(The ladies all talk together and go out L. WALES closes the door down L. CROSBY comes from lack of table R. to chesterfield.)

WILLIAM (by table R.).  Do you really want that window fastened?

(STANDISH is behind the chair below the table R.)

WALES (L.C.  CROSBY and TRENT sit on corner of chesterfield).  I don’t care.

MASON (at table R.).  I’d like to make the test that way.  I’ve a queer feeling about that woman.  I believe she really has power of some sort.  I know it seems funny, but—­well, you all saw her lift that table.  I watched her carefully.  There was no trick about it at all.  I’m sure of it.

CROSBY.  All right then.  You fasten the window.  Billy, you and Brad go and get some chairs out of the dining-room.  We’ll need a lot.

(WALES walks up and down L. of stage.  WILLIAM and TRENT go out door R.C.)

You put them in a circle, don’t you? (Begins to place chairs in a circle C. The chair L. of the fireplace is brought down and placed in front of the chesterfield.) What are you going to do, Wales?  Ask her a lot of questions?

WALES (L.).  I’m going to try to find out who killed Spencer Lee.

CROSBY.  Still harping on the murder of Spencer Lee?

(STANDISH places the chairs above and below the table in the circle, then the chair on the R. side of the fireplace in the circle.)

WALES.  Yes.

MASON (over R.—­opening window curtains and raising window blind). 
Who was Spencer Lee?

WALES.  The best friend I ever had.

(TRENT and WILLIAM enter door R.C., each carrying two chairs.  They bring them down R.C. and exit R.C.)

STANDISH (placing chairs C. with backs to audience).  We all knew Lee pretty well.  And I know he was no good.

WALES (moving to L.C., outside the circle).  You mustn’t talk like that about him, Standish!

CROSBY (inside the circle and coming down C.).  The man’s dead:  why not let him rest in peace?

(STANDISH outside of circle L.C. seat.)

STANDISH.  I didn’t bring up the matter, you know, and I don’t want to hurt Ned’s feelings, but I know that the police found a lot of compromising letters and rotten things of that sort.

(WILLIAM and TRENT re-enter from R.C., each carrying two chairs. WILLIAM crosses and places two chairs R. side of circle then goes back to close the door.)

WALES (L.C.).  I don’t care what they found, or what anyone thinks of Lee:  he was my best friend, and if I can find out who killed him I’m going to do it.  It was a damned brutal murder, stabbed in the back, poor chap, with never a chance to fight for his life. (Moves over L.)