[WARDEN shakes his head and makes a movement to deny it. BLANCHE continues speaking, the words rushing to her lips, as her pent-up heart opens and lets all her emotions suddenly free.] Don’t try to deny it; you can’t make me believe you!  It’s to you I owe whatever promise the future has for me!  It is you who have given me all the happiness I’ve had for years.  It is you who have watched over, taken care of, me—­you, the best friend any woman in this world ever had.  It is you now who have saved my boy’s honor.  It is you who lift the weight off my shoulders, the weight off my heart!  You!—­you!—­you!

[She sinks sobbing on the bench.  It begins to snow very quietly and slowly.

WARDEN. [All his love bursting out into his face and into his voice, cries.] Blanche!  Blanche!

[Leaning over her as if to protect her from her trouble and take her to his breast.

BLANCHE. [Rising and looking straight into his eyes with a suddenly revealed great love in her own.] Ned!—­

[They hold this position some moments, gazing into each other’s eyes; then finally WARDEN makes a movement towards her, crying out more triumphantly, having read and realized her love for him.

WARDEN.  Blanche!

BLANCHE. [Moving a half step back from him.] No—­

WARDEN.  No?

BLANCHE.  Look—­look, it’s beginning to snow!

WARDEN. [Very softly.] What do you mean?

BLANCHE. [Desperately.] I mean to speak of anything except what is in your thoughts at this moment!  Help me not to forget that no matter what he has done, Dick is still my husband.

WARDEN.  You don’t know all he has done!

BLANCHE.  How not “all”?  What else?  Where is he?

[With a sudden new alarm.

WARDEN.  He has left you.

BLANCHE. [Echoes.] Left me?—­

WARDEN.  Mason is searching for him.  He left a note at your house which
Jess read; it was only one word “Good-by.”

BLANCHE. [Echoes again.] Good-by! [Sleigh-bells are heard in the distance, coming quickly nearer.] What does it mean?  You’re hiding something from me!  Tell me what else you know?

WARDEN.  He left the house, but took something with him—­something from a drawer in his room.

BLANCHE. [After a second’s pause she whispers.] His pistol?

WARDEN.  Yes.

BLANCHE. [Aghast, still whispers.] Has he done it?

WARDEN.  I don’t know; I’m waiting word from Mason.

[The sleigh-bells stop.

BLANCHE. [Excited.] But we can’t wait here doing nothing; we must go, too!

WARDEN.  Mason is doing all that can be done; we’d better wait here.

[He takes her hand in sympathy, but without suggesting the passion of a few moments before. STERLING enters hurriedly Left.  He is wild with drink and jealousy.