CURTIS JAYSON
MARTHA, his wife
JOHN JAYSON, his father, a banker
JOHN, JR., his brother
RICHARD, his brother
ESTHEE (MRS. MARK SHEFFIELD), his sister
LILY, his sister
MRS. DAVIDSON, his father's aunt
MARK SHEFFIELD, a lawyer
EMILY, JOHN JR.'S wife
RICHARD BIGELOW
A MAID
A TRAINED NURSE
TIME—The Present
Living-room in the house of CURTIS JAYSON, Bridgetown, Conn.—anafternoon in early Fall.
CURTIS' study—morning of the following day.
The same—three o'clock in the morning of a day in early spring of thenext year.
Same as Act I—three days later.
SCENE—Living-room of CURTIS JAYSON'S house in Bridgetown, Conn. Alarge, comfortable room. On the left, an arm-chair, a big openfireplace, a writing desk with chair in far left corner. On this sidethere is also a door leading into CURTIS' study. In the rear, center, adouble doorway opening on the hall and the entryway. Bookcases arebuilt into the wall on both sides of this doorway. In the far rightcorner, a grand piano. Three large windows looking out on the lawn, andanother arm-chair, front, are on this right side of the room. Oppositethe fireplace is a couch, facing front. Opposite the windows on theright is a long table with magazines, reading lamp, etc. Four chairsare grouped about the table. The walls and ceiling are in a French graycolor. A great rug covers most of the hardwood floor.
It is around four o'clock of a fine afternoon in early fall.
As the curtain rises, MARTHA, CURTIS and BIGELOW are discovered. MARTHAis a healthy, fine-looking woman of thirty-eight. She does not appearthis age for her strenuous life in the open has kept her young andfresh. She possesses the frank, clear, direct quality of outdoors,outspoken and generous. Her wavy hair is a dark brown, her eyesblue-gray. CURTIS JAYSON is a tall, rangy, broad-shouldered man ofthirty-seven. While spare, his figure has an appearance of ruggedhealth, of great nervous strength held in reserve. His square-jawed,large-featured face retains an eager boyish enthusiasm in spite of itsprevailing expression of thoughtful, preoccupied aloofness. His crispdark hair is graying at the temples. EDWARD BIGELOW is a large,handsome man of thirty-nine. His face shows culture and tolerance, asense of humor, a lazy unambitious contentment. CURTIS is reading anarticle in some scientific periodical, seated by the table. MARTHA andBIGELOW are sitting nearby, laughing and chatting.
BIGELOW—[Is talking with a comically worried but earnest air.] Do youknow, I'm getting so I'm actually afraid to leave them alone with thatgoverness. She's too romantic. I'll wager she's got a whole boo