RTRAM, _aghast, nudges_ DUNNING _and hurries to the
vestibule door._ DUNNING _follows him into the vestibule
on tiptoe. Slowly and deliberately_ PHILIP _moves to the
middle of the room and stands there with his hands
clenched, glaring into space._ SIR RANDLE, _his jaw
falling, sits in the chair on the extreme left._

LADY FILSON.

[_Touching_ PHILIP_'s arm sympathetically._] Oh, Philip----!

DUNNING.

[_To_ BERTRAM, _in a whisper._] Phiou! Rummy development this, Mr.
Filson!

BERTRAM.

[_To_ DUNNING, _in the same way._] Awful. [_Opening the outer door._]
I--I'll see you in the m-m-morning.

DUNNING.

Pleasure. [_Raising his voice._] Evening, ladies and gentlemen.

LADY FILSON.

[_Again sitting on the settee on the left, also searching for her
handkerchief._] G-g-good night.

SIR RANDLE.

[_Weakly._] Good night.

ROOPE.

[_Who has wandered to the bookcase like a man in a trance._] Good
night.

[DUNNING _disappears, and_ BERTRAM _closes the outer
door and comes back into the room. Shutting the
vestibule door, he sinks into the chair lately vacated
by_ DUNNING. _There is a silence, broken at length by a
low, grating laugh from_ PHILIP.

PHILIP.

Ha, ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha----!

LADY FILSON.

[_Dolefully._] Oh, Ottoline--Ottoline----!

PHILIP.

Ha, ha, ha----!

OTTOLINE.

[_Creeping to the nearer end of the writing-table._] H'ssh! H'ssh!
Philip--Philip----!

PHILIP.

[_Loudly._] Ho, ho, ho----!

OTTOLINE.

Don't! don't! [_Making a movement of entreaty towards him._]
Phil--Phil----!

[_His laughter ceases abruptly and he looks her full in
the face._

PHILIP.

[_After a moment's pause, bitingly._] Thank you--thank you--[_turning
from her and seating himself in the chair by the smoking-table and
resting his chin on his fist_] thank you.

[_Again there is a pause, and then_ OTTOLINE