May not the three be one?
MRS GEORGE [troubled] You are paining and tiring me with idle
questions. You are dragging me back to myself. You are tormenting
me with your evil dreams of saints and devils and--what was it?--
[striving to fathom it] the pythoness--the pythoness--[giving it
up] I dont understand. I am a woman: a human creature like
yourselves. Will you not take me as I am?
SOAMES. Yes; but shall we take you and burn you?
THE BISHOP. Or take you and canonize you?
HOTCHKISS [gaily] Or take you as a matter of course? [Swiftly to
the Bishop] We must get her out of this: it's dangerous. [Aloud
to her] May I suggest that you shall be Anthony's devil and the
Bishop's saint and my adored Polly? [Slipping behind her, he
picks up her hand from her lap and kisses it over her shoulder].
MRS GEORGE [waking] What was that? Who kissed my hand? [To the
Bishop, eagerly] Was it you? [He shakes his head. She is
mortified]. I beg your pardon.
THE BISHOP. Not at all. I'm not repudiating that honor. Allow me
[he kisses her hand].
MRS GEORGE. Thank you for that. It was not the sexton, was it?
SOAMES. I!
HOTCHKISS. It was I, Polly, your ever faithful.
MRS GEORGE [turning and seeing him] Let me catch you doing it
again: thats all.
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