BLANCHE. Early this morning.

WARDEN. And you have come just now from where?

BLANCHE. Aunt Ruth's. Of course you know about my mother? When I heard it I started to come here, but my heart failed me and I turned back to my aunt's. She has persuaded me that I ought to come and put the best face on the matter possible, but it seems as if I'd had now a little more than I _can_ bear!

[_Her voice breaks and her eyes fill with tears._

WARDEN. [_Almost tenderly._] Shall we go inside?

BLANCHE. No, no! Let us stay out in the air; my head would burst in one of these close little rooms. Have you seen mother?

WARDEN. No, not yet.

BLANCHE. Where is d.i.c.k? Did he go to Ryder's?

WARDEN. No, but I have some good news to tell you all the same--Ryder has promised silence.

BLANCHE. [_With tremendous relief._] Oh! that's too good, too good to be true! To whom did he promise?

WARDEN. I want you not to ask me that.

BLANCHE. I can guess, it was--

WARDEN. [_Lying._] No, it was--_Mason_.

BLANCHE. [_Doubting him._] Mr. Mason?

WARDEN. And I've more good news for you, Mrs. Sterling--the _G.o.desbys_, too; _they_ will be silent.

BLANCHE. You're sure?

WARDEN. We have their word!

BLANCHE. [_Pointedly._] Mr. Mason again?--

[WARDEN _bows his head in a.s.sent._] He was _here_?

WARDEN. Some time ago, but only for a minute. He didn't stay; he went to find your husband.

BLANCHE. But the _G.o.desbys_? I just met them now on the road going back.

How could Mr. Mason, if he didn't stay--[WARDEN _is embarra.s.sed, and is silent, searching a way out of it._] Oh, no! no! it wasn't Mr. Mason! I see the whole thing clearly. d.i.c.k was too great a coward, and _you_ did it! It was _you_ who won over Ryder! It was _you_ who persuaded the G.o.desbys!--

[WARDEN _shakes his head and makes a movement to deny it._ BLANCHE _continues speaking, the words rushing to her lips, as her pent-up heart opens and lets all her emotions suddenly free._] Don't try to deny it; you can't make me believe you! It's to _you_ I owe whatever promise the future has for me! It is _you_ who have given me all the happiness I've had for years. It is _you_ who have watched over, taken care of, me--_you_, the best friend any woman in this world ever had. It is _you_ now who have saved my boy's honor. It is _you_ who lift the weight off my shoulders, the weight off my heart! You!--you!--you!

[_She sinks sobbing on the bench. It begins to snow very quietly and slowly._

WARDEN. [_All his love bursting out into his face and into his voice, cries._] Blanche! Blanche!

[_Leaning over her as if to protect her from her trouble and take her to his breast._

BLANCHE. [_Rising and looking straight into his eyes with a suddenly revealed great love in her own._] Ned!--

[_They hold this position some moments, gazing into each other's eyes; then finally_ WARDEN _makes a movement towards her, crying out more triumphantly, having read and realized her love for him._

WARDEN. Blanche!

BLANCHE. [_Moving a half step back from him._] No--

WARDEN. No?

BLANCHE. Look--look, it's beginning to snow!

WARDEN. [_Very softly._] What do you mean?

BLANCHE. [_Desperately._] I mean to speak of anything except what is in your thoughts at this moment! Help me not to forget that no matter what he has done, d.i.c.k is still my husband.

WARDEN. You don't know all he has done!

BLANCHE. How not "all"? What else? Where is he?

[_With a sudden new alarm._

WARDEN. He has left you.

BLANCHE. [_Echoes._] Left me?--

WARDEN. Mason is searching for him. He left a note at your house which Jess read; it was only one word "Good-by."

BLANCHE. [_Echoes again._] Good-by! [_Sleigh-bells are heard in the distance, coming quickly nearer._] What does it mean? You're hiding something from me! Tell me what else you know?

WARDEN. He left the house, but took something with him--something from a drawer in his room.

BLANCHE. [_After a second's pause she whispers._] His pistol?

WARDEN. Yes.

BLANCHE. [_Aghast, still whispers._] Has he done it?

WARDEN. I don't know; I'm waiting word from Mason.

[_The sleigh-bells stop._

BLANCHE. [_Excited._] But we can't wait here doing nothing; we must go, too!

WARDEN. Mason is doing all that can be done; we'd better wait here.

[_He takes her hand in sympathy, but without suggesting the pa.s.sion of a few moments before._ STERLING _enters hurriedly Left. He is wild with drink and jealousy._

STERLING. Drop my wife's hand!