[_Enter_ ROBERT COLBY. _He is a handsome man of forty, spare and active, with a refined face and good features. He is clean shaven. His hair is grey. He has charming manners and an air of slightly old-fashioned courtesy. His voice is soft and pleasant._ THOMPSON. Mr. Robert Colby. [CATHERINE _goes to him with both hands out-stretched. Her manner becomes brighter and more joyous. She seems to throw off the load of wretchedness which had oppressed her. The_ BUTLER _goes out_. CATHERINE. How good of you to come. COLBY. [_Taking her hands._] You look as if you were surprised to see me. CATHERINE. You must be frantically busy. I thought you might not be able to manage it. COLBY. You know very well wild labour leaders couldn’t have prevented me. CATHERINE. Of course I know you wouldn’t really let me interfere with anything serious, but it’s very pleasant to flatter myself that the whole country is waiting while you’re wasting your time with me. D’you know what I’ve done? COLBY. I suspected what your note meant, but I’m anxious to hear it from your own lips. CATHERINE. I’ve crossed the Rubicon. I’m seeing my solicitor to-day, and the petition will be filed as soon as ever it’s possible. COLBY. I’m so glad. You had no right to go on with that degrading life. CATHERINE. I want you to assure me again that I’m right. I’m so weak. I feel so utterly defenceless. COLBY. It won’t be very long now before.... CATHERINE. [_Interrupting._] No, not yet, Robert. COLBY. I want to tell you at once how passionately I love you. CATHERINE. [_With the tenderest of smiles._] D’you think it’s needful? I’m so glad to think you’ve never made love to me. There was all the love I wanted in the look of your eyes, and your voice, though you said quite commonplace things, told me that you cared for me. COLBY. I’ve never even kissed your hand, Kate. CATHERINE. I’m very grateful to you. Now more than ever I want to feel quite sure that we have nothing to reproach ourselves with. COLBY. It’s rather hard on me. CATHERINE. Do you think I find it any easier? Sometimes when I’ve been dreadfully lonely, dreadfully wretched, I’ve longed to be able to rest my head on your shoulder, and I’ve thought I might have loved my tears if you could have kissed them away. COLBY. Were you angry with me when I wrote to you? The one foolish letter? CATHERINE. How could I be? COLBY. I was dreadfully unhappy then. Everything I tried seemed to go wrong. I was utterly dispirited, and I couldn’t help writing. CATHERINE. I read the letter till I knew every word by heart. Sometimes I wonder how I could have borne my life at all except for the knowledge that you cared for me. COLBY. You’ve never once told me that you love me, Kate. CATHERINE. D’you want me to say it in so many words? Why else d’you think I’m exposing myself to all the humiliation, all the horrors that are before me? Yes, I love you with all my heart and soul.