st, and do everything
in my power to prevent, Blanche's getting a divorce!

MRS. HUNTER. You don't mean to say you'll carry those ridiculous notions
of yours into practice?--now that a scandal has come into our very
family?

RUTH. Oh, I know selfish, cynical, and worldly people won't agree with
me, and I pity and sympathize with Blanche from the bottom of my heart.
[_Taking and holding_ BLANCHE'S _hand._] But I want her not to decide
anything now; wait till the first blows over, and then--well, then I
feel sure she will do the strong, noble thing--the difficult thing--not
the easy.

BLANCHE. [_Withdraws her hand from_ RUTH'S.] _No_, you ask too much of
me, Aunt Ruth; I can't do it.

RUTH. I say don't decide now--wait.

BLANCHE. I don't want to wait. I want to decide now and to cut my life
free, entirely, from Dick's.

RUTH. You used to agree with me. I've heard you decry these snapshot,
rapid-transit, tunnel divorces many a time. I've heard you say when a
woman has made her bed, she must lie in it--make the best of her bad
bargain.

BLANCHE. I always sympathized with a woman who sought a divorce in this
state.

RUTH. Oh, yes, but _you can't_, can you?

BLANCHE. No, but I'm not strong enough to fight out an unhappy life for
the sake of setting an example to other women--women who _don't want_
the example set!

RUTH. Blanche, I counted on you to be strong, to be big--

BLANCHE. [_With a voice full of emotion._] But I love Ned Warden. He
loves me--life stretches out long before us. Dick has disgraced us all.
I don't love him--should I give _my_ happiness and Mr. Warden's
happiness for _him_?

MRS. HUNTER. Absurd! We all have a right to happiness if we can get it.
I have chosen; let Blanche follow my example.

BLANCHE. [_Disgusted._] _Yours?_ [_Rises._] Oh!

RUTH. [_Following up the advantage._] Yes, Blanche, do you want to
follow your mother's example?

BLANCHE. No! But the cases are not analogous!

MRS. HUNTER. Not what? You needn't fling any innuendoes at Mr. Trotter;
it's he who said it was my duty to stand by you, advise you, and all
that sort of thing. I'm not here to please myself! Goodness knows, a
divorce court isn't a very pleasant place to spend your honeymoon!

BLANCHE. Thank both you and Mr. Trotter, mother; but I ask you to allow
Aunt Ruth and me to decide this matter between us.

MRS. HUNTER. Trotter says _divorce_ was _made_ for woman!

RUTH. And what was made for man, please? Polyg