In the flickering light the three chairs grow unutterably mournful. II Hunger The Celestial Quire. The lambent sea-green flames that are the celestial quire burn shrilly, striving.... They describe the circle which is Kosmos, swirling shrilly. When they writhe it is outside three-dimensioned space. Forever they return in their orbits. * * * * * Forever they return in their orbits. If they writhe at all, it is outside the three-dimensioned spaces. They do not touch each other. They do not clash with each other. * * * * * Nor is there light in Space. III A room. Sombre faces of 1, 2, and 4 (women) in profile. Man (3) with back to audience. They are seated round a gas fire. Glow seen through legs and chair legs. A silent duel in progress between 1 and 3 seated diagonally. 2 and 4, more or less neutral, obscure issue. * * * * * Conversation clockwise (need not be materialised). 1. “What shall it be then, Cerise?” 2. “It was a lovely party.” 3. “Pouf” (lights a cigarette). 4. Sighs (blow out smoke). Silence. Conversation resumed. Same things more or less. The man’s back becomes inimical, hating 1. His back muscles prepare to spring and so ripple to crouch. 1 trembles, fearful. Tries to talk to show her nonchalance, fails. Her heart beats thud, thud, thud. 2 and 4 neutral, disturb inimic waves. The man loses his tenseness. Obscurely he collects all his forces for a final overwhelming, but they dissipate among 2 and 4 (neutral). 4 now becomes sympathetic to him and so drains more vitality. 1 stiffens, gathers that 2 is her ally. Also 4 unconsciously. Man rises to his feet. For a moment tries to gather vitality through firm feet and twitching fingers. His shoulders fall, he stumbles out. Three sighs of relief. * * * * * Conversation: 1. What shall it be? 2. Such a lot of men! * * * * * Hours later: 1 in bed. Mass of shadow on white sheets. Cannot sleep, tosses about. Attack of nerves. One feels it has gone on for hours. She seeks relief. IV To S. E. R. Man and Woman, face to face. Same height. Woman facing audience. Woman mad, breathing heavily, whites of eyes showing, striking man in face, once ... twice. His back is to audience. No muscle of it moves. (Inert—a crumbling block of salt). Her madness drops. His passivity makes her doubt his reality—then her own. In the uncertain pause, she is again assured of her reality. More blows, same effects. Tears blind her, she dashes them away. More blows, face distorted. Still same effects.