WALTER. [Dropping his head, and speaking under his breath.] Yes.

BETTY. [Wringing her hands.] You do, you do?

WALTER. Yes, that's the truth—I do. Oh, Betty I'm so frightfully sorry—

BETTY. [With a groan.] Then you don't love me any more …

WALTER. It's not that. But you see—

BETTY. [Moaning.] You don't, you don't!

[She stands there, crushed, overwhelmed, dry-eyed, broken moans escaping from her; suddenly she hears a key turning in the lock of the hall-door outside, and rushes to the card-table.

BETTY. Hector! Quick, quick—the cards!

[WALTER flies to the table, and sits by her side. He seizes one pack and proceeds to shuffle it, she is dealing with the other. All this takes only a second. HECTOR comes in—they both spring up.

BETTY. Hector! You're not ill?