WARDEN. Come with me to Blanche; I must speak with her.
[WARDEN _and_ RUTH _go out Right._
MASON. [_Alone with_ STERLING.] Go away and make your wife understand
you are never coming back.
STERLING. But the loneliness, the misery, away--alone.
MASON. Kill them with hard work; _you have other heavy debts_, you know.
I came to see you about this business of your acknowledgments to Miss
Godesby and Miss Hunter.
STERLING. Later, later. To-morrow I will decide--
[_He motions him away._ MASON _goes to him and puts his hand on his
shoulder._
MASON. Decide well--
[_He hesitates a moment and then goes out Right._
STERLING. [_Watching him go._] There's not one soul in this world who
cares for me, and it's my _own fault_. [RICHARD _is heard upstairs again
singing "Once in Royal David's City._" STERLING _lifts his head and
listens._] Yes, one little soul loves me, and it would be better for
him, too, if I went away. I'll go to sleep and see how I feel about it
when I wake up. [_He moves the glass of water and takes out the box of
tablets. He starts suddenly, but very slightly, and his muscles
tighten._]
After all, why not end it all _now_, at once, without any more bother?
[_He looks in the box, and glances up questioningly; then he remembers
the fireplace where he threw the other tablets and looks across the room
at the logs.
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