ALICE. ‘She could have taken a cab; I gave her the address. Don’t be so hard, Robert, I am teaching you to dance.’ She is off with him again. COLONEL. ‘Steve, the madcap.’ He falls into a chair, but sees the room still going round. It is Alice’s chance; she pounces upon Amy’s hand, whirls her out of the hiding place, and seems to greet her at the other door. ALICE. ‘Amy!’ COLONEL, jumping up, ‘Not really? Hallo! I never for a moment--It was true, then. Amy, you are a good little girl to come.’ AMY, to whom this is a not unexpected step in the game, ‘Dear father.’ STEVE, to whom it is a very unexpected step indeed, ‘Amy! Is this--your daughter, Alice?’ ALICE, wondering at the perfidy of the creature, ‘I forgot that you don’t know her, Steve.’ STEVE. ‘But if--if this is your daughter--you are the mother.’ ALICE. ‘The mother?’ COLONEL, jovially, ‘Well thought out, Steve. He is a master mind, Alice.’ STEVE. ‘But--but----’ Mercifully Amy has not lost her head. She is here to save them all. AMY. ‘Introduce me, father.’ COLONEL. ‘He is astounded at our having such a big girl.’ STEVE, thankfully, ‘Yes, that’s it.’ COLONEL. ‘Amy, my old friend, Steve Rollo--Steve, this is our rosebud.’ STEVE, blinking, ‘How do you do?’ AMY, sternly, ‘How do you do?’ COLONEL. ‘But, bless me, Amy, you are a swell.’ AMY, flushing, ‘It is only evening dress.’ COLONEL. ‘I bet she didn’t dress for us, Alice; it was all done for Steve.’ ALICE. ‘Yes, for Steve.’ COLONEL. ‘But don’t hang in me, chicken, hang in your mother. Steve, why are you staring at Alice?’ We know why he is staring at Alice, but of course he is too gallant a gentleman to tell. Besides his astonishment has dazed him. STEVE. ‘Was I?’ ALICE, with her arms extended, ‘Amy, don’t be afraid of me.’ AMY, going into them contemptuously, ‘I’m not.’ COLONEL, badgered, ‘Then kiss and make it up.’ Amy bestows a cold kiss upon her mother. Alice weeps. ‘This is too much. Just wait till I get you home. Are you both ready?’ It is then that Amy makes her first mistake. The glove that the Colonel has tossed to Steve is lying on a chair, and she innocently begins to put it on. Her father stares at her; his wife does not know why. ALICE. ‘We are ready, Robert. Why don’t you come? Robert, what is it?’ COLONEL, darkening, ‘Steve knows what it is; Amy doesn’t as yet. The simple soul has given herself away so innocently that it is almost a shame to take notice of it. But I must, Steve. Come, man, it can’t be difficult to explain.’ In this Steve evidently differs from him. ALICE. ‘Robert, you frighten me.’ COLONEL. ‘Still tongue-tied, Steve. Before you came here, Alice, I found a lady’s glove on the floor.’ ALICE, quickly, ‘That isn’t our affair, Robert.’ COLONEL. ‘Yes; I’ll tell you why. Amy has just put on that glove.’ ALICE. ‘It isn’t hers, dear.’