He makes a little bow to Canynge and Twisden, and turns to face Dancy, who has never moved.  The two stand motionless, looking at each other, then de Levis shrugs his shoulders and walks out.  When he is gone there is a silence.

Canynge. [Suddenly] You heard what he said, Dancy.  You have no time to lose.

But Dancy does not stir.

Twisden.  Captain Dancy?

Slowly, without turning his head, rather like a man in a dream,
Dancy walks across the room, and goes out.

Curtain.

SCENE III

The Dancys’ sitting-room, a few minutes later.  Mabel Dancy is sitting alone on the sofa with a newspaper on her lap; she is only just up, and has a bottle of smelling-salts in her hand.  Two or three other newspapers are dumped on the arm of the sofa.  She topples the one off her lap and takes up another as if she couldn’t keep away from them; drops it in turn, and sits staring before her, sniffing at the salts.  The door, Right, is opened and Dancy comes in.

Mabel. [Utterly surprised] Ronny!  Do they want me in Court?

Dancy.  No.

Mabel.  What is it, then?  Why are you back?

Dancy.  Spun.

Mabel. [Blank] Spun?  What do you mean?  What’s spun?

Dancy.  The case.  They’ve found out through those notes.

Mabel.  Oh! [Staring at his face] Who?

Dancy.  Me!

Mabel. [After a moment of horrified stillness] Don’t, Ronny!  Oh!  No! 
Don’t! [She buries her face in the pillows of the sofa].

     Dancy stands looking down at her.

Dancy.  Pity you wouldn’t come to Africa three months ago.

Mabel.  Why didn’t you tell me then?  I would have gone.

Dancy.  You wanted this case.  Well, it’s fallen down.

Mabel.  Oh!  Why didn’t I face it?  But I couldn’t—­I had to believe.

Dancy.  And now you can’t.  It’s the end, Mabel.

Mabel. [Looking up at him] No.

     Dancy goes suddenly on his knees and seizes her hand.

Dancy.  Forgive me!

Mabel. [Putting her hand on his head] Yes; oh, yes!  I think I’ve known a long time, really.  Only—­why?  What made you?

Dancy. [Getting up and speaking in jerks] It was a crazy thing to do; but, damn it, I was only looting a looter.  The money was as much mine as his.  A decent chap would have offered me half.  You didn’t see the brute look at me that night at dinner as much as to say:  “You blasted fool!” It made me mad.  That wasn’t a bad jump-twice over.  Nothing in the war took quite such nerve. [Grimly] I rather enjoyed that evening.