COLONEL, trembling, ‘I suppose so.’
ALICE, gripping him, ‘Robert, if she doesn’t love me I shall die.’
COLONEL. ‘She will, she will.’ But he has grown nervous. ‘Don’t be too demonstrative, dearest.’
ALICE. ‘I shall try to be cold. Oh, Amy, love me.’
Amy comes, her hair up, and is at once in her father’s arms. Then she wants to leap into the arms of the mother who craves for her. But Alice is afraid of being too demonstrative, and restrains herself. She presses Amy’s hands only.
ALICE. ‘It is you, Amy. How are you, dear?’ She ventures at last to kiss her. ‘It is a great pleasure to your father and me to see you again.’
AMY, damped, ‘Thank you, mother——Of course I have been looking forward to this meeting very much also.’
ALICE, shuddering, ‘It is very sweet of you to say so.’
‘Oh how cold,’ they are both thinking, while the Colonel regards them uncomfortably. Amy turns to him. She knows already that there is safe harbourage there.
AMY. ‘Would you have known me, father?’