The Children's Hour, Act 3 Summary

In the now abandoned schoolroom Karen and Martha sit deep in thought. Mrs. Mortar arrives, back from her acting tour. Bitter conversation with Martha reveals that she and Karen attempted their lawsuit and lost, at least partly because Mrs. Mortar refused to testify to what she meant by her overheard comments (see Act 1). Mrs. Mortar attempts to apologize, but Karen and Martha send her out.

As Mrs. Mortar goes, Joe comes in, talking about how much better things will be once they've all moved to Vienna, where he has a job lined up. After Martha goes out, Karen tells Joe to think about whether he truly believes in the relationship, and he agrees. After he goes, Martha comes back in, becomes upset when she discovers what Karen has done, and eventually confesses that she loves Karen in...