[_They sit near each other._ BLANCHE. I don't want to talk with him till I see more clearly what I am going to do. RUTH. Mr. Warden told me last night all that happened at "The Hermitage." But on your ride home with Dick? BLANCHE. We never spoke. [_She rises._] Aunt Ruth, I am going to leave him. RUTH. [_Rising._] No! BLANCHE. [_Walking up and down._] Why not? _Everybody_ does. RUTH. [_Going to her._] That's just it. _Be somebody!_ Don't do the easy, weak thing. Be strong; be an example to other women. Heaven knows it's time they had one! [MRS. HUNTER _enters Right._ BLANCHE _meets her._ MRS. HUNTER. Good morning, my poor dear. [_Going to kiss_ BLANCHE. BLANCHE. [_Taking_ MRS. HUNTER'S _hand and not kissing her._] Good morning. MRS. HUNTER. Clara's gone upstairs to see little Richard. Good morning, Ruth. [_She adds this with a manner of being on the defensive._ RUTH. [_Dryly._] Good morning. MRS. HUNTER. [_Sitting by the table and looking at the picture papers._] Isn't it awful! What are you going to do? BLANCHE. I don't know yet, mother. MRS. HUNTER. _Don't know?_ Absolute divorce--no legal separation! [_To_ RUTH.] We're staying at the Waldorf. [BLANCHE _sits discouragedly on the sofa._ RUTH. [_Sitting beside her._] I shall advise against, and do everything in my power to prevent, Blanche's getting a divorce! MRS. HUNTER. You don't mean to say you'll carry those ridiculous notions of yours into practice?--now that a scandal has come into our very family? RUTH. Oh, I know selfish, cynical, and worldly people won't agree with me, and I pity and sympathize with Blanche from the bottom of my heart. [_Taking and holding_ BLANCHE'S _hand._] But I want her not to decide anything now; wait till the first blows over, and then--well, then I feel sure she will do the strong, noble thing--the difficult thing--not the easy. BLANCHE. [_Withdraws her hand from_ RUTH'S.] _No_, you ask too much of me, Aunt Ruth; I can't do it. RUTH. I say don't decide now--wait. BLANCHE. I don't want to wait. I want to decide now and to cut my life free, entirely, from Dick's. RUTH. You used to agree with me. I've heard you decry these snapshot, rapid-transit, tunnel divorces many a time. I've heard you say when a woman has made her bed, she must lie in it--make the best of her bad bargain. BLANCHE. I always sympathized with a woman who sought a divorce in this state. RUTH. Oh, yes, but _you can't_, can you? BLANCHE. No, but I'm not strong enough to fight out an unhappy life for the sake of setting an example to other women--women who _don't want_ the example set! RUTH. Blanche, I counted on you to be strong, to be big-- BLANCHE. [_With a voice full of emotion._] But I love Ned Warden. He loves me--life stretches out long before us. Dick has disgraced us all. I don't love him--should I give _my_ happiness and Mr. Warden's happiness for _him_?