OCEANA. Yes; and then if they liked it, I could do some others.

ETHEL. Oh, Oceana! How perfectly lovely! But... but I wonder if it would
be all right. I mean... it wouldn't shock them?

OCEANA. Why should it, my dear?

ETHEL. Is it what they'd call proper?

OCEANA. Why, of course, Ethel. How ridiculous! It isn't a sex-dance.
It's religious.

FREDDY. And the costume?

OCEANA. Oh, the costume is beautiful.

ETHEL. Then I'll ask mother.

[Starts to go.]

OCEANA. Wait. Will Henry be there?

ETHEL. Of course.

OCEANA. Are you sure?

ETHEL. Of course.

OCEANA. [Eagerly.] Why ask your mother at all? Why not just go ahead and
do it?

ETHEL. Oceana!

OCEANA. Why not? She'd only worry meantime. So let's just wait, and I'll
go ahead.

ETHEL. Oh, would you dare?

OCEANA. Why, of course! She needn't know until almost time. Is this Miss
Pilkington known here?

ETHEL. No, she's never been in Boston before.

FREDDY. Mother met her in London. She promised she'd do her famous
Biblical Dances for mother's pet foundling asylum.

OCEANA. Well, don't you see? Most of the people wouldn't know till it
was all over! And oh, Ethel, it would be such a lark! [ETHEL and
FREDDY gaze at each other dubiously.] Who was going to play for Miss
Pilkington?

ETHEL. I was.

OCEANA. Well, then, you can play for me! You see, Ethel, I'm afraid to
tell your mother... she mightn't be willing. She wants to suppress me,
and oh, I just can't be suppressed! I must have something to do or I'll
jump out of my skin, Ethel. Truly, my dear, if this goes on much longer,
I'll go out and climb the telegraph pole in front of the house! And if I
can only make an impression with my dancing, then I may choose that
for my career. I've been thinking of it seriously... it's one way, that
people might let me preach joy and health to them. If I can't do that,
I'll go off and turn into a suffragette, or join the Anarchists, or
something worse!

ETHEL. Freddy, what do you say?

FREDDY. I'll stand my share of the racket.

OCEANA. Oh, come on! I'm just wild for some kind of mischief! I could
dance like the grandmother of all the witches! Come, let's practice
some. Play for me, Ethel! Play! [Pushes her toward the piano; raises her
hands in triumph; whispers.] Henry!

CURTAIN

ACT III

[Front part of stage shows an ante-room, with folding doors opening to
rear part, which represents a portion of the Masterson parlor, curtained
off to fo