say to
you?

WILLIAM. Lots of things ...

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Really!

DR. MACPHERSON. [_Raises his hand for silence._] How did he look, William?

WILLIAM. I didn't see him.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Ha!

DR. MACPHERSON. You must have seen something.

WILLIAM. I thought once I saw his hat on the peg where it used to hang.
[_Looks at the peg._] No, it's gone.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Remonstrating._] Doctor!

DR. MACPHERSON. [_Thinking._] I wonder if he really did--

CATHERINE. Do you think he could have seen Uncle Peter?

PETER. [_Pointing to the desk._] William!

WILLIAM. Look! ... [_Points to the picture._] That's what I wanted to show
you when you were upstairs.

CATHERINE. [_Seeing the picture._] It's his mother--Annamarie.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. The Lord save us--his mother! I didn't know you'd heard
from Annamarie.

CATHERINE. We haven't.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Then how'd that picture get into the house?

PETER. Ah! I knew she'd begin! Now that she's wound up, we shall get at
the truth.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. It's a new picture. She's much changed. How ever did it
find its way here?

CATHERINE. I never saw it before. It's very strange.... We've all been
waiting for news of her. Even her mother doesn't know where she is, or--
could Marta have received this since I--

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. I'll ask her. [_Exit into dining-room._

CATHERINE. If not, who had the picture?... And why weren't we _all_
told?... Who tore it up? Did you, William? [WILLIAM _shakes his head,
meaning "No."_] Who has been at the desk? No one save Frederik ...
Frederik ... and surely he--[_She pauses--perplexed._

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Re-entering._] No, Marta hasn't heard a word; and,
only a few minutes ago, she asked Frederik if some message hadn't come,
but he said "No, nothing." I didn't tell her of the picture.

CATHERINE. [_Looking at the picture._] I wonder if there was any message
with it.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. I remember the day that picture came ... the day your
uncle died.... It was in a long blue envelope--the size of the picture....
I took it from the postman myself because every one was distracted and
rushing about. It dropped to the floor and as I picked it up I thought I
knew the writing; but I couldn't remember whose it was.... It was directed
to your uncle.... [_Looking from the desk to the waste-basket._] There's
the envelope [_Holding up a scrap of blue envelope._] and paper; ... some
one has burned it.

CATHERINE. Annamarie