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CLAY

I insult you Laura? Oh if you could look into my heart, if you could know how carefully I would guard your name from even the lightest breath of suspicion; you would see how capable I am of any crime but that.

LAURA

You saved my life, nine years ago, at the peril of your own, would you kill me now? [Clay,] you are killing me!

CLAY

If I am killing you, Laura, it is because it is time for you to die.

LAURA
(Sinking to her knees.)

Oh, Clay, what do your words mean.

(CLAY exhibits strong emotion, but after a moment controls it, approaches LAURA and caresses her head.)

CLAY

Poor child! Poor child! You love him?

LAURA

I— I love him.

CLAY
(After a pause.)

And you know now—do you not? You know now—

LAURA
(Raising her head.)

Know what?

CLAY

That he is a—villain!

LAURA
(Springs to her feet.)

Clay, you shall not speak so of him! It was all my fault.

CLAY

Your fault, Laura? You—proud, chaste, cold to men who wooed you honorably. Your fault, I won't believe it! You seek to screen him from the punishment he deserves.

LAURA

What do you mean? No one has wooed me otherwise than honorably.

CLAY

No one? Has Colonel Selby asked you to become his wife?

LAURA

He has—

CLAY

And you—speak truly—speak without fear— you?

LAURA

I am—his—Wife.

CLAY

Oh this is frightful! Oh my poor Laura! My darling sister! Does heaven permit such things to be?

LAURA

Clay, is it so terrible? I love him, he loves me—

CLAY

Love you! Coward! Reptile! Laura die if you can! Colonel Selby has a wife in New Orleans!

[(LAURA screams and falls fainting,
center, as CLAY starts to catch her.)]

Curtain
and
Tableaux