No, Laura, I don’t scoff at anything that can be done for cripples. Since men have been crippled, cripples must be helped. I only say--Don’t cripple minds--strong free minds that might go--we know not where! Might go into places where the light of a mind has never been. [_Rising._] Think of it! Think of that chance of making life even greater than death. [_With passion._] If you have any respect for life--any reverence--you have to leave the mind free. I do not scoff at you, but you are not a serious person. You have no faith--no hope--no self-respect! LAURA [_Rising._] _You_ tell me I have no self-respect! You who have not cared what people thought of you--who have not had the sense of fitness--the taste--to hold the place you were born to--you tell me, against whom no word was ever spoken, that I have no self-respect? MARGARET You have a blameless reputation, Laura. You have no self-respect. If you had any respect for your own mind you could not be willing to limit the mind of any other. If you had any respect for your own spiritual life you could not be willing to push _your_ self into the spiritual life of another. [_Roughly._] No! You could not. [_As one seeing far._] I see it as I never saw it. Oh I wish I could talk to Bernice! Something is _down_. I could see things as I never saw them. LAURA [_Gathering up the things she had been working with._] I will go before I am insulted further. MARGARET There’s nothing insulting in trying to find the truth. [_Impulsively reaching out her hands to LAURA, as she is indignantly going._] Oh, Laura, we die so soon! We live so in the dark. We never become what we might be. I should think we could help each other more. LAURA [_After being a moment held._] It would have to be done more sympathetically. MARGARET I didn’t mean to be unsympathetic. [_Watching LAURA go up the stairs._] I suppose that’s the trouble with me. [_She stands a moment thinking of this. Then there is something she wants to say. She knows then that she is alone--and in this room. Slowly she turns and faces the closed door. Stands so, quite still, realizing. Suddenly turns to the stairway, goes up a few steps._] Craig! [_Listens, then goes up another step and calls a little louder._] Craig! LAURA [_From above._] Please don’t disturb Craig, Margaret. [_MARGARET hesitates, turns to go down. A door opens above._ CRAIG Did some one call me? MARGARET I did, Craig. I’m down here alone--lonely. CRAIG [_As if glad to do so._] I’ll come down. [_After coming._] I wanted to come down. I thought Laura was down here. I can’t pretend--not tonight. MARGARET No. I can’t. I wanted so to talk to Bernice, and when I couldn’t I--called to you. CRAIG