JAYSON--[Testily.] Sshhh! Have you no respect for anything? LILY--[Resentfully.] If I had, I'd have lost it when I saw all of you pulling such long faces in the church where you knew you were under observation. Pah! Such hypocrisy! And then, to cap it all, Emily has to force out a few crocodile tears at the grave! EMILY--[Indignantly.] When I saw Curt--that's why I cried--not for her! JAYSON--What a scene Curt made! I actually believe he wanted to throw himself into the grave! DICK--You BELIEVE he wanted to! Why, it was all Mark and I could do to hold him, wasn't it, Mark? [SHEFFIELD nods.] JAYSON--Intolerable! I never expected he'd turn violent like that. He's seemed calm enough the past three days. LILY--Calm! Yes, just like a corpse is calm! JAYSON--[Distractedly.] And now this perfectly mad idea of going away to-day to join that infernal expedition--leaving that child on our hands--the child he has never even looked at! Why, it's too monstrously flagrant! He's deliberately flaunting this scandal in everyone's face! JOHN--[Firmly.] He must be brought to time. SHEFFIELD--Yes, we must talk to him--quite openly, if we're forced to. After all, I guess he realizes the situation more keenly than any of us. LILY--[Who has wandered to window on right.] You mean you think he believes--Well, I don't. And you had better be careful not to let him guess what you think. [Pointing outside.] There's my proof. There he is walking about with Bigelow. Can you imagine Curt doing that--if he thought for a moment-- DICK--Oh, I guess Curt isn't all fool. He knows that's the very best way to keep people from suspecting. ESTHER--[Indignantly.] But wouldn't you think that Bigelow person--It's disgusting, his sticking to Curt like this. SHEFFIELD--Well, for one, I'm becoming quite resigned to Bigelow's presence. In the first place, he seems to be the only one who can bring Curt to reason. Then again, I feel that it is to Bigelow's own interest to convince Curt that he mustn't provoke an open scandal by running away without acknowledging this child. LILY--[Suddenly bursting forth hysterically.] Oh, I hate you, all of you! I loathe your suspicions--and I loathe myself because I'm beginning to be poisoned by them, too. EMILY--Really, Lily, at this late hour--after the way Curt has acted--and her last words when she was dying-- LILY--[Distractedly.] I know! Shut up! Haven't you told it a million times already? [MRS. DAVIDSON gets up and walks to the door, rear. She has been crying softly during this scene, oblivious to the talk around her.] JAYSON--[Testily.] Aunt Elizabeth! Where are you going? [As she doesn't answer but goes out into the hall.] Esther, go with her and see that she doesn't-- ESTHER--[Gets up with a jealous irritation.] She's only going up to see the baby. She's simply forgotten everything else in the world!