{Kate.} _(softly)_ Good-night! Good-night! _(There is the sound of the closing of a door in the distance)_ Gone! _(she looks round)_ Quite alone _(She shuts the door softly, then with uncertain steps walks to the settee L., upon which she sinks with a low moan--starts up wildly)_ It's late! Let me see! _(she takes her wedding ring from her pocket)_ My wedding ring--I'll hide that; it is such a lie to carry about with me. _(She hurriedly opens a small drawer in the bureau R., of it and brings it to table)_ It will rest there, and can never be laughed at. _(she takes off her bracelets)_ These too--Eric's gifts, _(she throws them into the open drawer, then takes the locket from her neck)_ Eric's portrait, _(she opens the locket and gazes at the portrait, earnestly)_ Another woman's husband! _(she rises)_ Nobody sees me. _(music--kisses locket--Eric covers his face with his hands. Kate throws locket into the drawer. As she does so, she catches sight of the papers lying there. She seizes them)_ Papers! I had almost forgotten. They would tell tales, if--if anything bad happened to me. _(She examines them. Eric comes from the recess as if about to speak. Kate opens a letter. From Eric when his regiment was quartered at--(reading)_--"My own Kate." Oh! _(Eric sinks horror-stricken, upon the chair by the bureau--his head drops upon his arm. Kate finds an old photograph)_ Ah! a photograph of the church where we were married. I remember--we entered at that door --not the one under the porch--and it brought us to the chancel. Ah, here it is--_(reading)_ "The Parish Church of St. Paul, at Blissworth, in Yorkshire." How pretty. It's one hundred and fifty miles away. What a long journey for such a marriage. A valentine! _(she takes the papers and kneels at the fire-place. She goes down on her knees before fire and burns the papers, first kissing them. Eric raises his head)_ A lucky thing that Christie made such a bright fire for me. _(shivering)_ And yet it is cold. Ha! I suppose heat never comes from burnt love letters, _(to the letters)_ Good-bye! Good-bye! _(Eric rises and slowly comes down C.)_ {Eric.} _(hoarsely)_ Kate! {Kate.} _(with a cry she starts up and faces him)_ Eric! _(Music stops.)_ {Eric.} I know everything. I have heard. What have you to say to me? _(Kate walks feebly towards him behind chair.)_ {Kate.} _(leaning on chair for support)_ Nothing but--leave me. I am looking at you now for the last time, _(passes behind table to C. R., of bureau)_ {Eric.} How can I leave you when we are bound by such ties? My love chains me to you--nothing earthly can break that? {Kate.} The same words with which you wooed that other woman! _(passes to front of table)_