They lay the burden doom in the outer office, out of sight, and all but RUTH cluster round it, speaking in hushed voices.
WISTER. He jumped—neck's broken.
WALTER. Good God!
WISTER. He must have been mad to think he could give me the slip like that. And what was it—just a few months!
WALTER. [Bitterly] Was that all?
JAMES. What a desperate thing! [Then, in a voice unlike his own] Run for a doctor—you! [SWEEDLE rushes from the outer office] An ambulance!
WISTER goes out. On RUTH's face an expression of fear and horror has been seen growing, as if she dared not turn towards the voices. She now rises and steals towards them.
WALTER. [Turning suddenly] Look!
The three men shrink back out of her way, one by one, into
COKESON'S room. RUTH drops on her knees by the body.
RUTH. [In a whisper] What is it? He's not breathing. [She crouches over him] My dear! My pretty!