r
day and night. In the morning thou shalt say, would God it were even!
And at even thou shalt say, would God it were morning! And because thou
servedst not the Lord thy God when thou livedst in security, thou shalt
serve him in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness and in want; and He shall
put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until He have destroyed thee!'

OMNES. Amen!

(The CONFESSOR has read the above loudly and rapidly, without turning to
the STRANGER. All those present, except the LADY, who is working, have
been listening and have joined in the curse, though they have feigned
not to notice the STRANGER, who has remained with his back to them,
sunk in himself. The STRANGER now rises as if to go. The CONFESSOR goes
towards him.)

STRANGER. What was that?

CONFESSOR. The Book of Deuteronomy.

STRANGER. Of course. But I seem to remember blessings in it, too.

CONFESSOR. Yes, for those who keep His commandments.

STRANGER. Hm.... I can't deny that, for a moment, I felt shaken. Are
they temptations to be resisted, or warnings to be obeyed? (Pause.)
Anyhow I'm certain now that I have fever. I must go to a real doctor.

CONFESSOR. See he _is_ the right one!

STRANGER. Of course!

CONFESSOR. Who can heal 'delightful scruples of conscience'!

ABBESS. Should you need charity again, you now know where to find it.

STRANGER. No. I do not.

ABBESS (in a low voice). Then I'll tell you. In a 'rose' room, near a
certain running stream.

STRANGER. That's the truth! In a 'rose' room. Wait; how long have I been
here?

ABBESS. Three months to-day.

STRANGER. Three months! Have I been sleeping? Or where have I been?
(Looking out of the window.) It's autumn. The trees are bare; the clouds
look cold. Now it's coming back to me! Can you hear a mill grinding? The
sound of a horn? The rushing of a river? A wood whispering--and a
woman weeping? You're right. Only there can charity be found. Farewell.
(Exit.)

CONFESSOR (to the Abbess). The fool! The fool!

Curtain.

SCENE X

THE 'ROSE' ROOM

[The curtains have been taken down. The windows gape into the darkness
outside. The furniture has been covered in brown loose-covers and pulled
forward. The flowers have been taken away, and the large black stove
lit. The MOTHER is standing ironing white curtains by the light of a
single lamp. There is a knock at the door.]

MOTHER. Come in!

STRANGER (doing so). Where's my wife?

MOTHER. Where do you come from?

STRANGER. I