d.

GERTRUDE. What fear?

AGNES. The fear lest, after all my beliefs and protestations, I should
eventually find myself loving Lucas in the helpless, common way of
women--

GERTRUDE. [Under her breath.] I see.

AGNES. The dread that the moment may arrive some day when should it be
required of me, I shan't feel myself able to give him up easily. [Her
head drooping, uttering a low moan.] Oh!--

[LUCAS, dressed for going out, enters, carrying AGNES'S copy of his
manuscript, rolled and addressed for the post. AGNES rises.]

AGNES. [To LUCAS.] Mrs. Thorpe starts for home tomorrow; she has called
to say good-bye.

LUCAS. [To GERTRUDE.] It is very kind. Is your brother quite well?

GERTRUDE. [Embarrassed.] Thanks: quite.

LUCAS. [Smiling.] I believe I have added to his experience of the
obscure corners of Venice during the past week.

GERTRUDE. I--I don't--Why?

LUCAS. By so frequently putting him to the inconvenience of avoiding
me.

GERTRUDE. Oh, Mr. Cleeve, we--I--I--

LUCAS. Please tell your brother that I asked after him.

GERTRUDE. I--I can't; he--doesn't know I've--I've--

LUCAS. Ah! Really? [With a bow.] Good-bye. [He goes out, AGNES
accompanying him to the door.]

GERTRUDE. [To herself.] Brute! [To AGNES.] Oh, I suppose Mr. Cleeve has
made me look precisely as I feel.

AGNES. How?

GERTRUDE. Like people deserve to feel who do godly, mean things.

[FORTUNE appears.]

FORTUNE. [To AGNES, significantly.] Mr. Cleeve 'as jus' gone out.

AGNES. Vous savez, n'est-ce pas?

FORTUNE. [Glancing at GERTRUDE.] But Madame is now engage.

GERTRUDE. [To AGNES.] Oh, I am going.

AGNES. [To GERTRUDE.] Wait. [Softly to her.] I want you to hear this
little comedy. Fortune shall repeat my instructions. [To FORTUNE.] Les
ordres que je vous ai donnes, repetez-les.

FORTUNE. [Speaking in an undertone.] On ze left 'and side of ze Campo--

AGNES. Non, non--tout haut.

FORTUNE. [Aloud, with a slight shrug of the shoulders.] On ze left 'and
side of ze Campo--

AGNES. Yes.

FORTUNE. In one of ze doorways between Fiorentini's and ze leetle
lamp-shop--ze--ze--h'm--ze person.

AGNES. Precisely. Depechez-vous. [FORTUNE bows and retires.] Fortune
flatters himself he is engaged in some horrid intrigue. You guess whom
I am expecting?

GERTRUDE. The Duke?

AGNES. [Ringing a bell.] I've written to him asking him to call upon me
this afternoon while Lucas is at Florian's. [Referring to her watch.]
He is to kick