The figure of Chloe, in a black cloak, appears outside in the moonlight; she peers in, moves past, comes bank, hesitatingly enters.  The cloak, fallen back, reveals a white evening dress; and that magpie figure stands poised watchfully in the dim light, then flaps unhappily Left and Right, as if she could not keep still.  Suddenly she stands listening.

Rolf’s voice. [Outside] Chloe!  Chloe!

     [He appears]

Chloe. [Going to the window] What are you doing here?

Rolf.  What are you?  I only followed you.

Chloe.  Go away.

Rolf.  What’s the matter?  Tell me!

Chloe.  Go away, and don’t say anything.  Oh!  The roses! [She has put her nose into some roses in a bowl on a big stand close to the window] Don’t they smell lovely?

Rolf.  What did Jill want this afternoon?

Chloe.  I’ll tell you nothing.  Go away!

Rolf.  I don’t like leaving you here in this state.

Chloe.  What state?  I’m all right.  Wait for me down in the drive, if you want to.

[Rolf starts to go, stops, looks at her, and does go.  Chloe, with a little moaning sound, flutters again, magpie-like, up and down, then stands by the window listening.  Voices are heard, Left.  She darts out of the window and away to the Right, as Hillcrist and Jill come in.  They have turned up the electric light, and come down in frond of the fireplace, where Hillcrist sits in an armchair, and Jill on the arm of it.  They are in undress evening attire.]

Hillcrist. Now, tell me.

Jill.  There isn’t much, Dodo.  I was in an awful funk for fear I should meet any of the others, and of course I did meet Rolf, but I told him some lie, and he took me to her room-boudoir, they call it —­isn’t boudoir a “dug-out” word?

Hillcrist. [Meditatively] The sulking room.  Well?

Jill.  She was sitting like this. [She buries her chin in her hands, wide her elbows on her knees] And she said in a sort of fierce way:  “What do you want?” And I said:  “I’m awfully sorry, but I thought you might like it.”

Hillcrist. Well?

Jill.  She looked at me hard, and said:  “I suppose you know all about it.”  And I Said:  “Only vaguely,” because of course I don’t.  And she said:  “Well, it was decent of you to come.”  Dodo, she looks like a lost soul.  What has she done?

Hillcrist. She committed her real crime when she married young Hornblower without telling him.  She came out of a certain world to do it.

Jill.  Oh! [Staring in front of her] Is it very awful in that world, Dodo?

Hillcrist. [Uneasy] I don’t know, Jill.  Some can stand it, I suppose; some can’t.  I don’t know which sort she is.