COLONEL. ‘So? And she is not exactly young? Twice your age, Steve?’ STEVE, with excusable heat, ‘Not at all. But she is of the age when a woman knows her own mind--which makes the whole affair extraordinarily flattering.’ With undoubtedly a shudder of disgust Amy closes the cupboard door. Steve continues to behave in the most gallant manner. ‘You must not quiz me, Colonel, for her circumstances are such that her partiality for me puts her in a dangerous position, and I would go to the stake rather than give her away.’ COLONEL. ‘Quite so.’ He makes obeisance to the beauty of the sentiment, and then proceeds to an examination of the hearthrug. STEVE. ‘What are you doing?’ COLONEL. ‘Trying to find out for myself whether she comes here.’ STEVE. ‘How can you find that out by crawling about my carpet?’ COLONEL. ‘I am looking for hair-pins--triumphantly holding up a lady’s glove--‘and I have found one!’ They have been too engrossed to hear the bell ring, but now voices are audible. STEVE. ‘There is some one coming up.’ COLONEL. ‘Perhaps it is _she_, Steve! No, that is Alice’s voice. Catch, you scoundrel,’ and he tosses him the glove. Alice is shown in, and is warmly acclaimed. She would not feel so much at ease if she knew who, hand on heart, has recognised her through the pantry key-hole. STEVE, as he makes Alice comfortable by the fire, ‘How did you leave them at home?’ ALICE, relapsing into gloom, ‘All hating me.’ STEVE. ‘This man says that home is the most delightful club in the world.’ ALICE. ‘I am not a member; I have been blackballed by my own baby. Robert, I dined in state with Cosmo, and he was so sulky that he ate his fish without salt rather than ask me to pass it.’ COLONEL. ‘Where was Amy?’ ALICE. ‘Amy said she had a headache and went to bed. I spoke to her through the door before I came out, but she wouldn’t answer.’ COLONEL. ‘Why didn’t you go in, memsahib?’ ALICE. ‘I did venture to think of it, but she had locked the door. Robert, I really am worried about Amy. She seems to me to behave oddly. There can’t be anything wrong?’ COLONEL. ‘Of course not, Alice--eh, Steve?’ STEVE. ‘Bless you, no.’ ALICE, smiling, ‘It’s much Steve knows about women.’ STEVE. ‘I’m not so unattractive to women, Alice, as you think.’ ALICE. ‘Listen to him, Robert!’ COLONEL. ‘What he means, my dear, is that you should see him with elderly ladies.’ ALICE. ‘Steve, this to people who know you.’ Here something happens to Amy’s skirt. She has opened the door to hear, then in alarm shut it, leaving a fragment of skirt caught in the door. There, unseen, it bides its time. STEVE, darkly, ‘Don’t be so sure you know me, Alice.’ COLONEL, enjoying himself, ‘Let us tell her, Steve! I am dying to tell her.’ STEVE, grandly, ‘No, no.’