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MISS REED： 〃Indigenous！ I should hope so！〃
RANSOM： 〃Yes。 But she isn't pensive。 She's awfully deep。 It makes
me shudder to think how deep that girl is。 And when I think of my
courage in daring to be in love with hera stupid； straightforward
idiot like meI begin to respect myself in spite of being such an
ass。 Well； I'm off。 If I stay any longer I shall never go。〃 He
closes the door after him； and Miss Reed instantly springs to her
feet。
MISS REED： 〃Now he'll have to go down to the parlor and send up his
name； and that just gives me time to do the necessary prinking。 You
stay here and receive him； Nettie。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Never！ After what's happened I can never look him
in the face again。 Oh； how low； and mean； and guilty I feel！〃
MISS REED； with surprise： 〃Why； how droll！ Now _I_ don't feel the
least so。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Oh； it's very different with YOU。 YOU'RE in love
with him。〃
MISS REED： 〃For shame； Nettie！ I'm NOT in love with him。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃And you can explain and justify it。 But I never
can justify it to myself； much less to him。 Let me go； Ethel！ I
shall tell Mrs。 McKnight that we must change this room instantly。
And just after I'd got it so nearly in order！ Go down and receive
him in the parlor； Ethel。 I CAN'T see him。〃
MISS REED： 〃Receive him in the parlor！ Why； Nettie； dear； you're
crazy！ I'm going to ACCEPT him： and how can I accept himwith all
the consequencesin a public parlor？ No； indeed！ If you won't meet
him here for a moment； just to oblige me； you can go into the other
room。 Or； noyou'd be listening to every word through the key…hole；
you're so demoralized！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Yes； yes； I deserve your contempt； Ethel。〃
MISS REED； laughing： 〃You will have to go out for a walk； you poor
thing； and I'm not going to have you coming back in five or ten
minutes。 You have got to stay out a good hour。〃
MISS SPAULDING； running to get her things from the next room： 〃Oh；
I'll stay out till midnight！〃
MISS REED； responding to a tap at the door： 〃Ye…e…s！ Come in！
You're caught； Nettie。〃
A MAID…SERVANT； appearing with a card： 〃This gentleman is asking for
you in the parlor； Miss Reed。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh！ Ask him to come up here； please。Nettie！ Nettie！〃
She calls to her friend in the next room。 〃He's coming right up； and
if you don't run you're trapped。〃
MISS SPAULDING； re…appearing； cloaked and bonneted： 〃I don't blame
YOU； Ethel； comparatively speaking。 You can say that everything is
fair in love。 He will like it； and laugh at it in you； because he'll
like everything you've done。 Besides； you've no principles； and I
HAVE。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； I've lots of principles； Nettie； but I've no
practice！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃No matter。 There's no excuse for me。 I listened
simply because I was a woman； and couldn't help it； and； oh； what
will he think of me？〃
MISS REED： 〃I won't give you away； if you really feel so badly〃 …
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Oh； DO you think you can keep from telling him；
Ethel dear？ Try！ And I will be your slave forever！〃 Steps are
heard on the stairs outside。 〃Oh； there he comes！〃 She dashes out
of the door； and closes it after her； a moment before the maid…
servant； followed by Mr。 Ransom； taps at it。
III。
SCENE： Miss Reed opens the door； and receives Mr。 Ransom with well…
affected surprise and state； suffering him to stand awkwardly on the
threshold for a moment。
SHE； coldly： 〃Oh！Mr。 Ransom！〃
HE； abruptly： 〃I've come〃 …
SHE： 〃Won't you come in？〃
HE； advancing a few paces into the room： 〃I've come〃 …
SHE； indicating a chair： 〃Will you sit down？〃
HE： 〃I must stand for the present。 I've come to ask you for that
money； Miss Reed； which I refused yesterday； in terms that I blush to
think of。 I was altogether and wholly in the wrong； and I'm ready to
offer any imaginable apology or reparation。 I'm ready to take the
money and to sign a receipt； and then to be dismissed with whatever
ignominy you please。 I deserve anythingeverything！〃
SHE： 〃The money？ Excuse me； I don't knowI'm afraid that I'm not
prepared to pay you the whole sum to…day。〃
HE； hastily： 〃Oh； no matter！ no matter！ I don't care for the money
now。 I merely wish toto assure you that I thought you were
perfectly right in offering it； and toto〃 …
SHE： 〃What？〃
HE： 〃Nothing。 That isahah〃 …
SHE： 〃It's extremely embarrassing to have people refuse their money
when it's offered them； and then come the next day for it； when
perhaps it isn't so convenient to pay itVERY embarrassing。〃
HE； hotly： 〃But I tell you I don't want the MONEY！ I never wanted
it； and wouldn't take it on any account。〃
SHE： 〃Oh！ I thought you said you came to get it？〃
HE： 〃I saidI didn't sayI meantthat isahI〃He stops； open…
mouthed。
SHE； quietly： 〃I could give you part of the money now。〃
HE： 〃Oh； whatever you like； it's indifferent〃 …
SHE： 〃Please sit down while I write a receipt。〃 She places herself
deliberately at the table； and opens her portfolio。 〃I will pay you
now； Mr。 Ransom； for the first six lessons you gave methe ones
before you told me that I could never learn to do anything。〃
HE； sinking mechanically into the chair she indicates： 〃Oh； just as
you like！〃 He looks up at the ceiling in hopeless bewilderment；
while she writes。
SHE； blotting the paper： 〃There！ And now let me offer you a little
piece of advice； Mr。 Ransom； which may be useful to you in taking
pupils hereafter。〃
HE； bursting out： 〃I never take pupils！〃
SHE： 〃Never take pupils！ I don't understand。 You took ME。〃
HE； confusedly： 〃I took youyes。 You seemed to wishyou seemed
the case was peculiarpeculiar circumstances。〃
SHE； with severity： 〃May I ask WHY the circumstances were peculiar？
I saw nothing peculiar about the circumstances。 It seemed to me it
was a very simple matter。 I told you that I had always had a great
curiosity to see whether I could use oil paints； and I asked you a
very plain question； whether you would let me study with you。 Didn't
I？〃
HE： 〃Yes。〃
SHE： 〃Was there anything wronganything queer about my asking you？〃
HE： 〃No； no！ Not at allnot in the least。〃
SHE： 〃Didn't you wish me to take the lessons of you？ If you didn't；
it wasn't kind of you to let me。〃
HE： 〃Oh； I was perfectly willingvery glad indeed； very much so
certainly！〃
SHE： 〃If it wasn't your CUSTOM to take pupils； you ought to have
told me； and I wouldn't have forced myself upon you。〃
HE； desperately： 〃It wasn't forcing yourself upon me。 The Lord
knows how humbly grateful I was。 It was like a hope of heaven！〃
SHE： 〃Really； Mr。 Ransom； this is very strange talk。 What am I to
understand by it？ Why should you be grateful to teach me？ Why
should giving me lessons be like a hope of heaven？〃
HE： 〃Oh； I will tell you！〃
SHE： 〃Well？〃
HE； after a moment of agony： 〃Because to be with you〃 …
SHE： 〃Yes？〃
HE： 〃Because I wished to be with you。 Becausethose days in the
woods； when you read； and I〃 …
SHE： 〃Painted on my pictures〃 …
HE： 〃Were the happiest of my life。 BecauseI loved you！〃
SHE： 〃Mr。 Ransom！〃
HE： 〃Yes； I must tell you so。 I loved you； I love you still。 I
shall always love you； no matter what〃 …
SHE： 〃You forget yourself； Mr。 Ransom。 Has there been anything in
my mannerconductto justify you in using such language to me？〃
HE： 〃Nono〃 …
SHE： 〃Did you suppose that because I first took lessons of you from…
…froman enthusiasm for art； and then continued them forfor
amusement； that I wished you to make love to me？〃
HE： 〃No； I never supposed such a thing。 I'm incapable of it。 I
beseech you to believe that no one could have more respect
reverence〃He twirls his hat between his hands； and casts an
imploring glance at her。
SHE： 〃Oh； respectreverence！ I know what they mean in the mouths
of men。 If you respected； if you reverenced me； could you dare to
tell me； after my unguarded trust of you during the past months； that
you had been all the time secretly in love with me？〃
HE； plucking up a little courage： 〃I don't see that the three things
are incompatible。〃
SHE： 〃Oh； then you acknowledge that you did presume upon something
you thought you saw in me to tell me that you loved me； and that you
were in love with me all the time？〃
HE； contritely： 〃I have no right to suppose that you encouraged me；
and yetI can't deny it nowI was in love with you all the time。〃
SHE： 〃And you never said a word to let me believe that you had any
such feeling toward me！〃
HE： 〃II〃 …
SHE： 〃You would have parted from me without a syllable to suggest
itperhaps parted from me forever？〃 After a pause of silent
humiliation for him： 〃Do you call that brave or generous？ Do you
call it manlysupposing； as you hoped； that _I_ had any such
feeling？〃
HE： 〃No； it was cowardly； it was mean； it was unmanly。 I see it
now； but I will spend my life in repairing the wrong； if you will
only let me。〃 He impetuously advances some paces toward her； and
then stops； arrested by her irresponsive attitude。
SHE； with a light sigh； and looking down at the paper；