LAVINIA--What do you want? I've got a lot to attend to.

HAZEL--(quietly) It won't take me long to say what I've come to

say, Vinnie. (Suddenly she bursts out) It's a lie about Orin
killing himself by accident! I know it is! He meant to!

LAVINIA--You better be careful what you say. I can prove what

happened. Peter was here--

HAZEL--I don't care what anyone says!

LAVINIA--I should think you'd be the last one to accuse Orin--

HAZEL--I'm not accusing him! Don't you dare say that! I'm
accusing you! You drove him to it! Oh, I know I can't prove it--
any more than I can prove a lot of things Orin hinted at! But I
know terrible things must have happened--and that you're to blame
for them, somehow!

LAVINIA--(concealing a start of fear--changing to a forced

reproachful tone) What would Orin think of you coming here the day
of his funeral to accuse me of the sorrow that's afflicted our
family?

HAZEL--(feeling guilty and at the same time defiant and sure she is
right) All right, Vinnie. I won't say anything more. But I know
there's something--and so do you--something that was driving Orin
crazy--(She breaks down and sobs.) Poor Orin!

LAVINIA--(stares straight before her. Her lips twitch. In a

stifled voice between her clenched teeth) Don't--do that!

HAZEL--(controlling herself--after a pause) I'm sorry. I didn't

come to talk about Orin.

LAVINIA--(uneasily) What did you come for?

HAZEL--About Peter.

LAVINIA--(as if this were something she had been dreading--harshly)

You leave Peter and me alone!

HAZEL--I won't! You're not going to marry Peter and ruin his life!
(pleading now) You can't! Don't you see he could never be happy
with you, that you'll only drag him into this terrible thing--
whatever it is--and make him share it?

LAVINIA--There is no terrible thing!

HAZEL--I know Peter can't believe evil of anyone, but living alone
with you, married, you couldn't hide it, he'd get to feel what I
feel. You could never be happy because it would come between you!
(pleading again) Oh, Vinnie, you've got to be fair to Peter!
You've got to consider his happiness--if you really love him!

LAVINIA--(hoarsely) I do love him!

HAZEL--It has started already--his being made unhappy through you!

LAVINIA--You're lying!

HAZEL--He fought with Mother last night when she tried to talk to
him--the first time he ever did such a thing! It isn't like Peter.
You've changed him. He left home and went to the hotel to stay.
He said he'd never speak to Mother or me again. He's always been
such a wonderful son before--and brother. We three have been so
happy. It's broken Mother's heart. All she does is sit and cry.
(desperately) Oh, Vinnie, you can't do it! You will be punished
if you do! Peter would get to hate you in the end!

LAVINIA--No!

HAZEL--Do you want to take the risk of driving Peter to do what

Orin did? He might--if he ever discovered the truth!

LAVINIA--(violently) What truth, you little fool! Discover what?

HAZEL--(accusingly) I don't know--but you know! Look in your

heart and ask your conscience before God if you ought to marry
Peter!

LAVINIA--(desperately--at the end of her tether) Yes! Before God!

Before anything! (then glaring at her--with a burst of rage) You
leave me alone--go away--or I'll get Orin's pistol and kill you!
(Her rage passes, leaving her weak and shaken. She goes to her
chair and sinks on it.)

HAZEL--(recoiling) Oh! You are wicked! I believe you would--!

Vinnie! What's made you like this?

LAVINIA--Go away!

HAZEL--Vinnie! (Lavinia closes her eyes. Hazel stands staring at

her. After a pause--in a trembling voice) All right. I'll go.
All I can do is trust you. I know in your heart you can't be dead
to all honor and justice--you, a Mannon! (Lavinia gives a little
bitter laugh without opening her eyes.) At least you owe it to
Peter to let him read what Orin had in that envelope. Orin asked
me to make him read it before he married you. I've told Peter
about that, Vinnie.

LAVINIA--(without opening her eyes--strangely, as if to herself)

The dead! Why can't the dead die!

HAZEL--(stares at her frightenedly, not knowing what to do--looks

around her uncertainly and sees someone coming from off left, front--
quickly) Here he comes now. I'll go by the back. I don't want
him to meet me. (She starts to go but stops by the dump of lilacs--
pityingly) I know you're suffering, Vinnie--and I know your
conscience will make you do what's right--and God will forgive you.
(She goes quickly behind the lilacs and around the house to the
rear.)

LAVINIA--(looks after her and calls defiantly) I'm not asking God
or anybody for forgiveness. I forgive myself! (She leans back and
closes her eyes again--bitterly) I hope there is a hell for the
good somewhere! (Peter enters from the left, front. He looks
haggard and tormented. He walks slowly, his eyes on the ground--
then sees Lavinia and immediately makes an effort to pull himself
together and appear cheerful.)

PETER--Hello, Vinnie. (He sits on the edge of the portico beside

her. She still keeps her eyes closed, as if afraid to open them.
He looks at her worriedly.) You look terribly worn out. Haven't
you slept? (He pats her hand with awkward tenderness. Her mouth
twitches and draws down at the corners as she stifles a sob. He
goes on comfortingly.) You've had an awfully hard time of it, but
never mind, we'll be married soon.

LAVINIA--(without opening her eyes--longingly) You'll love me and

keep me from remembering?

PETER--You bet I will! And the first thing is to get you away from
this darned house! I may be a fool but I'm beginning to feel
superstitious about it myself.

LAVINIA--(without opening her eyes--strangely) Yes. Love can't

live in it. We'll go away and leave it alone to die--and we'll
forget the dead.

PETER--(a bitter resentful note coming into his voice) We can't

move too far away to suit me! I hate this damned town now and
everyone in it!

LAVINIA--(opens her eyes and looks at him startledly) I never

heard you talk that way before, Peter--bitter!

PETER--(avoiding her eyes) Some things would make anyone bitter!

LAVINIA--You've quarrelled with your mother and Hazel--on account

of me--is that it?

PETER--How did you know?

LAVINIA--Hazel was just here.

PETER--She told you? The darned fool! What did she do that for?

LAVINIA--She doesn't want me to marry you.

PETER--(angrily) The little sneak! What right has she--? (then a

bit uneasily--forcing a smile) Well, you won't pay any attention
to her, I hope.

LAVINIA--(more as if she were answering some voice in herself than

him--stiffening in her chair--defiantly) No!

PETER--She and Mother suddenly got a lot of crazy notions in their

heads. But they'll get over them.

LAVINIA--(staring at him searchingly--uneasily) Supposing they

don't?