LAURA.  He’s just left.

WILL.  Of course you are going with him?

LAURA.  Yes.

WILL.  West?

LAURA.  To Nevada.

WILL.  Going—­er—­to get married?

LAURA.  Yes, this afternoon.

WILL.  So he didn’t care then?

LAURA.  What do you mean when you say “he didn’t care”?

WILL.  Of course you told him about the letter, and how it was burned up, and all that sort of thing, didn’t you?

LAURA.  Why, yes.

WILL.  And he said it didn’t make any difference?

LAURA.  He—­he didn’t say anything.  We’re just going to be married, that’s all.

WILL.  Did you mention my name and say that we’d been rather companionable for the last two months?

LAURA.  I told him you’d been a very good friend to me.

During this scene LAURA answers WILL with difficulty, and to a man of the world it is quite apparent that she is not telling the truth. WILL looks over toward her in an almost threatening way.

WILL.  How soon do you expect him back?

[Crossing to centre.

LAURA.  Quite soon.  I don’t know just exactly how long he’ll be.

WILL.  And you mean to tell me that you kept your promise and told him the truth? [Crossing to trunk.

LAURA.  I—­I—­[Then with defiance.] What business have you got to ask me that?  What business have you got to interfere anyway? [Crossing up to bed in alcove, gets dresses off foot, and puts them on sofa.

WILL. [Quietly.] Then you’ve lied again.  You lied to him, and you just tried to lie to me now.  I must say, Laura, that you’re not particularly clever at it, although I don’t doubt but that you’ve had considerable practice.

Gives her a searching look and slowly walks over to the chair at the table and sits down, still holding his hat in his hand and without removing his overcoat. LAURA sees BROCKTON sitting, stops and turns on him, laying dresses down.

LAURA.  What are you going to do?

WILL.  Sit down here and rest a few moments; maybe longer.

LAURA.  You can’t do that.

WILL.  I don’t see why not.  This is my own place.

LAURA.  But don’t you see that he’ll come back here soon and find you here?

WILL.  That’s just exactly what I want him to do.

LAURA. [With suppressed emotion, almost on the verge of hysteria.] I want to tell you this.  If you do this thing you’ll ruin my life.  You’ve done enough to it already.  Now I want you to go.  You’ve got to go.  I don’t think you’ve got any right to come here now, in this way, and take this happiness from me.  I’ve given you everything I’ve got, and now I want to live right and decent, and he wants me to, and we love each other.  Now, Will Brockton, it’s come to this.  You’ve got to leave this place, do you hear?  You’ve got to leave this place.  Please get out.