RUTH. (_slowly_) I wouldn’t know how to feel love, even if I tried, any more. ANDREW. (_brutally_) And I don’t love you, that’s sure! (_He sinks into his chair, his head between his hands_) It’s damnable such a thing should be between Rob and me. Why, I love Rob better’n anybody in the world and always did. There isn’t a thing on God’s green earth I wouldn’t have done to keep trouble away from him. And I have to be the very one--it’s damnable! How am I going to face him again? What can I say to him now? (_He groans with anguished rage. After a pause_) He asked me to promise--what am I going to do? RUTH. You can promise--so’s it’ll ease his mind--and not mean anything. ANDREW. What? Lie to him now--when he’s dying? (_Determinedly_) No! It’s _you_ who’ll have to do the lying, since it must be done. You’ve got a chance now to undo some of all the suffering you’ve brought on Rob. Go in to him! Tell him you never loved me--it was all a mistake. Tell him you only said so because you were mad and didn’t know what you were saying! Tell him something, anything, that’ll bring him peace! RUTH. (_dully_) He wouldn’t believe me. ANDREW. (_furiously_) You’ve got to make him believe you, do you hear? You’ve got to--now--hurry--you never know when it may be too late. (_As she hesitates--imploringly_) For God’s sake, Ruth! Don’t you see you owe it to him? You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t. RUTH. (_dully_) I’ll go. (_She gets wearily to her feet and walks slowly toward the bedroom_) But it won’t do any good. (ANDREW’S _eyes are fixed on her anxiously. She opens the door and steps inside the room. She remains standing there for a minute. Then she calls in a frightened voice_) Rob! Where are you? (_Then she hurries back, trembling with fright_) Andy! Andy! He’s gone! ANDREW. (_misunderstanding her--his face pale with dread_) He’s not---- RUTH. (_interrupting him--hysterically_) He’s gone! The bed’s empty. The window’s wide open. He must have crawled out into the yard! ANDREW. (_springing to his feet. He rushes into the bedroom and returns immediately with an expression of alarmed amazement on his face_) Come! He can’t have gone far! (_Grabbing his hat he takes_ RUTH’S _arm and shoves her toward the door_) Come on! (_Opening the door_) Let’s hope to God---- (_The door closes behind them, cutting off his words as_ (_The Curtain Falls_) ACT THREE SCENE TWO _Same as Act One, Scene One--A section of country highway. The sky to the east is already alight with bright color and a thin, quivering line of flame is spreading slowly along the horizon rim of the dark hills. The roadside, however, is still steeped in the grayness of the dawn, shadowy and vague. The field in the foreground has a wild uncultivated appearance as if it had been allowed to remain fallow the preceding summer. Parts of the snake-fence in the rear have been broken down. The apple tree is leafless and seems dead._