LADY KITTY. Oh, I was, dreadfully. Night after night I sobbed my heart out when Hughie told me he was going to play cards at the club and I knew he was with that odious woman. Of course, it wasn't as if there weren't plenty of men who were only too anxious to console me. Men have always been attracted by me, you know. ELIZABETH. Oh, of course, I can quite understand it. LADY KITTY. But I had my self-respect to think of. I felt that whatever Hughie did I would do nothing that I should regret. ELIZABETH. You must be very glad now. LADY KITTY. Oh, yes. Notwithstanding all my temptations I've been absolutely faithful to Hughie in spirit. ELIZABETH. I don't think I quite understand what you mean. LADY KITTY. Well, there was a poor Italian boy, young Count Castel Giovanni, who was so desperately in love with me that his mother begged me not to be too cruel. She was afraid he'd go into a consumption. What could I do? And then, oh, years later, there was Antonio Melita. He said he'd shoot himself unless I--well, you understand I couldn't let the poor boy shoot himself. ELIZABETH. D'you think he really would have shot himself? LADY KITTY. Oh, one never knows, you know. Those Italians are so passionate. He was really rather a lamb. He had such beautiful eyes. [_ELIZABETH looks at her for a long time and a certain horror seizes her of this dissolute, painted old woman._ ELIZABETH. [_Hoarsely._] Oh, but I think that's--dreadful. LADY KITTY. Are you shocked? One sacrifices one's life for love and then one finds that love doesn't last. The tragedy of love isn't death or separation. One gets over them. The tragedy of love is indifference. [_ARNOLD comes in._ ARNOLD. Can I have a little talk with you, Elizabeth? ELIZABETH. Of course. ARNOLD. Shall we go for a stroll in the garden? ELIZABETH. If you like. LADY KITTY. No, stay here. I'm going out anyway. [_Exit LADY KITTY._ ARNOLD. I want you to listen to me for a few minutes, Elizabeth. I was so taken aback by what you told me just now that I lost my head. I was rather absurd and I beg your pardon. I said things I regret. ELIZABETH. Oh, don't blame yourself. I'm sorry that I should have given you occasion to say them. ARNOLD. I want to ask you if you've quite made up your mind to go. ELIZABETH. Quite. ARNOLD. Just now I seem to have said all that I didn't want to say and nothing that I did. I'm stupid and tongue-tied. I never told you how deeply I loved you. ELIZABETH. Oh, Arnold! ARNOLD. Please let me speak now. It's so very difficult. If I seemed absorbed in politics and the house, and so on, to the exclusion of my interest in you, I'm dreadfully sorry. I suppose it was absurd of me to think you would take my great love for granted. ELIZABETH. But, Arnold, I'm not reproaching you. ARNOLD. I'm reproaching myself. I've been tactless and neglectful. But I do ask you to believe that it hasn't been because I didn't love you. Can you forgive me?