HARRY:  (brokenly) You’re sick, Claire.  There’s no denying it. (looks at EMMONS, who nods)

ADELAIDE:  Something to quiet her—­to stop it.

CLAIRE:  (throwing her arms around DICK) You, Dick.  Not them.  Not—­any of them.

DICK:  Claire, you are overwrought.  You must—­

HARRY:  (to DICK, as if only now realizing that phase of it) I’ll tell you one thing, you’ll answer to me for this! (he starts for DICK—­is restrained by EMMONS, chiefly by his grave shake of the head.  With HARRY_’s move to them,_ DICK has shielded CLAIRE)

CLAIRE:  Yes—­hold me.  Keep me.  You have mercy!  You will have mercy.  Anything—­everything—­that will let me be nothing!

CURTAIN

ACT III

In the greenhouse, the same as Act I. ANTHONY is bedding small plants where the Edge Vine grew.  In the inner room the plant like caught motion glows as from a light within. HATTIE, the Maid, rushes in from outside.

ANTHONY:  (turning angrily) You are not what this place—­

HATTIE:  Anthony, come in the house.  I’m afraid.  Mr Archer, I never saw him like this.  He’s talking to Mr Demming—­something about Mrs Archer.

ANTHONY:  (who in spite of himself is disturbed by her agitation) And if it is, it’s no business of yours.

HATTIE:  You don’t know how he is.  I went in the room and—­

ANTHONY:  Well, he won’t hurt you, will he?

HATTIE:  How do I know who he’ll hurt—­a person’s whose—­(seeing how to get him) Maybe he’ll hurt Mrs Archer.

ANTHONY:  (startled, then smiles) No; he won’t hurt Miss Claire.

HATTIE:  What do you know about it?—­out here in the plant house?

ANTHONY:  And I don’t want to know about it.  This is a very important day for me.  It’s Breath of Life I’m thinking of today—­not you and Mr Archer.

HATTIE:  Well, suppose he does something to Mr Demming?

ANTHONY:  Mr Demming will have to look out for himself, I am at work.

(resuming work)

HATTIE:  Don’t you think I ought to tell Mrs Archer that—­

ANTHONY:  You let her alone!  This is no day for her to be bothered by you.  At eleven o’clock (looks at watch) she comes out here—­to Breath of Life.

HATTIE:  (with greed for gossip) Did you see any of them when they came downstairs last night?

ANTHONY:  I was attending to my own affairs.

HATTIE:  They was all excited.  Mr Edgeworth—­he went away.  He was gone all night, I guess.  I saw him coming back just as the milkman woke me up.  Now he’s packing his things. He wanted to get to Mrs Archer too—­just a little while ago.  But she won’t open her door for none of them.  I can’t even get in to do her room.