here she is joined by EMILY. MARK goes over and
stands in back of them. DICK and JOHN sit at rear of table. LILY comes
down front and walks about nervously. She seems in a particularly
fretful, upset mood.]

LILY--[Trying to conceal her feelings under a forced flippancy.] What
ridiculous things funerals are, anyway! That stupid minister--whining
away through his nose! Why does the Lord show such a partiality for men
with adenoids, I wonder.

JAYSON--[Testily.] Sshhh! Have you no respect for anything?

LILY--[Resentfully.] If I had, I'd have lost it when I saw all of you
pulling such long faces in the church where you knew you were under
observation. Pah! Such hypocrisy! And then, to cap it all, Emily has to
force out a few crocodile tears at the grave!

EMILY--[Indignantly.] When I saw Curt--that's why I cried--not for her!

JAYSON--What a scene Curt made! I actually believe he wanted to throw
himself into the grave!

DICK--You BELIEVE he wanted to! Why, it was all Mark and I could do to
hold him, wasn't it, Mark? [SHEFFIELD nods.]

JAYSON--Intolerable! I never expected he'd turn violent like that. He's
seemed calm enough the past three days.

LILY--Calm! Yes, just like a corpse is calm!

JAYSON--[Distractedly.] And now this perfectly mad idea of going away
to-day to join that infernal expedition--leaving that child on our
hands--the child he has never even looked at! Why, it's too monstrously
flagrant! He's deliberately flaunting this scandal in everyone's face!

JOHN--[Firmly.] He must be brought to time.

SHEFFIELD--Yes, we must talk to him--quite openly, if we're forced to.
After all, I guess he realizes the situation more keenly than any of us.

LILY--[Who has wandered to window on right.] You mean you think he
believes--Well, I don't. And you had better be careful not to let him
guess what you think. [Pointing outside.] There's my proof. There he is
walking about with Bigelow. Can you imagine Curt doing that--if he
thought for a moment--

DICK--Oh, I guess Curt isn't all fool. He knows that's the very best
way to keep people from suspecting.

ESTHER--[Indignantly.] But wouldn't you think that Bigelow person--It's
disgusting, his sticking to Curt like this.

SHEFFIELD--Well, for one, I'm becoming quite resigned to Bigelow's
presence. In the first place, he seems to be the only one who can bring
Curt to reason. Then again, I feel that it is to Bigelow's own interest
to convince Curt that he mustn't