of a n.o.ble, single-hearted devotion like Captain Wentworth's?

_Dolly._ No, dear, perhaps not. But, you see, as husbands they take quite a different view of things from what they do merely as men.

_Renie._ Tell me candidly, Dolly, you see nothing wrong in it, do you?

_Dolly._ Well, dear, when you say wrong----

_Renie._ But I a.s.sure you there isn't--nothing could be further from my thoughts.

_Dolly._ No, dear--still, people are so full of prejudice--now what can I do?

_Renie._ [_Clasping_ DOLLY'S _hand warmly._] Oh, Dolly, you can help me so much.

_Dolly._ [_A little alarmed._] Can I? Tell me----

_Renie._ If Lucas and I are parted---- [_Breaks down._] I can't bear it!

I can't bear it!

_Dolly._ Try, dear! Try!

_Renie._ [_Sobbing._] I will. And if at any time I long to hear how he bears our separation, you won't mind receiving a letter, and sending it on to me?

_Dolly._ I'm afraid I couldn't do that, dear. You see, I'm so careless, and if I left the letter about, and Harry found it--no, dear----

_Renie._ You won't help me?

_Dolly._ Yes, dear, I'll do anything in my power! [_Suddenly._] I'll tell you what I can do!

_Renie._ Yes?

_Dolly._ My father is telling Lucas he must leave to-night. Well, I can spare you all the pain and misery of saying "Good-bye," and take one last message to him.

_Renie._ [_Curtly._] No, thank you. It's most unkind of you to send him away like this. I must see him alone before he goes.

_Dolly._ [_Shakes her head._] My father insists, and suppose Lucas feels that he owes it to your reputation to go quietly----

_Renie._ Without seeing me?!

_Dolly._ And suppose the Professor is really watching you----

[RENIE shows great perplexity. DOLLY _is watching her._

_Dolly._ If you don't see Lucas, what message shall I take him?

_Renie._ Tell him how proud I am of his n.o.ble, unselfish devotion; tell him I shall always look upon it as the one supreme happiness of my life to have known him----

_The_ PROFESSOR _and_ MATTHEW _enter. The_ PROFESSOR _has diagrams and ill.u.s.trations in his hand. Following the_ PROFESSOR _and_ MATT _are_ HARRY _and_ LUCAS. LUCAS, _after a little time, comes up to_ DOLLY _and_ RENIE, _who are seated on sofa. The_ PROFESSOR _is speaking to_ MATT _as he enters, and is showing him an ill.u.s.tration._

_Prof._ [_In his hard, metallic voice._] Observe that woman's facial angle--[_pointing_] the peculiar curve of the lip, and the irregular formation of the nose.

[_Describing a little upward curve on the paper with his thumb._

_Matt._ I have seen sweeter things in ladies' lips and noses.

[_Describing the same little upward curve with his thumb on the paper._

_Prof._ Can you be surprised at her history?

_Matt._ Who was she?

_Prof._ Jane Sweetman, the notorious trigamist. Looking at that woman's cranium I maintain it was impossible for her to avoid----

_Matt._ Committing trigamy?

_Prof._ Well, some species of grave moral delinquency.

[DOLLY _clutches_ RENIE'S _wrist significantly. The_ PROFESSOR _hands the ill.u.s.tration to_ HARRY, _who examines it._ MATT _moves away a step and un.o.btrusively feels his own nose and forehead._

_Harry._ [_Has examined the ill.u.s.tration._] By Jove, yes--anybody can see she was bound to come a moral cropper, eh?

[_He hands the ill.u.s.tration to_ DOLLY, _who pa.s.ses it to_ RENIE, _with a very significant glance, pointing out something on the paper._ LUCAS _leans over the back of the sofa between_ RENIE _and_ DOLLY _to look at the ill.u.s.tration. As he leans on the back of the sofa_, DOLLY _draws herself up very indignantly, gives him a severe look; moves a little away from him, sits and looks very severely in front of her. He cannot understand her att.i.tude, draws back a little and looks puzzled._

_Prof._ [_Bringing out another ill.u.s.tration, offering it to_ MATT.] Now look at this.

_Matt._ [_Taking ill.u.s.tration._] Somebody's brains!

_Prof._ Tell me if you notice anything peculiar.

[HARRY _leans over_ MATT'S _shoulder, and looks at the ill.u.s.tration._ LUCAS _again leans over the sofa, between_ DOLLY _and_ RENIE. DOLLY _again moves a little further away from him with another indignant look._ LUCAS _is again puzzled, but bends and looks over the ill.u.s.tration in_ RENIE'S _hands._

_Lucas._ So that's Jane Sweetman! Well, if Jane was bound to come a moral cropper, I'm very glad I wasn't bound to come a moral cropper with Jane, eh, Dolly? [_Very pleasantly._

_Dolly._ [_Very severely._] I should scarcely have thought you troubled whom you came a moral cropper with!

[_Looks at him severely, goes up to writing-desk, seats herself and writes letter. He feels himself snubbed, and moves a step or two back, stands and looks puzzled._ PROFESSOR _has been critically regarding_ MATT _and_ HARRY, _who have been looking at the ill.u.s.tration._

_Prof._ Well, does anything strike you?

_Matt._ No. [_Holding it out._] Looks rather pulpy--rather--a--squashy----

_Prof._ Exactly! Observe the soft, almost watery condition of that gray matter. What is the inevitable consequence?

_Matt._ I couldn't quite say--whom did that gray matter belong to?

_Prof._ Harriet Poy.