HILLCRIST. She committed her real crime when she married young Hornblower without telling him. She came out of a certain world to do it. JILL. Oh! [Staring in front of her] Is it very awful in that world, Dodo? HILLCRIST. [Uneasy] I don't know, Jill. Some can stand it, I suppose; some can't. I don't know which sort she is. JILL. One thing I'm sure of: she's awfully fond of Chearlie. HILLCRIST. That's bad; that's very bad. JILL. And she's frightened, horribly. I think she's desperate. HILLCRIST. Women like that are pretty tough, Jill; don't judge her too much by your own feelings. JILL. No; only----Oh! it was beastly; and of course I dried up. HILLCRIST. [Feelingly] H'm! One always does. But perhaps it was as well; you'd have been blundering in a dark passage. JILL. I just said: "Father and I feel awfully sorry; if there's anything we can do----" HILLCRIST. That was risky, Jill. JILL. (Disconsolately) I had to say something. I'm glad I went, anyway. I feel more human. HILLCRIST. We had to fight for our home. I should have felt like a traitor if I hadn't. JILL. I'm not enjoying home tonight, Dodo. HILLCRIST. I never could hate proper; it's a confounded nuisance. JILL. Mother's fearfully' bucked, and Dawker's simply oozing triumph. I don't trust him. Dodo; he's too--not pugilistic--the other one with a pug-naceous. HILLCRIST. He is rather. JILL. I'm sure he wouldn't care tuppence if Chloe committed suicide. HILLCRIST. [Rising uneasily] Nonsense! Nonsense! JILL. I wonder if mother would. HILLCRIST. [Turning his face towards the window] What's that? I thought I heard--[Louder]--Is these anybody out there? [No answer. JILL, springs up and runs to the window.] JILL. You! [She dives through to the Right, and returns, holding CHLOE'S hand and drawing her forward] Come in! It's only us! [To HILLCRIST] Dodo! HILLCRIST. [Flustered, but making a show of courtesy] Good evening! Won't you sit down? JILL. Sit down; you're all shaky. [She makes CHLOE sit down in the armchair, out of which they have risen, then locks the door, and closing the windows, draws the curtains hastily over them.] HILLCRIST. [Awkward and expectant] Can I do anything for you? CHLOE. I couldn't bear it he's coming to ask you---- HILLCRIST. Who? CHLOE. My husband. [She draws in her breath with a long shudder, then seem to seize her courage in her hands] I've got to be quick. He keeps on asking--he knows there's something. HILLCRIST. Make your mind easy. We shan't tell him. CHLOE. [Appealing] Oh! that's not enough. Can't you tell him something to put him back to thinking it's all right? I've done him such a wrong. I didn't realise till after--I thought meeting him was just a piece of wonderful good luck, after what I'd been through. I'm not such a bad lot--not really.