{Kate.} _(struggling with her tears)_ It doesn't matter how long the letter is. Good-bye. _(she holds out her hand, he walks down slowly and takes her hand. There is a pause--softly)_ You are going away--I can't help it. _(MUSIC ceases.)_ _(She lays her head quietly upon his breast, he folds his arms round her. As they part Dormer enters door L., with a stern face.)_ {Eric.} Mr. Dormer! {Dormer.} _(L.)_ We meet, as we have met before, sir, in hot blood. Mr. Thorndyke, you have no secret that is not shared by me, and yet you are here, sir! For shame! {Eric.} _(C.)_ Let me remind you, Mr. Dormer, that one of the few advantages of being neither a pauper nor a felon is freedom of action. {Dormer.} Mr. Thorndyke, I am without the smooth tongue of my class. I find you in a woman's house, where you are a guest by night as well as by day. I bid you begone. You are a soldier lacking chivalry--a man who makes war upon weakness --you are a coward! _(step)_ {Eric.} A coward, Mr. Dormer, is one who, under the cover of his age and profession, uses language for which a younger and a braver man would be chastised, _(goes up stage toward fire-place)_ {Kate.} _(crosses to Dormer R.)_ Parson, you don't guess the truth. If you knew! _(crosses to C. Eric drops R.)_ {Dormer.} I'll know no more. Miss Verity, I am the pastor of a flock of poor, simple people, who regard your words as precepts, and your actions as examples. I will spare you the loss of their good will, but I demand, so long as you remain in this parish, that Mr. Thorndyke be excluded from your house. _(Kate goes up to bureau.)_ {Eric.} Oh, sir, I can relieve your mind on that point; a moment later you would have found me gone. Good-bye, Miss Verity, I shall inform you of my arrival abroad if you will let me. {Kate.} _(takes his hand, and looks firmly at Dormer)_ Stop! Parson Dormer, this house is mine; while my heart beats, for good or for evil, neither you nor your bishop could shut my doors upon the man I love. That is _your_ answer. {Dormer.} And to think that yesterday your voice had a charm and a melody for me. It serves me rightly for forgetting my old lesson. What a fool! What a fool! _(he goes deliberately to bell rope L., and pulls it)_ {Kate.} What are you going to do? {Dormer.} My duty. {Kate.} What is that? {Dormer.} To open the eyes of these blind people. {Kate.} Open their eyes to what? {Dormer.} Your guilt. _(Eric gives an indignant cry. Kate goes to Dormer.)_