No?
LADY DEDMOND. George is most willing to take up things just as they
were before you left.
CLARE. Ah!
LADY DEDMOND. Quite frankly--what is it you want?
CLARE. To be left alone. Quite frankly, he made a mistake to have
me spied on.
LADY DEDMOND. But, my good girl, if you'd let us know where you
were, like a reasonable being. You can't possibly be left to
yourself without money or position of any kind. Heaven knows what
you'd be driven to!
MALISE. [Softly] Delicious!
SIR CHARLES. You will be good enough to repeat that out loud, sir.
LADY DEDMOND. Charles! Clare, you must know this is all a fit of
spleen; your duty and your interest--marriage is sacred, Clare.
CLARE. Marriage! My marriage has become the--the reconciliation--of
two animals--one of them unwilling. That's all the sanctity there is
about it.
SIR CHARLES. What!
[She looks at MALISE]
LADY DEDMOND. You ought to be horribly ashamed. CLARE. Of the
fact-I am.
LADY DEDMOND. [Darting a glance at MALISE] If we are to talk this
out, it must be in private.
MALISE. [To CLARE] Do you wish me to go?
CLARE. No.
LADY DEDMOND. [At MALISE] I should have thought ordinary decent
feeling--Good heavens, girl! Can't you see that you're being played
with?
CLARE. If you insinuate anything against Mr. Malise, you lie.
LADY DEDMOND. If you will do these things--come to a man's rooms----
CLARE. I came to Mr. Malise because he's the only person I know
with imagination enough to see what my position is; I came to him a
quarter of an hour ago, for the first time, for definite advice, and
you instantly suspect him.
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