[_She holds out her glass and he fills it, also his own._] EVELYN [_With great boldness_] Why did you think we were talking about you? CAROL You both looked so guilty. EVELYN Surely that proves we weren’t. CAROL Very good, Evie. EVELYN You’re embarrassing me dreadfully. CAROL Am I? Why? EVELYN Because we _were_ discussing you. CAROL Ah! EVELYN I see it’s useless to try and deceive you for moment. CAROL What were you saying? EVELYN Must I tell you? CAROL Certainly. EVELYN You’re terribly unrelenting. CAROL Come on—out with it. EVELYN I was lecturing Edward. [_BLACKWELL goes out._] CAROL Lecturing him? EVELYN Yes. I said he was paying too much attention to his work and not enough to you. CAROL And do you think that’s true? EVELYN Yes. CAROL It isn’t; it’s the other way round, really. I neglect Edward. You should have saved your lecture for me. EVELYN I’m sure it’s his fault, really, he’s so damned lackadaisical. CAROL It was nice of you, but a little interfering. EVELYN I’m sorry. I suppose I deserve to be snubbed. CAROL I’m not snubbing you, exactly, but I’m puzzled. EVELYN Why puzzled? CAROL It seems so strange that you should have taken up the cudgels on my side. EVELYN That was how I saw the situation. CAROL I never realized there was a situation. EVELYN There isn’t, but there may be soon. CAROL How horrid of you! EVELYN I know Edward pretty well, you know. CAROL And me hardly at all. EVELYN Exactly. That’s why I went to him, as I told you this afternoon. I always felt that you disliked me and thought me dull. CAROL How absurd! EVELYN You did, all the same. You’d have crushed me to the earth if I’d dared mention the subject to you. CAROL You must have thought me a prig. EVELYN Not in the least. I quite saw your point. CAROL And now—? EVELYN Now I’m muddled. CAROL Have I muddled you, Evie? EVELYN Yes, terribly. CAROL I’m so glad. EVELYN That’s malicious of you. CAROL Go ahead with your lecture. EVELYN Certainly not. CAROL Whose fault do you consider this slight drifting apart—Edward’s or mine? EVELYN Edward’s. CAROL I told you it was mine. EVELYN I don’t believe you. CAROL Stubborn. EVELYN Is it yours? CAROL Yes. EVELYN Why? CAROL [_Seriously_] Oh, Evie— EVELYN Tell me. CAROL It’s rather difficult. EVELYN I’m awfully sympathetic. CAROL I believe you are. EVELYN You love him still, don’t you? CAROL Yes—in a way. EVELYN But not so much as you did? CAROL Not quite so much. EVELYN I suppose that’s inevitable in married life, always. CAROL I expect it is. EVELYN It’s sad, though. CAROL Not if one isn’t sentimental about it. EVELYN Are you ever sentimental about anything? CAROL [_Wistfully_] Do I seem so hard? EVELYN A little, I think. CAROL I’m not, really. EVELYN I’m afraid Edward’s unhappy. CAROL Not deep down inside. EVELYN Are you sure? CAROL He may think he is. EVELYN