THE BISHOP. Saint Anthony! Tempt him, Mrs Collins: tempt him.
MRS GEORGE [rising and looking strangely before her] Take care,
my lord: you still have the power to make me obey your commands.
And do you, Mr Sexton, beware of an empty heart.
THE BISHOP. Yes. Nature abhors a vacuum, Anthony. I would not
dare go about with an empty heart: why, the first girl I met
would fly into it by mere atmospheric pressure. Alice keeps them
out now. Mrs Collins knows.
MRS GEORGE [a faint convulsion passing like a wave over her] I
know more than either of you. One of you has not yet exhausted
his first love: the other has not yet reached it. But I--I--[she
reels and is again convulsed].
THE BISHOP [saving her from falling] Whats the matter? Are you
ill, Mrs Collins? [He gets her back into her chair]. Soames:
theres a glass of water in the study--quick. [Soames hurries to
the study door.]
MRS. GEORGE. No. [Soames stops]. Dont call. Dont bring anyone.
Cant you hear anything?
THE BISHOP. Nothing unusual. [He sits by her, watching her with
intense surprise and interest].
MRS GEORGE. No music?
SOAMES. No. [He steals to the end of the table and sits on her
right, equally interested].
MRS GEORGE. Do you see nothing--not a great light?
THE BISHOP.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242