Tell you--?

MURIEL.

About last night--this woman--

SOPHY.

Her Grace?

MURIEL.

Yes, yes.

SOPHY.

Oh, why, I haven't anything to tell, darling.

MURIEL.

Haven't anything to--?

SOPHY.

You see, I couldn't help remembering what you'd called me--mean, and despicable, and all the rest of it; and the feeling came over me that you were right, that I had been sneaky. And so, after I'd attended to her Grace, I--I went straight to bed.

MURIEL.

[_Sitting._] Oh, yes. Then you didn't attempt to--to watch?

SOPHY.

No.

MURIEL.

[_Faintly._] Oh!

SOPHY.

Aren't you glad?

MURIEL.

Glad!

SOPHY.

Why, you were certain that the word or two I'd overheard meant nothing wrong.

MURIEL.

I said so.

SOPHY.

Said so!

MURIEL.

[_Turning to her with clenched hands._] Yes, but at the same time you put the dreadful idea into my head, Sophy, and I've not been able to dismiss it for one moment since.

SOPHY.

[_Under her breath._] Oh!

[_Sitting._

MURIEL.

[_Lifting her veil._] There! you can see what I've been going through.

SOPHY.

[_Looking at her._] I'm so sorry.

MURIEL.

[_Looking at_ SOPHY.] _You_ look rather washed out too. Haven't you slept, either?

SOPHY.

[_Turning her head away._] Not over well. [_Falteringly._] Then, after all, it would have been better if I _had_ spied on her?

MURIEL.

Anything--even that--would have been preferable to this uncertainty.

SOPHY.

[_To herself, her jaw falling._] Oh--!

MURIEL.

[_Looking towards the window._] Has _he_ arrived?

SOPHY.

Yes. [MURIEL _rises, then_ SOPHY.