JOHN. [_Taking his tone from her._] Of course. [_After an interval._]
Are you going to marry him?

CYNTHIA. I don't know.

JOHN. Does he know you--

CYNTHIA. I told him I was coming here.

JOHN. Oh! He'll turn up here, then--eh? [CYNTHIA _is silent._] And
you'll go back with him, I suppose?

CYNTHIA. [_Talking at random._] Oh--yes--I suppose so. I--I haven't
thought much about it.

JOHN. [_Changing his tone._] Well, sit down; do. Till he comes--talk
it over. [_He places the armchair more comfortably for her._] This is
a more comfortable chair!

CYNTHIA. [_Shamefacedly._] You never liked me to sit in that one!

JOHN. Oh, well--it's different now. [CYNTHIA _moves and sits down,
near the upset chair. There is a long pause, during which_ JOHN
_thoughtfully paces the room._] You don't mind if I smoke?

CYNTHIA. [_Shaking her head._] No.

JOHN. [_Lighting his pipe and sitting down on the arm of a chair._] Of
course, if you find my presence painful, I'll--skiddoo.

_He indicates the door._ CYNTHIA _shakes her head._ JOHN
_smokes his pipe and remains seated._

CYNTHIA. [_Suddenly and quickly._] It's just simply a fact, Karslake,
and that's all there is to it--if a woman has once been married--that
is, the first man she marries--then--she may quarrel, she may hate
him--she may despise him--but she'll always be jealous of him with
other women. Always! [JOHN _takes this as if he were simply glad to
have the information._

JOHN. Oh--H'm! ah--yes--yes.

CYNTHIA. [_After a pause._] You probably felt jealous of Phillimore.

JOHN. [_Reasonably, sweetly, and in doubt._] N-o! [_Apologetically._]
I felt simply: Let him take his medicine.

CYNTHIA. Oh!

JOHN. I beg your pardon--I meant--

CYNTHIA. You meant what you said!

JOHN. [_Moving a step toward her._] Mrs. Karslake; I apologize--I
won't do it again. But it's too late for you to be out alone--Philip
will be here in a moment--and of course, then--

CYNTHIA. It isn't what you _say_--it's--it's--it's everything. It's
the entire situation. Suppose by any chance I don't marry Phillimore!
And suppose I were seen at two or three in the morning leaving my
former husband's house! It's all wrong. I have no business to be here!
I'm going! You're perfectly horrid to me, you know--and--the whole
place--it's so familiar, and so--so associated with--with--

JOHN. Discord and misery--I know--

CYNTHIA. Not at all with discord and misery! With harmony and
happi