Get your hat! [SIR FLETCHER _goes out_. MRS. CLOYS _turns to_ JUSTINA.] Telegraph to the Bishop of St. Olpherts, The Palace, St. Olpherts: “Detained here to-night. Return, D.V., forenoon to-morrow. Get to bed early. Affectionate messages.—H.” [_The sound of a cab-whistle, twice or thrice repeated, is heard._ JUSTINA. “Detained here to-night. Return forenoon to-morrow——” MRS. CLOYS. “D.V.” JUSTINA. “D.V. Go to bed early——” MRS. CLOYS. Say, “Be in bed by eleven.” JUSTINA. Yes. “Love——” MRS. CLOYS. No, no—“Affectionate messages.” JUSTINA. “Affectionate messages.—H.” MRS. CLOYS. Thank you. JUSTINA. Aunt! When I see Alec Fraser, am I to say anything—about what you are doing? MRS. CLOYS. For mercy’s sake, don’t put any idea into his head that isn’t there already! Not a word to a soul—— [CLAUDE _appears in the doorway, hat in hand_. CLAUDE. Cab, aunt. MRS. CLOYS. I’m coming. [CLAUDE _withdraws_.] Not a word, except that we’ve gone out, blindly, to try and find her. JUSTINA. Wait! you must tell me; do you suspect that Theophila is—guilty? MRS. CLOYS. [_Looking at her steadily._] Woman, what do _you_ suspect? JUSTINA. [_Falteringly._] Then I can’t understand you. MRS. CLOYS. Why not, pray? JUSTINA. I’ve always taken you for one of those who pick up their skirts and stalk away as far as possible from this kind of thing. MRS. CLOYS. Ah, you don’t—[_moved_]—oh, my dear! JUSTINA. What? MRS. CLOYS. You don’t know what was really at the bottom of all my quarrels with your mother. I’ve no children. I’d have given the world if Theo had been mine. JUSTINA. [_A little bitterly._] Theo! Theo! MRS. CLOYS. [_Taking her by the shoulder, almost shaking her._] You, too! [_Kissing her._] Bless you, you’d have been better than nothing! [_She goes out._ JUSTINA _stands, her lips parted, staring into space_. END OF THE FIRST ACT. THE SECOND ACT