MASON.  How’ll we prevent it?

WARDEN.  First, we must break up this party!

MASON.  How?

WARDEN.  I haven’t quite thought yet.  Go back to the others; send Jordan to me; don’t lose sight of Dick.  Jordan! [He takes him aside.] I want you to go out of this room for a minute, pretend to go upstairs, then come back and tell Mrs. Sterling, loud enough for the others to hear you, that Master Richard is very ill, and say the maid is frightened.

JORDAN. [Hesitating.] But—­

WARDEN. [Quickly and firmly.] Do as I tell you.  I am responsible for whatever happens.

[JORDAN goes out at back.  The men and women are laughing and talking about the sideboard.

BLANCHE.  Come now, everybody!  Let’s have the presents.  Dick, you know you are to be Santa Claus.

[STERLING looks nervously at his watch.

STERLING.  Just a minute, dear!  Ned! [Takes WARDEN to one side.  The women move about the tree, hunting for their own names on the stockings on the table at the foot of the tree.] Ned, I’ve been suddenly called out of town on business—­must catch the eleven-twenty train.  I don’t want to break up the party, so you empty the tree, and when the time comes for me to go, I’ll slip out.

WARDEN.  And when your guests go?

STERLING.  Oh, then you can explain for me.

[JORDAN enters at back.

JORDAN. [To BLANCHE.] Beg pardon, madam, but Master Richard is very ill.

BLANCHE. [Alarmed.] Richard!

JORDAN.  Yes, ma’am, and Droves is very frightened, ma’am.

RUTH.  Richard ill?

[All give exclamations of surprise and regret and sympathy.

BLANCHE.  My little boy ill?  Excuse me, I must go to him.

[She hurries out at back. RUTH speaks to the musicians, who stop playing.

STERLING. [Moved.] My boy ill—­why, I can’t—­I can’t—­

WARDEN.  “Can’t” what?

STERLING.  How can I go away?

WARDEN.  Surely you won’t let business take you away from your boy who may be dying.

STERLING.  No!  I won’t go!  I’ll face it out!  I can’t leave my boy like this—­

RUTH. [Coming to STERLING.] I’m going to take these women away; tell Blanche not to give them a thought.  Their evening up to now has been charming.

[During RUTH’S speech, WARDEN has spoken aside with MASON.

WARDEN. [Aside to MASON.] Don’t let Miss Hunter go.

RUTH. [To the other guests.] Come to the drawing-room.

MRS. HUNTER.  I was crazy to see what was in my stocking.

[All pass out talking, expressing conventional sympathy on account of RICHARD, but evidently resenting the breaking up of the party. STERLING and WARDEN are left alone in the room. STERLING moves to go up to back; WARDEN interrupts him.