[He rings an electric bell beside the mantel, and waves the paper in the air to dry it. BLANCHE enters Right.

BLANCHE.  I heard the doctor go.  Is anything serious the matter?

STERLING. If it were my body only that had gone wrong, Blanche!

[LEONARD enters Left.

[To LEONARD.] Take this prescription round the corner and have it put up.

LEONARD.  Yes, sir.

STERLING.  And bring it to me with a glass of water.

LEONARD.  Yes, sir.

[He goes out Left.

[BLANCHE is still standing. STERLING sinks into a chair, and puts his head in his hands, his elbows on the table.  He lifts his head and looks at her.

STERLING.  I know what you’re going to do; you don’t have to tell me; of course you’re going to divorce me.

BLANCHE.  No.

STERLING.  What!

[His hands drop to the table; he looks her straight in the face, doubting what he hears.

BLANCHE. [Looking back into his eyes.] No.

STERLING. [Cries.] Blanche!

[In a tone of amazement and joy.

BLANCHE.  I give you one more chance, for your sake only as my boy’s father.  But—­don’t make it impossible for me—­do you understand?

STERLING.  Yes!  I must take the true advantage of this chance your goodness gives me.  I must right myself, so that people need not hesitate to speak of his father in Richard’s presence. And this I will do. [With great conviction he rises.] I know I am at the cross-roads, and I know the way; but I don’t choose it for your reasons; I choose for my own reason—­which is that, unfit as I am, I love you.

[He speaks deliberately and with real feeling, bending over her.

BLANCHE.  I tell you truly my love for you is gone for good.

STERLING.  I’ll win it back—­you did love me, you did, didn’t you, Blanche?

BLANCHE..  I loved the man I thought you were.  Do you remember that day in the mountains when we first really came to know each other, when we walked many, many miles without dreaming of being tired?

STERLING.  And found ourselves at sunset at the top instead of below, by our hotel!  Oh, yes, I remember!  The world changed for me that day.

[He sinks back into the arm-chair, overcome, in his weakened state, by his memories and his realization of what he has made of the present.

BLANCHE.  And for me!  I knew then for the first time you loved me, and that I loved you.  Oh! how short life of a sudden seemed!  Not half long enough for the happiness it held for me! [She turns upon him with a vivid change of feeling.] Has it turned out so?

STERLING.  How different!  Oh, what a beast! what a fool!

BLANCHE. [Speaking with pathetic emotion, tears in her throat and in her eyes.] And that early summer’s day you asked me to be your wife! [She gives a little exclamation, half a sob, half a laugh.] It was in the corner of the garden; I can smell the lilacs now!  And the raindrops fell from the branches as my happy tears did on father’s shoulder that night, when I said, “Father, he will make me the happiest woman in the world!”