Act 2 Summary

This scene opens in John and Margaret's apartment, which also serves as John's studio. Margaret sets the table for breakfast while Maggie stands in the background. Margaret calls to John to get up, pours coffee, and tries to decide how to cook the one remaining egg in the apartment. Maggie urges Margaret to scramble the egg so that it can be shared but Margaret boils it so that John may have it. Maggie wonders when Margaret will ever stop devoting herself to John and start taking care of her own needs, but Margaret ignores Maggie.

Margaret moves to view the almost-completed portrait of Harriet and Maggie wonders why John is deliberately drawing out the time to complete the painting. Margaret tries to silence Maggie who claims that John thinks only of Harriet. However Maggie is intent on getting the money as soon as...