ACT IV

_The following morning; at the_ STERLINGS'; _the library; a warm, livable, and lovable room, full of pictures, photographs, and books; mistletoe and holly decorate everywhere. In the bow-window at back there is a large bird-cage with half a dozen birds in it. The furniture is comfortable and heavily upholstered. At Left there is a fireplace with logs ready, but the fire is not lit. There a big table near the centre, full of magazines, ill.u.s.trated papers, and books. A big arm-chair is beside the table, and other chairs conversationally close. There is a table near the door at Right, piled with Christmas gifts, still wrapped in white paper; they are tied with many colored ribbons and bunches of holly. There are doors Right and Left. After the curtain rises on an empty stage,_ RUTH _enters quickly; while she has her buoyant manner, she is, of course, more serious than usual. She carries a bunch of fresh violets in her hand. She looks about the room with a sort of curiosity.

She is waiting for some one to appear. She takes up a silver-framed photograph of her brother which stands on a table and speaks aloud to it._

RUTH. I'm glad you're spared this. [_With a long-drawn breath she places the photograph back upon the table and turns to greet_ BLANCHE, _who comes in Right._] Good morning, my dear.

[_She kisses her._

BLANCHE. Good morning. You've had my note? [RUTH _nods._] Thank you. I wanted to see you before I saw any one else. You must help me decide, only _you_ can.

RUTH. Have you seen your husband this morning?

BLANCHE. No. He sent word he was feeling ill, but would like to see me when I was willing.

RUTH. And you?

[_They sit near each other._

BLANCHE. I don't want to talk with him till I see more clearly what I am going to do.

RUTH. Mr. Warden told me last night all that happened at "The Hermitage." But on your ride home with d.i.c.k?

BLANCHE. We never spoke. [_She rises._] Aunt Ruth, I am going to leave him.

RUTH. [_Rising._] No!

BLANCHE. [_Walking up and down._] Why not? _Everybody_ does.

RUTH. [_Going to her._] That's just it. _Be somebody!_ Don't do the easy, weak thing. Be strong; be an example to other women. Heaven knows it's time they had one!

[MRS. HUNTER _enters Right._ BLANCHE _meets her._

MRS. HUNTER. Good morning, my poor dear.

[_Going to kiss_ BLANCHE.

BLANCHE. [_Taking_ MRS. HUNTER'S _hand and not kissing her._] Good morning.

MRS. HUNTER. Clara's gone upstairs to see little Richard. Good morning, Ruth.

[_She adds this with a manner of being on the defensive._

RUTH. [_Dryly._] Good morning.

MRS. HUNTER. [_Sitting by the table and looking at the picture papers._]

Isn't it awful! What are you going to do?

BLANCHE. I don't know yet, mother.

MRS. HUNTER. _Don't know?_ Absolute divorce--no legal separation! [_To_ RUTH.] We're staying at the Waldorf.

[BLANCHE _sits discouragedly on the sofa._

RUTH. [_Sitting beside her._] I shall advise against, and do everything in my power to prevent, Blanche's getting a divorce!

MRS. HUNTER. You don't mean to say you'll carry those ridiculous notions of yours into practice?--now that a scandal has come into our very family?

RUTH. Oh, I know selfish, cynical, and worldly people won't agree with me, and I pity and sympathize with Blanche from the bottom of my heart.

[_Taking and holding_ BLANCHE'S _hand._] But I want her not to decide anything now; wait till the first blows over, and then--well, then I feel sure she will do the strong, n.o.ble thing--the difficult thing--not the easy.

BLANCHE. [_Withdraws her hand from_ RUTH'S.] _No_, you ask too much of me, Aunt Ruth; I can't do it.

RUTH. I say don't decide now--wait.

BLANCHE. I don't want to wait. I want to decide now and to cut my life free, entirely, from d.i.c.k's.

RUTH. You used to agree with me. I've heard you decry these snapshot, rapid-transit, tunnel divorces many a time. I've heard you say when a woman has made her bed, she must lie in it--make the best of her bad bargain.

BLANCHE. I always sympathized with a woman who sought a divorce in this state.

RUTH. Oh, yes, but _you can't_, can you?

BLANCHE. No, but I'm not strong enough to fight out an unhappy life for the sake of setting an example to other women--women who _don't want_ the example set!

RUTH. Blanche, I counted on you to be strong, to be big--

BLANCHE. [_With a voice full of emotion._] But I love Ned Warden. He loves me--life stretches out long before us. d.i.c.k has disgraced us all.

I don't love him--should I give _my_ happiness and Mr. Warden's happiness for _him_?

MRS. HUNTER. Absurd! We all have a right to happiness if we can get it.

I have chosen; let Blanche follow my example.

BLANCHE. [_Disgusted._] _Yours?_ [_Rises._] Oh!

RUTH. [_Following up the advantage._] Yes, Blanche, do you want to follow your mother's example?

BLANCHE. No! But the cases are not a.n.a.logous!

MRS. HUNTER. Not what? You needn't fling any innuendoes at Mr. Trotter; it's he who said it was my duty to stand by you, advise you, and all that sort of thing. I'm not here to please myself! Goodness knows, a divorce court isn't a very pleasant place to spend your honeymoon!

BLANCHE. Thank both you and Mr. Trotter, mother; but I ask you to allow Aunt Ruth and me to decide this matter between us.

MRS. HUNTER. Trotter says _divorce_ was _made_ for woman!

RUTH. And what was made for man, please? Polygamy?