MARTHA.  How do you do it?

JULIA.  You just wish yourself elsewhere; and you come back when you like.

MARTHA.  Have you ever done it?

JULIA (with a world of meaning).  Not yet.

MARTHA.  She won’t like it.  One doesn’t belong to one’s self, when she’s about—­nor does anything.  I’ve had to hide my own things from her sometimes.

JULIA.  I shouldn’t wonder.

MARTHA.  Do you remember the silver tea-pot?

JULIA.  I’ve been reminded of it.

MARTHA.  It was mine, wasn’t it?

JULIA.  Oh, of course.

MARTHA.  Laura never would admit it was mine.  She wanted it; so I’d no right to it.

JULIA.  I had a little idea that was it.

MARTHA.  For years she was determined to have it:  and I was determined she shouldn’t have it.  And she didn’t have it!

JULIA.  Who did have it?

MARTHA.  Henrietta was to.  I sent it her as a wedding-present, and told her Laura was never to know.  And, as she was in Australia, that seemed safe.  Well, the ship it went out in was wrecked—­all because of that tea-pot, I believe!  So now it’s at the bottom of the sea!

JULIA.  Destiny!

MARTHA.  She searched my boxes to try and find it:  stole my keys!  I missed them, but I didn’t dare say anything.  I used to wrap it in my night-gown and hide it in the bed during the day, and sleep with it under my pillow at night.  And I was so thankful when Henrietta got married; so as to be rid of it!

JULIA.  Hush!

(RE-ENTER Mrs. James, her bonnet still on, with the strings dangling, and her cloak on her arm.)

LAURA.  Julia I’ve been looking at your room in there.

JULIA (coldly). Have you, Laura?

LAURA.  It used to be our Mother’s room.

JULIA.  I don’t need to be reminded of that:  it is why I chose it. (Rising gracefully from her chair, she goes to attend to the fire.)

LAURA.  Don’t you think it would be much better for you to give it up, and let our Mother come back and live with us?

JULIA.  She has never expressed the wish.

LAURA.  Of course not, with you in it.

JULIA.  She was not in it when I came.

LAURA.  How could you expect it, in a house all by herself?

JULIA.  I gave her the chance:  I began by occupying my own room.

LAURA (self-caressingly).  I wasn’t here then.  That didn’t occur to you, I suppose?  You seem to forget you weren’t the only one.

JULIA.  Kind of you to remind me.

LAURA.  Saucy.

JULIA.  Martha, will you excuse me?

(Polite to the last, she vanishes gracefully away from the vicinity of the coal-box.  The place where she has been stooping knows her no more.)

LAURA (rushing round the intervening table to investigate).  Julia!