Has it ever occurred to you that child may misconstrue your beautiful friendship for her? MICHAEL. (_Startled._) Clare! LADY PATRICIA. (_Coldly._) Clare? MICHAEL. Er—Miss Lesley? LADY PATRICIA. Yes. MICHAEL. Oh, Patricia, how can you think such a thing! Our friendship is like the friendship of two men or two women, the elder tenderly guiding the younger towards a higher, saner, nobler, larger view of life. (_He glances apprehensively at the tree._) LADY PATRICIA. Exquisite! Ideal! But haven’t you noticed, Michael, that the child no longer accepts your companionship with the same frank pleasure as before? I have watched her lately. It seems to me as though she were always trying to avoid you. MICHAEL. (_Roused._) Avoid _me_! Clare! LADY PATRICIA. Do you call her by her Christian name? MICHAEL. Only in moments of excitement. Avoid me! Impossible! LADY PATRICIA. No, dear, not impossible. And when a girl pointedly avoids a man, it too often means—pursue me. MICHAEL. (_Distinctly relieved._) Ah!... Ah! yes. But I think you must be mistaken. LADY PATRICIA. Indeed, I hope so. But you must be careful. You are so attractive, Michael. MICHAEL. Oh, nonsense, darling!... Strangely enough, a week or two ago I was on the point of warning you in just the same way. LADY PATRICIA. Warning me? MICHAEL. I used to watch that boy’s eyes when he looked at you. They were the eyes of a loving spaniel. LADY PATRICIA. Cousin Bill’s? MICHAEL. Yes; and I felt sorry for him. But I think his infatuation was only temporary. LADY PATRICIA. (_Sharply._) Temporary? What do you mean? MICHAEL. He no longer sits at your feet and follows you about as much as he used to. LADY PATRICIA. You are quite wrong. His cousinly affection is the same now as it ever was. He was never in any way infatuated. MICHAEL. How could he help it, dearest? You are so wonderful! LADY PATRICIA. Am I? I wonder! (_A pause._) I think we really ought to join the others now, dearest. MICHAEL. (_With a glance into the tree._) Very well. (_LADY PATRICIA, who has moved towards the ladder on the left, turns and notices MICHAEL’S upward gaze._) LADY PATRICIA. What is it, dear? MICHAEL. I—I was looking for a star. LADY PATRICIA. Which star? MICHAEL. Arcturus. LADY PATRICIA. But Arcturus is low in the west. MICHAEL. How stupid of me! (_They go out. The stage is empty for a moment. The nightingale sings on. Then BALDWIN enters—hurriedly for him—up the central ladder. He goes—softly for him—to the summer-house, after carefully looking over the edge of the platform to see that the coast is quite clear. He listens, nods his head, and grins. Then he taps gently on the door and listens again. Receiving no reply, he taps once more and listens. Finally he speaks in a husky whisper._) BALDWIN.