Much good did my innocence do me yesterday when they gave me “the benefit of the doubt,” and sent me out of the Court ruined! OLIVE. It does you this much good—that now _I_ am satisfied as to your innocence I am prepared to serve you humbly and faithfully. Oh, Mrs. Fraser, I would be a true friend to you this time! [_Rising and standing before_ THEOPHILA.] Come, forgive me! THEOPHILA. [_In a low voice._] Well, for the months of awful trouble you gave me, and for those two days in the Divorce Court—yes, you’re welcome to my forgiveness for all that. [_Her voice hardening, her hands clenched._] But not for last night! OLIVE. You mustn’t make me wholly responsible for what took place last night. THEOPHILA. I do hold you responsible. Why—they’ve told me the story—I know that, when my note to your husband was handed to him, he wanted to send a message to me excusing himself from meeting me. Did you let the message go? There was I waiting out in the lane, my people in this room, all in a fidget to hurry to me and take me away. Did you let them come to me? No, you huddled them out of the way, and then drew your husband into your plot, and trapped me in here. I was the poor rat, half dead, who had been well worried, but who’d a little life still left; so you had me in, panting, and got another few minutes’ sport out of me—— OLIVE. [_Her hands to her brows._] Oh, don’t, don’t! Mrs. Fraser, at any rate, it was through last night that you cleared yourself—— THEOPHILA. [_Rising, and speaking fiercely._] Cleared myself! Yes, and a pretty price you were the cause of my paying for “clearing myself!” Do you think I’d have willingly cleared myself at that cost? Ah, no decent woman could afford it! Cleared myself! OLIVE. You were mad when you——. You were mad. THEOPHILA. You know better! I was sane enough! But mad, or sane, or—or whatever I was, I shall never think the same of myself again, never feel quite the same again. And to-day I’m to forgive you for it! No, if you came to me and told me that you’d just saved the life of some one dear to me, I couldn’t forgive you for last night. I couldn’t! No woman could! [OLIVE _walks away and stands, looking out into the garden_. OLIVE. [_After a pause, speaking in a hard voice._] Excuse me for saying so, Mrs. Fraser—but I think you regard your share in the affair of last night more as a schoolgirl would regard it, than as a woman; rather sentimentally, in fact. THEOPHILA.