EMMONS:  I’d like immensely to have a talk with you about all this some day.

ADELAIDE:  Certainly this is not the time, Claire.

CLAIRE:  The time?  When you—­can’t go any farther—­isn’t that that—­

ADELAIDE:  (capably taking the whole thing into matter-of-factness) What I think is, Claire has worked too long with plants.  There’s something—­not quite sound about making one thing into another thing.  What we need is unity. (from CLAIRE something like a moan) Yes, dear, we do need it. (to the doctor) I can’t say that I believe in making life over like this.  I don’t think the new species are worth it.  At least I don’t believe in it for Claire.  If one is an intense, sensitive person—­

CLAIRE:  Isn’t there any way to stop her?  Always—­always smothering it with the word for it?

EMMONS:  (soothingly) But she can’t smother it.  Anything that’s really there—­she can’t hurt with words.

CLAIRE:  (looking at him with eyes too bright) Then you don’t see it either, (angry) Yes, she can hurt it!  Piling it up—­always piling it up—­between us and—­What there.  Clogging the way—­always, (to EMMONS) I want to cease to know!  That’s all I ask.  Darken it.  Darken it.  If you came to help me, strike me blind!

EMMONS:  You’re really all tired out, aren’t you?  Oh, we’ve got to get you rested.

CLAIRE:  They—­deny it saying they have it; and he (half looks at TOM_—­quickly looks away_)—­others, deny it—­afraid of losing it.  We’re in the way.  Can’t you see the dead stuff piled in the path? (Pointing.)

DICK:  (voice coming up) Me too?

CLAIRE:  (staring at the path, hearing his voice a moment after it has come) Yes, Dick—­you too.  Why not—­you too. (after he has come up) What is there any more than you are?

DICK:  (embarrassed by the intensity, but laughing) A question not at all displeasing to me.  Who can answer it?

CLAIRE:  (more and more excited) Yes!  Who can answer it? (going to him, in terror) Let me go with you—­and be with you—­and know nothing else!

ADELAIDE:  (gasping) Why—!

HARRY:  Claire!  This is going a little too—­

CLAIRE:  Far?  But you have to go far to—­(clinging to DICK) Only a place to hide your head—­what else is there to hope for?  I can’t stay with them—­piling it up!  Always—­piling it up!  I can’t get through to—­he won’t let me through to—­what I don’t know is there! (DICK would help her regain herself) Don’t push me away!  Don’t—­don’t stand me up, I will go back—­to the worst we ever were!  Go back—­and remember—­what we’ve tried to forget!

ADELAIDE:  It’s time to stop this by force—­if there’s no other way. (the doctor shakes his head)

CLAIRE:  All I ask is to die in the gutter with everyone spitting on me. (changes to a curious weary smiling quiet) Still, why should they bother to do that?