ll be tickled to death.

MARTHA--[Forcing a smile.] Yes, I--I'll confess I thought of that. In
spite of my fear, I--I've--I mean--I--[She flushes in a shamed
confusion.]

LILY--[Looking at her searchingly.] Why, Martha, what--[Then suddenly
understanding--with excited pleasure.] Martha! I know! It is so, isn't
it? It is!

MARTHA--[In a whisper.] Yes.

LILY--[Kissing her affectionately.] You dear, you! [Then after a
pause.] How long have you known?

MARTHA--For over two months. [There is a ring from the front door bell
in the hall.]

LILY--[Jumping up.] I'll bet that's we Jaysons now. [She runs to the
door in the rear and looks down the hall to the right.] Yes, it's
Esther and husband and Aunt Davidson. [She comes back to MARTHA
laughing excitedly. The MAID is seen going to the door.] The first wave
of attack, Martha! Be brave! The Young Guard dies but never surrenders!

MARTHA--[Displeased but forcing a smile.] You make me feel terribly ill
at ease when you put it that way, Lily. [She rises now and goes to
greet the visitors, who enter. MRS. DAVIDSON is seventy-five years
old--a thin, sinewy old lady, old-fashioned, unbending and rigorous in
manner. She is dressed aggressively in the fashion of a bygone age.
ESTHER is a stout, middle-aged woman with the round, unmarked,
sentimentally--contented face of one who lives unthinkingly from day to
day, sheltered in an assured position in her little world. MARK, her
husband, is a lean, tall, stooping man of about forty-five. His long
face is alert, shrewd, cautious, full of the superficial craftiness of
the lawyer mind. MARTHA kisses the two women, shakes hands with MARK,
uttering the usual meaningless greetings in a forced tone. They reply
in much the same spirit. There is the buzz of this empty chatter while
MARTHA gets them seated. LILY stands looking on with a cynical smile of
amusement. MRS. DAVIDSON is in the chair at the end of table, left,
ESTHER sits by MARTHA on couch, MARK in chair at front of table.] Will
you have tea now or shall we wait for the others?

ESTHER--Let's wait. They ought to be here any moment.

LILY--[Maliciously.] Just think, Martha had forgotten you were coming.
She was going motoring with Bigelow. [There is a dead silence at
this--broken diplomatically by SHEFFIELD.]

SHEFFIELD--Where is Curt, Martha?

MARTHA--Hard at work in his study. I'm afraid he's there for the day.
SHEFFIELD--[Condescendingly.] Still plugging away at his book, I