[At the fireplace]

Jack!  Do you blame me?

Hillcrist. [Motionless] No.

Mrs. H. Or Dawker?  He’s done his best.

Hillcrist. No.

Mrs. H. [Approaching] What is it?

Hillcrist. Hypocrite!

     [Jill comes running in at the window.]

Jill.  Dodo, she’s moved; she’s spoken.  It may not be so bad.

Hillcrist. Thank God for that!

     [Fellows enters, Left.]

Fellows.  The Jackmans, ma’am.

Hillcrist. Who?  What’s this?

     [The Jackmans have entered, standing close to the door.]

Mrs. J. We’re so glad we can go back, sir—­ma’am, we just wanted to thank you.

     [There is a silence.  They see that they are not welcome.]

Thank you kindly, sir.  Good night, ma’am.

     [They shuffle out. ]

Hillcrist. I’d forgotten their existence. [He gets up] What is it that gets loose when you begin a fight, and makes you what you think you’re not?  What blinding evil!  Begin as you may, it ends in this —­skin game!  Skin game!

Jill. [Rushing to him] It’s not you, Dodo; it’s not you, beloved Dodo.

Hillcrist. It is me.  For I am, or should be, master in this house!

Mrs. H. I don’t understand.

Hillcrist. When we began this fight, we had clean hands—­are they clean’ now?  What’s gentility worth if it can’t stand fire?

CURTAIN