CAROL Who is it? EDWARD Oh.... Hold on, please.... Harry Challoner. [_He hands her the telephone curtly and goes over to the window._] CAROL [_At telephone_] Hallo!... Yes, it’s me.... No—no, I can’t. I’m sorry.... All right, if you like.... I’ll be in between six and seven.... Yes.... Good-by. [_She hangs up the receiver and looks toward EDWARD who has his back turned. She is about to go out again, when he turns._] EDWARD Carol. CAROL Yes? EDWARD I want to talk to you. CAROL Is anything the matter? EDWARD Yes. Sit down, will you? CAROL [_Sitting_] If you like. EDWARD I want to get things settled. CAROL Get things settled? EDWARD Yes. CAROL What sort of things? EDWARD Our exact relationship. CAROL What _do_ you mean? EDWARD Just that. CAROL I don’t understand. EDWARD I think you do. CAROL [_By now extremely apprehensive_] I don’t Edward, honestly. EDWARD Do you intend to pursue your present course indefinitely? CAROL What are you talking about? EDWARD Infidelity. CAROL Are you insinuating that I— EDWARD I’m insinuating nothing. I’m stating that you have been unfaithful to me. CAROL [_Rising_] Edward! EDWARD [_Firmly_] Sit down. This is not a scene—it’s a process of readjustment. Please let us keep it as brief as possible. CAROL [_Sinking down_] How can you be so horrible! EDWARD Do you deny it? CAROL Of course I do. EDWARD Carol, let me disillusion you. I’m not bluffing. I _know_. I’ve known for ages. It’s no use wasting time denying and arguing. We must decide what’s to be done about it. CAROL How can you be so foul! EDWARD [_Wearily_] Oh, Carol, do stop acting. CAROL You’re insufferable. EDWARD Once and for all will you be sensible? CAROL I hate you. EDWARD That would be beautifully definite if you weren’t so unreliable. CAROL Do you want me to hate you? EDWARD To be honest with you, I really don’t mind. CAROL [_Outraged_] Edward! EDWARD Don’t be a fool, Carol. CAROL How dare you! How dare you! EDWARD We will face facts, please. CAROL [_Rising_] I’m not going to stay here and be insulted. EDWARD You’re not being insulted—it’s I who have been insulted. You’ve been publicly underrating my intelligence for months. CAROL That’s what’s upsetting you, is it? EDWARD Certainly it is. I wish you’d sit down. CAROL I’m going to my room. EDWARD You’re only temporarily evading the issues by doing that. CAROL What’s the object of all this? EDWARD The object, as I said before, is to get our relationship satisfactorily defined. CAROL [_With grandeur_] It’s satisfactorily defined now as far as I am concerned. EDWARD I would prefer the satisfaction to be mutual. CAROL You think you’re very clever, don’t you? EDWARD What a common remark! You’ll be sticking your tongue out at me in a minute. CAROL I suppose Zoe has been putting you up to this. EDWARD