(_You hear LADY PATRICIA’S voice just beneath talking to MICHAEL. BILL exclaims with a scared look_:) She’s coming here!... CLARE. Well?... (_With dawning comprehension. She seizes his arm._) Bill—you don’t mean to say that she—— (_MICHAEL is heard replying to LADY PATRICIA. CLARE whispers with startled eyes_:) That’s he! BILL. (_Staring at her._) That’s Michael.... Good God! Clare, it’s not—it’s not Michael that you—— CLARE. Hush!... They’re going past.... BILL. (_In a fierce undertone._) The blackguard! CLARE. What do you mean? BILL. If I hadn’t been a blind fool, I would have seen through this precious friendship for you long ago. It never dawned on me that the fellow was such a scoundrel. And a precious hypocrite, too, by Jove! Playing up so as to make that poor, trusting woman believe him madly in love with her.... CLARE. That poor, trusting woman? Are you, by any chance, speaking of Patricia? BILL. Of course I am. Hanging about her neck while all the time he’s making love to an innocent girl! It’s perfectly disgusting! CLARE. And what has your noble, high-souled Patricia been doing, I should like to know? Shamming infatuation for poor Michael to hide her shameful flirtation with a callow boy. BILL. It was not a shameful flirtation—and I’m no more a callow boy than you are. CLARE. What amazes me is that you should ever have allowed yourself to be fooled by a shallow, deceitful _poseuse_ like Patricia. BILL. She hasn’t fooled me. She’s deeply and truly in love with me. CLARE. Contradiction isn’t argument: it’s merely rude. BILL. If it had been any one else but Michael there might have been some excuse for you. But Michael! How could you? A dull, priggish ass—— CLARE. He’s not a dull, priggish ass! BILL. Contradiction isn’t argument: it’s merely rude. CLARE. How dare you speak to me like that! BILL. (_Sulkily._) I beg your pardon. (_He moves away from her, and they both stand staring in opposite directions._) CLARE. (_After a pause._) I don’t think there’s anything more to be said. BILL. Neither do I. (_A pause._) CLARE. Nothing. BILL. Nothing. (_A pause._) CLARE. Things must remain as they are. BILL. Yes, I suppose they must. (_A pause._) CLARE. Of course, any one who was at all unprejudiced would see at once the—the higher morality of my decision. BILL. The what? CLARE. The higher morality. Michael has often told me that our pure love and the fact that he does his duty as best he can to his wife are the only things that keep him from suicide.... BILL. (_Under his breath._) Bosh! CLARE. I beg your pardon? BILL. Nothing.... It’s awfully funny to think of Michael spooning away with you and Patricia and boring you both to death without knowing it. CLARE. I don’t see that it’s any funnier than Patricia doing the same with you and Michael.