CE

Josephine, is this quite in taste?

DUCHESS

Taste is something one uses on arranging one's rooms, not upon human
beings.

QUEEN

Well hit, Josephine. You have at least the satisfaction of going out
to the ringing of the bull's eye.

DUCHESS

Possibly.

[_She exits after courtseying to the QUEEN, who returns it in
proper measure. There is a silence. PRINCE looks tenderly at the
QUEEN, who moves about in a rather staccato manner, disturbing
perfectly placed bibelots and pieces of furniture._]

PRINCE

We are alone at last.

QUEEN

That word should sound like the fold of wings around one's exhausted
body.

PRINCE [_archly_]

Substitute arms for wings, and could for should, if I may be permitted
to correct----

QUEEN

Oh, Charles, don't woo me with this poetic verbosity to take the place
of feeling. It is so exactly what you would say to the brewer's
daughter, had you selected her to save your estate and pay your bills.

PRINCE

Ah, Anne, Anne, why will you be so ironic?

QUEEN

Once or twice I thought of not being ironic, of looking into some
person's eyes, and not finding that I had to look away, of resting
with someone in a long silence full of exchanged beauties.

PRINCE [_approaching her_]

Anne, dear, how----

[_The QUEEN laughs and backs away from him, where he stands with
his arms stretched out towards her. In her laugh suddenly there
is a slight sob._]

QUEEN

Stand that way another instant, Charles. Ah, here is everything I have
wanted, schemed for, wept about, in the position I have dreamt of it.
[_She glances out at the park._] The back drop is perfect also.
Birds' song, the freshness of morning, sunlight, youth,--youth to be
gotten through somehow. However, here it all is, a dream--and not
turning pale as all the others did in daylight. Yet, strangely enough,
I cannot find a self in me to come forward and take these things as
they are now.

PRINCE

Anne, Anne, for God's sake--I swear to you I can explain everything.

QUEEN

Try not to let your fear of personal consequences intercept the pity
you should feel for me.

PRINCE

Anne, I love you, I love you.

QUEEN

Why, why is it that people cannot watch anything die in silence? I
suppose after all you are not sufficiently ruthless to carry off your
own selfishness with any sort of dignity.

PRINCE [_sulkily_]

You do not believe me. You credit the report of a woman who