MRS. EPPINGWELL Well, Freda, then. Have you thought what you are doing? It is an awkward thing to play with souls. What right have you? FREDA _(Laughing harshly.)_ Right? I have no rights. Only privileges. MRS. EPPINGWELL _(With touch of anger.)_ Licenses, I should say. _(Mrs. McFee snorts and approaches.)_ FREDA Thank you, licenses. I have licenses which you have not, for, you see, you are the wife of a captain. MRS. EPPINGWELL What do you want with this man? FREDA I might ask what you want with him? You have your husband. MRS. EPPINGWELL And you? FREDA _(Wearily.)_ Men, just men. MRS. EPPINGWELL _(Anger growing.)_ You are all that has been said of you, a destroyer of men. FREDA _(Nodding her head in assent.)_ Come on, Floyd. I want you. And be warned by Mrs. Eppingwell, I want to destroy you. _(Imperiously.)_ Come. _(Vanderlip has by now been reduced to the helplessness of a puppet. He makes to start.)_ MRS. EPPINGWELL _(Imperiously.)_ Floyd Vanderlip, you remain where you are. _(He stops.)_ FREDA _(Almost whispering.)_ Come. _(He makes to start.)_ MRS. EPPINGWELL _(Warningly, imperiously.)_ Floyd! _(He stops.)_ MRS. McFEE _(To Vanderlip, witheringly, imitating his hesitancy by bobbing her body.)_ You weak and sinful creature, bobbing here, and bobbing there, like a chicken with its head cut off! VANDERLIP _(Stirred to sudden flame of anger.)_ Once for all, Freda, I'm not going with you. FREDA _(Quietly.)_ What time is it, Floyd? VANDERLIP _(Looking at watch, startled.)_ Quarter to twelve! I must go, Mrs. Eppingwell. Good-by. _(He starts toward door at heels of Freda, who leads him by a couple of steps.)_ MRS. EPPINGWELL Shame on you, _(Freda glances back and smiles a hard smile.)_ FREDA MOLOOF. _(Calling softly.)_ Floyd! _(Vanderlip hesitates. Freda turns her face, blazingly imperious, upon him, and he slinks on after her. Dead silence.)_ _(When they reach door.)_ Help me on with my moccasins, Floyd. _(He hesitates, with a last faint spark of rebellion. She looks at him, blazingly imperious.)_ There they are. _(He is beaten. Stoops for moccasins. She sits down on bench. He puts moccasins on her feet. They stand up. He helps her on with her cloak. While he is putting on his own moccasins and a big bearskin overcoat, she pulls hood of cloak over her head and covering her ears. Then she puts on her mittens. Then she waits for him. He puts on cap and mittens and opens street door.)_ _(Recollecting, and turning toward Mrs. McFee.)_ Go, get my mask. _(He obeys, amid dead silence. Mrs. McFee mechanically surrenders mask to him. He returns. Opens door. Freda passes out. He follows.)_ CURTAIN ACT III--FREDA MOLOOF'S CABIN