GIFT OF Harold L. Leupp THE VERGE THE VERGE A PLAY IN THREE ACTS BY SUSAN GLASPELL BOSTON SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT, 1322 BY 3MAI.-L, MA-YNARD & COMPANY 1 L. L Printed in the United States of America THE MURRAY PRINTING COMPANY CAMBRIDGE. MASS. THE VERGE A PLAY IN THREE ACTS BY SUSAN GLASPELL PERSONS OF THE PLAY Anthony Harry Archer (Claire s husband) Hattie (The Maid) . Claire Dick (Richard Demming) Tom Edgeworthy Elizabeth (Claire s Daughter) Adelaide (Claire s Sister) Dr. Emmons THE VERGE ACT ONE The Curtain lifts on a place that is dark, save for a shaft of light from below which comes up through an open trap door in the floor. This slants up and strikes the long leaves and the huge brilliant blossom of a strange plant \ whose twisted stem projects from right front. Nothing is seen except this plant and its shadow. A violent wind is heard. A moment later a buzzer. It buzzes once long and three short. Silence. Aga, .n ike buzzer. Then from below his shadow blocking the UyJ, cwiez ANTHONY, a rugged man past middle life; he emerges from the stairway into the darkness of the room. Is dimly seen taking up a phone. ANTHONY Yes, Miss Claire? I ll see. [He brings a thermometer to the stairway for light, looks sharply, then returns to ike phone. It s down to forty-nine. The plants are in danger [With great relief and approval. Oh, that s fine! [Hangs up the receiver. Fine! [He goes back down the stairway, closing the trap-door upon himself, and the curtain is drawn upon darkness and wind. [It opens a moment later on the greenhouse in the sun shine of a snowy morning. The snow piled outside is at times blown through the air. The frost has made patterns on the glass as if as Plato would, have it the patterns 2 THE VERGE inherent in abstract nature and behind all life had to come out, not only in the creative heat within, but in the creative cold on the other side of the glass. And the wind makes patterns of sound around the glass house. The back wall is low; the glass roof slopes sharply up. There is an outside door, a little toward the right. From outside two steps lead down to it. At left a glass partition and a door into the inner room. One sees a little way into this room. At right there is no dividing wall save large plants and vines, a narrow aisle between shelves of plants leads off. This is not a greenhouse where .plants are being dis played, nor the itsual workshop for the growing of them, butaplace for experirnvni wick plants, a laboratory. At tEe back grows a, strange mn e. It is Arresting rather than beautifftL : Ti ^creeps along- the low wall, and one branch gets a little way up the glass. You might see the form of a cross in it, if you happened to think it that way. The leaves of this vine are not the form that leaves have been. They are at once repellent and significant. ANTHONY is at work preparing soil mixing, sifting. As the wind tries the door he goes anxiously to the ther mometer, nods as if reassured and returns to his work. The buzzer sounds. He starts to answer the telephone, remembers something, halts and listens sharply. It does not buzz once long and three short. Then he returns to his work. The buzzer goes on and on in impatient jerks which mount in anger. Several times ANTHONY is almost com pelled by this insistence, but the thing that holds him back is stronger. At last, after a particularly mad splutter, to which ANTHONY longs to make retort, the buzzer gives it up. ANTHONY goes on preparing soil. A moment later the glass door swings violently in, snow blowing in, and also MR. HARRY ARCHER, wrapped in a rug. ANTHONY Oh, please close the door, sir. THE VERGE 3 HARRY Do you think I m not trying to? [He holds it open to say this. ANTHONY But please do. This stormy air is not good for the plants. HARRY I suppose it s just the thing for me!. Now, what do you mean, Anthony, by not answering the phone when I buzz for you? ANTHONY Miss Claire Mrs. Archer told me not to. HARRY Told you not to answer me? ANTHONY Not you especially nobody but her. HARRY Well I like her nerve and yours. ANTHONY You see, she thought it took my mind from my work to be interrupted when I m out here. And so it does. So she buzzes once long and Well, she buzzes her way, and all other buzzing HARRY May buzz. ANTHONY [Nodding gravely.] She thought it would be better for the flowers. THE VERGE HARRY I am not a flower -true, but I too need a little and "" attention and q. fftle Kfiat.."" Will voii"p1pasp TpTr me why the house is frigid? ANTHONY Miss Claire ordered all the heat turned out here. [Patiently explaining it to Miss Claire s speechless hus band.] You see the roses need a great deal of heat. HARRY [Reading the thermometer.] The roses have seventy- three. I have forty-five. ANTHONY Yes, the roses need seventy-three. HARRY Anthony, this is an outrage! ANTHONY I think it is myself ; when you consider what we paid for that heating plant but as long as it is defective Why, Miss Claire would never have done what she has if she hadn t looked out for her plants in just such ways as this. Have you forgotten that Breath of Life is about to flower? HARRY And where s my breakfast about to flower that s what I want to know. ANTHONY Why Miss Claire got up at five o clock to order the heat turned off from the house. HARRY I see you admire her vigilance. THE VERGE 5 ANTHONY Oh, I do. [Fervently.] I do. Harm was near, and that woke her up. HARRY And what about the harm to [Tapping his chest.] Do roses get pneumonia? ANTHONY Oh, yes yes indeed they do. Why, Mr. Archer, look at Miss Claire herself. Hasn t she given her heat to the roses? HARRY [Pulling the rug around him, preparing for the blizzard.] She has the fire within. ANTHONY [Delighted.] Now isn t that true ! How well you said it. [With a glare for this appreciation, HARRY opens the door. It blows away from him.] Please do close the door ! HARRY [Furiously.] You think it is the aim of my life to hold it open? ANTHONY [Getting hold of it.] Growing things need an even temperature. [While saying this he gets the man out into the snow. [ANTHONY consults the thermometer, not as pleased this time as he was before. He then looks minutely at two of the plants one is a rose, the other a flower without a name because it has not long enough been a flower. Peers into the hearts of them. Then from a drawer under a shelf, takes two paper 6 THE VERGE bags, puts one over each of these flowers, closing them down at the bottom. Again the door blows wildly in, also HATTIE, a maid with a basket. M ANTHONY What do you mean blowing in here like this! Mrs. Archer has ordered HATTIE Mr. Archer has ordered breakfast served here. [She uncovers the basket and takes out an electric toaster. ( 4 i^i ANTHONY Breakfast here ? Eat here ? Where plants grow ? HATTIE The plants won t poison him, will they? [At a loss to know what to do with things, she puts the toaster under the strange vine at the back, whose leaves lift up against the glass which has frost leaves on the outer side. ANTHONY [Snatching it away] You you think you can cook eggs under the Edge Vine ? HATTIE I guess Mr. Archer s eggs are as important as a vine. I guess my work s as important as yours. ANTHONY There s a million people like you -^_ancLJike_Mr. Arcner. In all the world there is only one EdgcTVine. THE VERGE 7 HATTIE Well, maybe one s enough. It don t look like nothin anyhow. ANTHONY And you ve not got the wit to know that that s why it s the Edge Vine. HATTIE You want to look out, Anthony. You talk nutty. Everybody says so. ANTHONY Miss Claire don t say so. HATTIE No, because she s ANTHONY You talk too much! [Door opens, admitting HARRY, with a thermos bottle. ANTHONY Please close [HARRY halts his attempt at closing the door to give ANTHONY a look, ANTHONY gets the door shut. HARRY, after look ing around for the best place to eat breakfast, moves a box of earth from the table. HARRY Just give me a hand, will you, Hattie? [They bring it to the open space and he and HATTIE arrange breakfast things, HATTIE with triumphant glances at the distressed ANTHONY. 8 THE VERGE ANTHONY [Deciding he must act.] Mr. Archer, this is not the place to eat breakfast! HARRY Dead wrong, old boy. The place that has heat is the place to eat breakfast. [To HATTIE.]" Tell the other gentlemen I heard Mr. Demming up, and Mr. Edgeworthy, if he appears, that as long as it is such a pleasant morning, we re having breakfast outside. To the conservatory for coffee. [HATTIE giggles, is leaving.] And let s see, have we got everything? [Takes the one shaker, shakes a little pepper on his hand. Looks in vain for the other shaker.] And tell Mr. Demming to bring the salt. ANTHONY Mr. Archer, I am sorry to say anything HARRY [Who is taking of a bulb and attaching the toaster.] Then why do you? ANTHONY But Miss Claire will be very angry. HARRY I am very angry. Did I _chpose to _eat_my. breakfast at the other end of a blizzard? ** **^jft*" ANTHONY [An exclamation of horror at the thermometer.] The temperature is falling. I must report. [He punches the buzzer, takes up the phone.} Miss Claire? It is Anthony. A terrible thing has happened. Mr. Archer what? Yes, a terrible thing Yes, it is about Mr. Archer No no, not dead. But here. He is here. Yes, he is well, he seems well, but he is eating his breakfast. Yes, THE VERGE 9 he is having breakfast served out here for himself, and the other gentlemen are to come too Well, he seemed to be annoyed because the heat had been turned off from the house. But the door keeps opening this stormy wind blowing right over the plants. The temperature has already fallen Yes, yes. I thought you would want to come. [ANTHONY opens the trap door and goes below. HARRY looks disapprovingly down into this openness at his feet, returns to his breakfast. ANTHONY comes up, bearing a box. HARRY [Turning his face away.] Phew! What a smell. ANTHONY Yes. Fertilizer has to smell. HARRY Well it doesn t have to smell up my breakfast! ANTHONY [With a patient sense of order.] The smell belongs here. [He and the smell go to the inntfr-reemrj^"" [The outer door opens just enough to admit CLAIRE is quickly closed. With CLAIRE in a room another kind of aliveness is there. CLAIRE What are you doing here? HARRY Getting breakfast. [All the while doing so. 10 THE VERGE CLAIRE I ll not have you in my place! HARRY If you take all the heat then you have to take me. CLAIRE FJ1 show you how I have to take you. [With her hands~l>egins_scooping upon him the soil "ANTHONY" ftajf "prepared. HARRY [Jumping up, laughing, pinning down her arms, putting his arms around her.] Claire be decent. What harm do I do here? CLAIRE You pull down the temperature. HARRY Not after I m in. CLAIRE And you told Tom and Dick to come and make it uneven. HARRY Tom and Dick are our guests. We can t eat where it s warm and leave them to eat where it s cold. CLAIRE I don t see why not. HARRY You only see what you want to see. CLAIRE That s not true. I wish it were. No; no, I don t either. [She is disturbed that troubled thing which rises from within, from deep, and takes CLAIRE. She THE VERGE 11 turns to the Edge Vine, examines. Regretfully to ANTHONY, who has come in with a plant.] It s turning <y ANTHONY Can you be sure yet, Miss Claire? I CLAIRE Oh yes it s had its chance. It doesnt want to be what hasn t been. -fin u/zvottf ^ta"> < >A^L HARRY W-*~ O<AQHW>A [jy/K? &as turned at this note in her voice. Speaks kindly.] Don t take it so seriously, Claire. [Claire laughs. CLAIRE No, I suppose not. But it does matter and why should I pretend it doesn t, just because I ve failed with it? HARRY Well, I don t want to see it get you it s not important enough for that. CLAIRE [In her brooding way. ] Anything is important enough for that if it s important at all. [To the vine.] I thought you were out, but you re going back home. ANTHONY But you re doing it this time, Miss Claire. When Breath of Life opens and we see its heart CLAIRE looks toward the inner room. Because of intervening plants they do not see what is seen from the front a plant like caught motion, and of a greater transparency than plants have had. Its leaves, like waves that curl, close around a heart that is not seen. 12 THE VERGE This plant stands by itself in what, because of the arrangement of things about it, is a hidden place. But nothing is between it and the light. CLAIRE Yes, if the heart has [a little laugh] held its own, then Breath of Life is alive in its otherness. But Edge Vine is running back to what it broke out of. HARRY Come have some coffee, Claire. [ANTHONY returns to the inner room, the outer door opens, DICK is hurled in. CLAIRE [Going to the door, as he gasps for breath before closing it.] How dare you make my temperature uneven! [She shuts the door and leans against it.] DICK Is that what I do? [A laugh, a look between them, which is held into significance. HARRY [Who is not facing them.] Where s the salt? DICK Oh, I fell down in the snow. I must have left the salt where I fell. I ll go back and look for it. CLAIRE And change the temperature? We don t need salt. HARRY You don t need salt, Claire. But we eat eggs. THE VERGE 13 CLAIRE I must tell you I don t like the idea of any food being eaten here, where things have their own way to go. Please eat as little as possible, and as quickly. HARRY A hostess calculated to put one at one s ease. CLAIRE [With no ill-nature.] I care nothing about your ease. Or about Dick s ease. DICK And no doubt that s what makes you so fascinating a hostess. CLAIRE Was I a fascinating hostess last night, Dick? [Softly sings.] " Oh, night of love " [From the Barcarole of Tales of Hoffman. HARRY We ve got to have salt. [He starts for the door. CLAIRE slips in ahead of him, locks it, takes the key. He marches off right. CLAIRE [Calling after him] That end s always locked. DICK Claire darling, I wish you wouldn t say those startling things. You do get away with it, but I confess it gives me a shock and really, it s unwise. CLAIRE Haven t you learned that the best place to hide is in the truth? [As HARRY returns] Why won t you 14 THE VERGE believe me, Harry, when I tell you the truth about doors being locked? HARRY Claire, it s selfish of you to keep us from eating salt just because you don t eat salt. CLAIRE [With one of her swift changes. ] Oh, Harry! Try your egg without salt. Please Please try it without salt! [An intensity which seems all out of pro portion to the subject. HARRY An egg demands salt. CLAIRE " An egg demands salt." Do you know, Harry, why you are such an unseasoned person? " An egg demands salt." HARRY Well, it doesn t always get it. CLAIRE But your spirit gets no lift from the salt withheld. HARRY Not an inch of lift. [Going back to his breakfast. CLAIRE And pleased so pleased with itself, for getting no lift. Sure it is just the right kind of spirit because it gets no lift. [More brightly] But, Dick, you must have tried your egg without salt. DICK I ll try it now. [He goes to the breakfast table. THE VERGE 15 CLAIRE You must have tried and tried things. Isn t that the way one leaves the normal, and gets into the byways of perversion. HARRY Claire. DICK [Pushing back his egg.] If so, I prefer to wait for the salt. HARRY Claire, there is a limit. CLAIRE Precisely what I had in mind. To perversion too there is a limit. So the fortifications are unassailable. If one ever does get out, I suppose it is quite unex pectedly, and perhaps a bit terribly. HARRY Get out where? CLAIRE [With a bright smile.] Where you, darling, will never go- HARRY And from which you, darling, had better beat it. CLAIRE I wish I could. [To herself.] No no I don t either. [Again this troubled thing turns her to the plants. She puts by themselves the two which ANTHONY covered with paper bags. Is about to remove these papers. HARRY strikes a match. 16 THE VERGE CLAIRE [Turning sharply.] You can t smoke here. The plants are not used to it. HARRY Then I should think smoking would be just the thing for them. CLAIRE There is design. HARRY [To Dick.] Am I supposed to be answered? I never can be quite sure at what moment I am answered. [They both watch CLAIRE, who has uncov ered the plants and is looking intently into the flowers. From a drawer she takes some tools. Very carefully gives the rose pollen to an unfamiliar flower rather wistfully unfamiliar, which stands above on a small shelf near the door of the inner room. DICK What is this you re doing, Claire? CLAIRE Pollenizing. Crossing for fragrance. DICK It s all rather mysterious, isn t it? HARRY And Claire doesn t make it any less so. CLAIRE Can I make life any less mysterious? THE VERGE 17 HARRY If you know what you are doing, why can t you tell Dick? DICK Never mind. After all, why should I be told? [He turns away. [At that she wants to tell him. Helpless, as one who cannot get across a stream, starts uncertainly. CLAIRE I want to give fragrance to Breath of Life [Faces the room beyond the wall of glass.] the flower I ve created that is outside what flowers have been. What has gone out should bring fragrance from what it has left. But no definite fragrance, no limiting enclosing thing. I call the fragrance I am trying to create Reminiscence. [Her hand on the pot of the wistful little flower she has just given pollen.] Reminiscent of the rose, the violet, arbutus but a new thing itself. Breath of Life may be lonely out in what hasn t been. Perhaps some day I can give it reminiscence. DICK I see, Claire. CLAIRE I wonder if you do. HARRY Now, Claire, you re going to be gay today, aren t you? These are Tom s last couple of days with us. CLAIRE That doesn t make me especially gay. HARRY Well, you want him to remember you as yourself, don t you? 18 THE VERGE CLAIRE I would like him to. Oh I would like him to! HARRY Then be amusing. That s really you, isn t it Dick? DICK Not quite all of her I should say. CLAIRE [Gayly.] Careful, Dick. Aren t you indiscreet? Harry will be suspecting that I am your latest strumpet. HARRY Claire! What language you use! A person know ing you only by certain moments could never be made to believe you are a refined woman. CLAIRE True, isn t it, Dick? HARRY It would be a good deal of a lark to let them listen in at times then tell them that here is the flower of New England! CLAIRE Well, if this is the flower of New England, then the half has never been told. DICK About New England? CLAIRE I thought I meant that. Perhaps I meant about me. HARRY [Going on with his own entertainment.] Explain that this is what came of the men who made the laws that THE VERGE 19 made New England, that here is the flower of those gentlemen of culture who DICK Moulded the American mind! CLAIRE Oh! [It is pain. HARRY Now what s the matter? CLAIRE I want to get away from them! HARRY Rest easy, little one you do. CLAIRE I m not so sure that I do. But it can be done! We need not be held in forms molded for us. There is outness and otherness. HARRY Now, Claire I didn t mean to start anything serious. CLAIRE No; you never mean to do that. I want to break it up ! I tell you, I want to break it up ! If it were all in pieces, we d be [A little laugh] shocked to aliveness [To Dick] wouldn t we? There would be strange new comings together mad new comings together, and we would know what it is to be born, and then we might know that we are. Smash it. [Her hand is near an egg] As you d smash an egg. [She pushes the egg over the edge of the table and leans over and looks, as over a precipice. 20 THE VERGE HARRY [With a sigh.] Well, all you ve smashed is the egg, and all that amounts to is that now Tom gets no egg. So that s that. CLAIRE [With difficulty, drawing herself back from the fascina tion of the precipice.] You think I can t smash any thing? You think life can t break up, and go outside what it was ? Because you ve gone dead in the form in which you found yourself, you think that s all there is to the whole adventure? And that is called sanity. And made a virtue to lock one in. You never worked with things that grow! Things that take a sporting chance go mad that sanity mayn t lock them in from life untouched from life that waits. [She turns toward the inner room.] Breath of Life. [She goes in there. HARRY Oh, I wish Claire wouldn t be strange like that. [Helplessly.] What is it? What s the matter? DICK It s merely the excess of a particularly rich tempera ment. HARRY But it s growing on her. I sometimes wonder if all this [Indicating the place around him.] is a good thing. It would be all right if she d just do what she did in the beginning make the flowers as good as possible of their kind That s an awfully nice thing for / a woman to do raise flowers. But there s something about this changing things into other things putting things together and making queer new things this DICK Creating? THE VERGE 21 HARRY Give it any name you want it to have it s unsettling for a woman. They say Claire s a shark at it, but what s the good of it, if it gets her? What is the good of it, anyway? Suppose we can produce new things. Lord look at the old ones we ve got. [Looks outside; turns back.] Heavens, what a noise the wind does make around this place. [But now it is not all the wind, but TOM EDGEWORTHY, who is trying to let himself in at the locked door, their backs are to him.] I want my egg. You can t eat an egg without salt. I must say I don t get Claire lately. I d like to have Charlie Emmons see her he s fixed up a lot of people shot to pieces in the war. Claire needs something to tone her nerves up. You think it would irritate her? DICK She d probably get no little entertainment out of it. HARRY Yes, dog-gone her, she would. [Ton now takes more heroic measures to make himself heard at the door.] Funny how the wind can fool you. Now by not looking around I could imagine why I could imagine anything. Funny, isn t it, about imagination? And Claire says I haven t got any! DICK It would make an amusing drawing what the wind makes you think is there. [First makes forms with his hands, then leveling the soil prepared by ANTHONY, traces lines with his finger.] Yes, really quite jolly. [Ton, after a moment of peering in at them, smiles, goes away. HARRY You re another one of the queer ducks, aren t you? 22 THE VERGE Come now give me the dirt. Have you queer ones really got anything or do you just put it over on us that you have? [DICK smiles, draws on.] Not saying anything, eh? Well, I guess you re wise there. If you keep mum how we going to prove there s nothing there? DICK I don t keep mum. I draw. HARRY Lines that don t make anything how can they tell you anything? Well, all I ask is, don t make Claire queer. Claire s a first water good sport really, so don t encourage her to be queer. DICK Trouble is, if you re queer enough to be amusing, it might open the door to queerness. HARRY Now don t say things like that to Claire. DICK I don t have to. HARRY Then you^ think she s queer, do you? Queer as you are, you think she s queer. I would like to have Dr. Emmons come out. [After a moment of silently watch ing DICK, who is having a good time with his drawing.] You know, frankly, I doubt if you re a good influence for Claire. [DICK lifts his head ever so slightly.] Oh, I don t worry a bit about things a husband might worry about. I suppose an intellectual woman and for all Claire s hate on her ancestors, she s got the bug herself. Why she has times of boring into things until she doesn t know you re there. What do you think I caught her doing the other day? Reading Latin. Well THE VERGE 23 a woman that reads Latin needn t worry a husband much. DICK They said a good deal in Latin. HARRY But I was saying, I suppose a woman who lives a good deal in her mind never does have much well, what you might call passion. [Uses the word as if it shouldn t be used. Brows knitted, is looking ahead, does not see DICK S face. Turning to him with a laugh.] I suppose you know pretty much all there is to know about women? DICK Perhaps one or two details have escaped me. HARRY Well, for that matter, you might know all there is to know about women and not know much about Claire. But now about [does not want to say passion again] oh, feeling Claire has a certain well, a certain DICK Irony ? HARRY Which is really more more DICK More fetching, perhaps. HARRY Yes ! Than the thing itself. But of course you wouldn t have much of a thing that you have irony about. DICK Oh wouldn t you! I mean a man might. 24 THE VERGE HARRY I d like to talk to Edgeworthy about Claire. But it s not easy to talk to Tom about Claire or to ".Claire about Tom. DICK [Alert.] They re very old friends, aren t they? HARRY Why yes, they are. Though they ve not been together much of late years, Edgeworthy always going to the ends of the earth to meditate about something. I must say I don t get it. If you have a place that s the place for you to be. And he did have a place best kind of family connections, and it was a very good business his father left him. Publishing business in good shape, too, when old Edgeworthy died. I wouldn t call Tom a great success in life but Claire does listen to what he says. DICK Yes, I ve noticed that. HARRY So, I d like to get him to tell her to quit this queer business of making things grow that never grew before. DICK But are you sure that s what he would tell her. Isn t he in the same business himself? HARRY Why he doesn t raise anything. [ToM is again at the door. DICK Anyway I think he might have some idea that we can t very well reach each other. THE VERGE 25 HARRY Damn nonsense. What have we got intelligence for ? DICK To let each other alone, I suppose. Only we haven t enough to do it. [ToM is now knocking on the door with a revolver. HARRY half turns, decides to be too intelligent to turn.] HARRY Don t tell me I m getting nerves. But the way some of you people talk is enough to make even an aviator jumpy. Can t reach each other! Then we re fools. If I m here and you re there why can t we reach each other? DICK Because I am I and you are you. HARRY No wonder your drawing s queer. A man who can t reach another man [ToM here reaches them by pointing the revolver in the air and firing it. DICK digs his hand into the dirt. HARRY jumps to one side, fearfully looks around. TOM, with a pleased smile to see he at last has their attention, moves the handle to indicate he would be glad to come in. HARRY Why it s Tom! What the? [Going to the door.} He s locked out. And Claire s got the key. [Goes to the inner door, tries it.} And she s locked in! [Trying to see her in there.} Claire! Claire! [Return ing to ike outer door.} Claire s got the key and I 26 THE VERGE can t get to Claire. [Makes a futile attempt at getting the door open without a key, goes back to inner door peers, pounds] Claire! Are you there? Didn t you hear the revolver? Has she gone down cellar? [Tries the trap door.] Bolted! Well I love the way she keeps people locked out ! DICK And in. HARRY [Getting angry, shouting at the trap door] Didn t you hear the revolver? [Going to TOM.] Awfully sorry, old man, but [In astonishment to DICK.] He can t hear me. [Ton, knocking with the revolver to get their attention makes a gesture of inquiry with it] No no no ! Is he asking if he shall shoot himself ? [Shaking his head violently] Oh, no no! Um urn! DICK Hardly seems a man would shoot himself because he can t get to his breakfast. HARRY I m coming to believe people would do anything! [TOM is making another inquiry with the revolver] No! not here. Don t shoot yourself. [Trying hard to get the word through] Shoot yourself. I mean don t. [Petulantly to DICK.] It s ridiculous that you can t make a man understand you when he looks right at you like that. [Turning back to TOM.] Read my lips. Lips. I m saying Oh damn. Where is Claire? All right I ll explain it with motions. We wanted the salt. . . . [Going over it to himself] and Claire wouldn t let us go out for it on account of the tem perature. Salt. Temperature. [Takes his egg-cup to the door, violent motion of shaking in salt] But no [Shakes his head] No salt. [He then takes the ther mometer, a flower pot, holds them up to TOM.] On THE VERGE 27 account of the temperature. Tem-per-a [TOM is not getting it.] Oh well, what can you do when a man don t get a thing? [TOM seems to be preparing the revolver for action. HARRY pounds on the inner door.] Claire! Do you want Tom to shoot himself? [As he looks in there, the trap door lifts, and CLAIRE comes half-way up.] CLAIRE Why, what is Tom doing out there, with a revolver?. HARRY He is about to shoot himself because you ve locked him out from his breakfast. CLAIRE He must know more interesting ways of destroying himself. [Bowing to TOM.] Good morning. [From his side of the glass TOM bows and smiles back.] Isn t it strange our being in here and he being out there? HARRY Claire, have you no ideas of hospitality ? Let him in ! CLAIRE In? Perhaps that isn t hospitality. HARRY Well, whatever hospitality is, what is out there is snow and wind and our guest who was asked to come here for his breakfast. To think a man has to say such things. CLAIRE I m going to let him in. Though I like his looks out there. [She takes the key from her pocket. 28 THE VERGE HARRY Thank heaven the door s coming open. Somebody can go for salt, and we can have our eggs. CLAIRE And open the door again to let the salt in? No. If you insist on salt tell Tom now to go back and get it. It s a stormy morning and there ll be just one opening of the door. HARRY How can we tell him what we can t make him hear? And why does he think we re holding this conversation instead of letting him in? CLAIRE It would be interesting to know. I wonder if he ll tell us? HARRY Claire! Is this any time to wonder anything? CLAIRE Give up the idea of salt for your egg and I ll let him in. [Holds up the key to TOM to indicate that for her part she is quite ready to let him in.] HARRY I want my egg! CLAIRE Then ask him to bring the salt. It s quite simple. [HARRY goes through another pantomime with the egg cup and the missing shaker. CLAIRE, still standing half way down cellar, sneezes. HARRY growing all the while less amiable, THE VERGE 29 explains with thermometer and flower pot that there can only be one opening of the door. TOM looks interested, but unenlightened. But suddenly he smiles, nods, vanishes. HARRY Well, thank heaven [Exhausted] that s over. CLAIRE [Sitting on the top step] It was all so queer. He locked out on his side of the door. You locked in on /* yours. Looking right at each other and HARRY [In mockery] And me trying to tell him to kindly fetch the salt ! CLAIRE Yes. HARRY [To DICK.] Well, I didn t do so bad a job, did I? Quite an idea, explaining our situation with the ther mometer and the flower pot. That was really an apology for keeping him out there. Heaven knows some explanation was in order. [He is watching and sees TOM coming.] Now there he is, Claire. And probably pretty well fed up on weather. [CLAIRE goes to the door, stops before it. She and TOM look at each other through the glass. Then she lets him in. TOM And now I am in. For a time it seemed I was not to be in. But after I got the idea, that you were keeping me out there to see if I could get the idea it would be too humiliating for a wall of glass to keep one from 30 THE VERGE understanding. [Taking it from his pocket.] So there s the other thermometer. Where do you want it? [CLAIRE takes it. CLAIRE And where s the pepper? TOM [Putting it on the table.] And here s the pepper. HARRY Pepper? TOM When Claire sneezed I knew CLAIRE Yes, I knew if I sneezed you would bring the pepper. TOM Funny, how one always remembers the salt, but the pepper gets overlooked in preparations. And what is an egg without pepper? HARRY [Nastily.] There s your egg, Edgeworthy. [Point ing to it on the floor.] Claire decided it would be a good idea to smash everything, so she began with your egg. TOM [Looking at his egg.] The idea of smashing everything is really more intriguing than an egg. HARRY Nice that you feel that way about it. CLAIRE [Giving TOM his coffee.] You want to hear something amusing ? I married Harry because I thought he would smash something. THE VERGE 31 HARRY Well, that was an error in judgment. CLAIRE I m such a naive trusting person [HARRY laughs CLAIRE gives him a surprised look, continues simply.] Such a guileless soul that I thought flying would do something to a man. But it didn t take us out. We just took it in. TOM It s only our own spirit can take us out. HARRY Whatever you mean by out. CLAIRE [After looking intently at TOM, and considering it.] But our own spirit is not something on the loose. Mine isn t. It has something to do with what I do. To fly. To be free in air. To look from above on the world of all my days. Be where man has never been ! Yes wouldn t you think the spirit could get the idea? The earth grows smaller. I am leaving. What are they running around down there ? Why do they run around down there? Houses? Houses are funny lines and down-going slants houses are vanishing slants. I am alone. Can I breathe this rarer air? Shall I go higher? Shall I go too high? I am loose. I am out. But no; man flew, and returned to earth the man who left it. HARRY And jolly well likely not to have returned at all if he d had those flighty notions while operating a machine. 32 THE VERGE CLAIRE Oh, Harry! [Not lightly asked.] Can t you see it would be better not to have returned than to return the man who left it? HARRY I have some regard for human life. CLAIRE Why no I am the one who has the regard for human life. [More lightly.] That was why I swiftly divorced my stick-in-the-mud artist and married the man of flight. But I merely passed from a stick-in-the- mud artist to a DICK Stick-in-the-air aviator? HARRY Speaking of your stick-in-the-mud artist, as you romantically call your first blunder, isn t his daughter and yours due here today ? CLAIRE I knew something was disturbing me. Elizabeth. A daughter is being delivered unto me this morning. I have a feeling it will be more painful than the original delivery. She has been, as they quaintly say, educated; prepared for her place in life. HARRY And fortunately Claire has a sister who is willing to give her young niece that place. CLAIRE The idea of giving anyone a place in life. HARRY Yes! The very idea! THE VERGE 33 CLAIRE Yes ! [As often, the mocking thing gives true expression to what lies somberly in her.} The war. There was another gorgeous chance. HARRY Chance for what? I call you, Claire. I ask you to say what you mean. CLAIRE I don t know precisely. If I did there d be no use saying it. [At HARRY S impatient exclamation she turns to TOM.] TOM [Nodding.] The only thing left worth saying is the thing we can t say. HARRY Help! CLAIRE Yes. But the war didn t help. Oh, it was a stunning chance ! But fast as we could scuttled right back to the trim little thing we d been shocked out of. HARRY You bet we did showing our good sense. CLAIRE Showing our incapacity for madness. HARRY Oh, come now Claire snap out of it. You re not really trying to say that capacity for madness is a good thing to have? CLAIRE [In simple surprise.] Why yes, of course, 34 THE VERGE DICK But I should say the war did leave enough madness to give you a gleam of hope. CLAIRE Not the madness that breaks through. And it was a stunning chance! Mankind massed to kill. We have failed. We are through. We will destroy. Break this up it can t go farther. In the air above in the sea below it is to kill ! All we had thought we were we aren t. We were shut in with what wasn t so. Is there one ounce of energy has not gone to this killing? Is there one love not torn in two ? Throw it in! Now? Ready? Break up. Push. Harder. Break up. And then and then ! But we didn t say "And then " The spirit didn t take the tip. HARRY Claire! Come now [Looking to the others for help.] Let s talk of something else. CLAIRE Plants do it. The big leap it s called. Explode their species because something in them knows they ve gone as far as they can go. Something in them knows they re shut in to just that. So go mad that life may not be prisoned. Break themselves up into crazy things into lesser things, and from the pieces may come one sliver of life with vitality to find the future. How beautiful. How brave. TOM [As if he would call her from too far or would let her know he has gone with her.] Claire! CLAIRE [Her eyes turning to him] Why should we mind lying under the earth ? We who have no such initiative THE VERGE 35 no proud madness? Why think it death to lie under life so flexible so ruthless and ever-renewing ? ANTHONY [From the door of the inner room.] Miss Claire? CLAIRE [A fter an instant . ] Yes ? [She goes with him, as they disappear his voice heard, " show me now . . . want those violets bedded."} HARRY Oh, this has got to stop. I ve got to put a stop to it some way. Why Claire used to be the best sport a man ever played around with. I can t stand it to see her getting hysterical. TOM That was not hysterical. HARRY What was it then I want to know? TOM It was a look. HARRY Oh, I might have known I d get no help from either of you. Even you, Edge worthy much as she thinks of you and fine sort as I ve no doubt you are, you re doing Claire no good encouraging her in these queer ways. TOM I couldn t change Claire if I would. HARRY And wouldn t if you could. 36 THE VERGE TOM No. But you don t have to worry about me. I m going away in a day or two. And I shall not be back. HARRY Trouble with you is, it makes a little difference whether you re here or away. Just the fact of your existence does encourage Claire in this this way she s going. TOM [With a smile.] But you wouldn t ask me to go so far as to stop my existence ? Though I would do that for Claire if it were the way to help her. HARRY By Jove, you say that as if you meant it. TOM Do you think I would say anything about Claire. I didn t mean? HARRY You think a lot of her, don t you? [TOM nods. You don t mean [A laugh letting him say it.] that you re in love with Claire ? TOM In love? Oh, that s much too easy. Certainly I do love Claire. HARRY Well, you re a cool one! TOM Let her be herself. Can t you see she s troubled? HARRY Well, what is there to trouble Claire? Now I ask you. It seems to me she has everything. THE VERGE 37 TOM She s left so open. Too exposed. [As HARRY moves impatiently.] Please don t be annoyed with me. I m doing my best at saying it. You see Claire isn t hardened into one of those forms she talks about. She s too aware. Always pulled toward what could be tormented by the lost adventure. HARRY Well, there s danger in all that. Of course there s danger, Tom. But you can t help that. HARRY Claire was the best fun a woman could be. Is yet at times. TOM Let her be at times. As much as she can and will. She does need that. Don t keep her from it by making her feel you re holding her in it. Above all, don t try to stop what she s doing here. If she can do it with plants, perhaps she won t have to do it with herself. HARRY Do what? TOM [Low, after a pause.] Break up what exists. Open the door to destruction in the hope of a door on the far side of destruction. HARRY Well, you give me the willies. [Moves around in irri tation, troubled. To ANTHONY, who is passing through -. . . with a sprayer.] Anthony, have any arrangements been made about Miss Claire s daughter? ANTHONY I haven t heard of any arrangements. 38 THE VERGE HARRY Well, she ll have to have some heat in her room. We can t all live out here. ANTHONY Indeed you can not. It is not good for the plants. HARRY I m going where I can smoke. [Goes out. DICK [Lightly, but fascinated by the idea.] You think there is a door on the hinter side of destruction ? TOM How can one tell where a door may be. One thing I want to say to you for it is about you. [Regards DICK and not with his usual impersonal contemplation.] I don t think Claire should have any door closed to her. [Pause.] You know, I think, what I mean. And perhaps you can guess how it hurts to say it. Whether it s mere escape within, rather shameful escape within, or the wild hope of that door through, it s [Suddenly all human.] Be good to her ! [After a difficult moment, smiles.] Going away forever is like dying, so one can say things. DICK Why do you do it go away forever? TOM I haven t succeeded here. DICK But you ve tried the going away before. THE VERGE 39 TOM Never knowing I would not come back. So that wasn t going away. My hope is that this will be like looking at life from outside life. DICK But then you ll not be in it. TOM I haven t been able to look at it while in it. DICK Isn t it more important to be in it than to look at it ? TOM Not what I mean by look. DICK It s hard for me to conceive of loving Claire and going away from her forever. TOM Perhaps it s harder to do than to conceive of. DICK Then why do it? TOM It s my only way of keeping her. DICK I m afraid I m like Harry now. I don t get you. TOM I suppose not. Your way is different. [With calm, with sadness not with malice.] But I shall have her longer. And from deeper. DICK I know that. 40 THE VERGE TOM Though I miss much. Much. [The buzzer. TOM looks around to see if anyone is coming to answer it, then goes to the phone.] Yes? . . . I ll see if I can get to her. [To DICK.] Claire s daughter has arrived. [Looking in the inner room returns to phone.] I don t see her. [Catching a glimpse of ANTHONY off right] Oh, Anthony, where s Miss Claire? Her daughter has arrived. ANTHONY She s working at something very important in her experiments. DICK But isn t her daughter one of her experiments? ANTHONY [After a baffled moment] Her daughter is finished. TOM [At the phone] Sorry but I can t get to Claire. She appears to have gone below. [ANTHONY closes the trap door] I did speak to Anthony, but he says that Claire is working at one of her experiments and that her daughter is finished. I don t know how to make her hear. I took the revolver back to the house. Anyway you will remember Claire doesn t answer the revolver. I hate to reach Claire when she doesn t want to be reached. Why of course a daughter is very important, but oh, that s too bad. [Putting down the receiver] He says the girl s feelings are hurt. Isn t that annoying? [Gingerly pounds on the trap door. Then with the other hand. Waits, ANTHONY has a gentle smile for the gentle tapping nods approval as TOM returns to the phone] She doesn t come up. Indeed I did with both fists Sorry. THE VERGE 41 ANTHONY Please, you won t try again to disturb Miss Claire, will you? DICK Her daughter is here, Anthony. She hasn t seen her daughter for a year. ANTHONY Well, if she got along without a mother for a year [Goes back to his work. DICK [Smiling after ANTHONY.] Plants are queer. Perhaps it s safer to do it with pencil [Regards TOM.] Or with pure thought. Things that grow in the earth TOM [Nodding] I suppose because we grew in the earth. DICK I m always shocked to find myself in agreement with Harry, but I too am worried about Claire and this. [Looking at the plants. TOM It s her best chance. DICK Don t you hate to go away to India forever leaving Claire s future uncertain? TOM You re cruel now. And you knew that you were being cruel. DICK Yes, I like the lines of your face when you suffer. TOM The lines of yours when you re causing suffering I don t like them. 42 THE VERGE DICK Perhaps that s your limitation. TOM I grant you it may be. [Tliey are silent.] I had an odd feeling then that you and I sat here once before, long ago, and that we were plants. And you were a beautiful plant, and I I was a very ugly plant. I confess it surprised me finding myself so ugly a plant. [A young girl is seen outside. HARRY gets the door open for her and brings ELIZABETH in. HARRY There s heat here. And two of your mother s friends. Mr. Demming Richard Demming the artist and I think you and Mr. Edgeworthy are old friends. [ELIZABETH comes forward. She is the creditable young American well built, poised, " cultivated," so sound an expression of the usual as to be able to meet the world with assurance assurance which training has made rather graceful. She is about seventeen and mature. You feel solid things behind her. TOM I knew you when you were a baby. You used to kick a great deal then. ELIZABETH [Laughing, with ease.] And scream, I haven t a doubt. But I ve stopped that. One does, doesn t one? And it was you who gave me the idol. THE VERGE 43 TOM Proselyting, I m afraid. ELIZABETH I beg ? Oh yes. [Laughing cordially.] I see. [she doesn t.] I dressed the idol up in my dolls clothes. They fitted perfectly the idol was just the size of my doll Ailine. But mother didn t like the idol that way, and tore the clothes getting them off. [To HARRY, after looking around] Is mother here? HARRY [Crossly] Yes, she s here. Of course she s here. And she must know you re here. [After looking in the inner room he goes to the trap door and makes a great noise. ELIZABETH Oh please. Really it doesn t make the least difference. HARRY Well, all I can say is, your manners are better than your mother s. ELIZABETH But you see I don t do anything interesting, so I have to have good manners. [Lightly, but leaving the impres sion there is a certain superiority in not doing anything interesting. Turning cordially to DICK.] My father was an artist. DICK Yes, I know. ELIZABETH He was a portrait painter. Do you do portraits? DICK Well, not the kind people buy. 4A THE VERGE ELIZABETH They bought father s. DICK Yes, I know he did that kind. HARRY [Still irritated.] Why, you don t do portraits. DICK I did one of you the other day. You thought it was a milk-can. ELIZABETH [Laughing delightedly.] No? Not really? Did you think How could you think [As HARRY does not join the laugh.} Oh, I beg your pardon. I Does mother grow beautiful roses now? HARRY No, she does not. [The trap door begins to move. CLAIRE S head appears.] ELIZABETH Mother! It s been so long [She tries to overcome the difficulties and embrace her mother. CLAIRE [Protecting a box she has.] Careful, Elizabeth. We mustn t upset the lice. ELIZABETH [Retreating.] Lice? [But quickly equal even to lice.] Oh yes. You take it them off plants, don t you? CLAIRE I m putting them on certain plants. THE VERGE 45 ELIZABETH [Weakly.] Oh, I thought you took them off. CLAIRE [Calling.] Anthony! [He comes.] The lice. [He takes them from her. [CLAIRE, who has not fully ascended, looks at ELIZABETH, hesitates, then suddenly starts back down the stairs. HARRY [Outraged.] Claire! [Slowly she re-ascends sits on the top step.] [After a long pause in which he has waited for CLAIRE to open a conversation with her daughter.] Well, and what have you been doing at school all this time? ELIZABETH Oh studying. CLAIRE Studying what? ELIZABETH Why the things one studies, mother. CLAIRE Oh! The things one studies. [Looks down cellar again. DICK [After another wait.] And what have you been doing besides studying? ELIZABETH Oh the things one does. Tennis and skating and dancing and CLAIRE The things one does. 46 THE VERGE ELIZABETH Yes. All the things. The the things one does. Though I haven t been in school these last few months, you know. Miss Lane took us to Europe. TOM And how did you like Europe? ELIZABETH [Capably.] Oh, I thought it was awfully amusing. All the firls were quite mad about Europe. Of course, I m glad I m an American. CLAIRE Why? ELIZABETH [Laughing.] Why mother! Of course one is glad one is an American. All the girls CLAIRE [Turning away.] O h! [A moan under the breath. ELIZABETH Why, mother aren t you well? HARRY Your mother has been working pretty hard at all this. ELIZABETH Oh, I do so want to know all about it ? Perhaps I can help you! I think it s just awfully amusing that you re doing something. One does now-a-days, doesn t one? if you know what I mean. It was the war, wasn t it, made it the thing to do something. THE VERGE 47 DICK [Slyly.] And you thought, Claire, that the war was lost. ELIZABETH The war? Lost! [Her capable laugh.] Fancy our losing a war! Miss Lane says we should give thanks. She says we should each do some expressive thing you know what I mean? And that this is the keynote of the age. Of course, one s own kind of thing. Like mother growing flowers. CLAIRE You think that is one s own kind of thing? ELIZABETH .- Why of course I do, mother. And so does Miss Lane. All the girls CLAIRE [Shaking her head as if to get something out.] S hoo. ELIZABETH What is it, mother? CLAIRE A fly shut up in my ear " All the girls!" ELIZABETH [Laughing.] Mother was always so amusing. So different if you know what I mean. Vacations I ve lived mostly with Aunt Adelaide, you know. CLAIRE My sister who is fitted to rear children. HARRY Well, somebody has to do it. 48 THE VERGE ELIZABETH And I do love Aunt Adelaide, but I think it s going to be awfully amusing to be around with mother now and help her with her work. Help do some useful beautiful thing. CLAIRE I am not doing any useful beautiful thing. ELIZABETH Oh, but you are, mother. Of course you are. Miss Lane says so. She says it is your splendid heritage gives you this impulse to do a beautiful thing for the race. She says you are doing in your way what the great teachers and preachers behind you did in theirs. CLAIRE [Who is good for little more.] Well all I can say is, Miss Lane is stung. ELIZABETH Mother! What a thing to say of Miss Lane. [Fro:n this slipping into more of a little girl manner.] Oh, she gave me a speil one day about living up to the men I come from. [CLAIRE turns and regards her daughter. CLAIRE You ll do it, Elizabeth. ELIZABETH Well, I don t know. Quite a job, I ll say. Of course, I d have to do it in my way. I m not going to teach or preach or be a stuffy person. But now that [She here becomes the product of a superior school.] values have shifted and such sensitive new things have been liberated in the world THE VERGE 49 CLAIRE [Low.] Don t use those words. ELIZABETH Why why not? CLAIRE Because you don t know what they mean. ELIZABETH Why of course I know what they mean! CLAIRE [Turning away.] You re stepping on the plants. HARRY [Hastily.] Your mother has been working awfully hard at all this. ELIZABETH Well, now that I m here you ll let me help you, won t you, mother? CLAIRE [Trying for control.] You needn t bother. ELIZABETH But I want to. Help add to the wealth of the world. CLAIRE Will you please get it out of your head that I am adding to the wealth of the world! ELIZABETH But, mother of course you are. To produce a new and better kind of plants CLAIRE They may be new. I don t give a damn whether they re better. SO THE VERGE ELIZABETH But but what are they then? CLAIRE [As if choked out of her.] They re different. ELIZABETH [Thinks a minute, then laughs triumphantly.} But what s the use of making them different if they aren t better? HARRY A good square question, Claire. Why don t you answer it ? CLAIRE I don t have to answer it. HARRY Why not give the girl a fair show? You never have, you know. Since she s interested, why not tell her what it is you re doing? CLAIRE She is not interested. ELIZABETH But I am, mother. Indeed I am. I do want awfully to understand what you are doing, and help you. CLAIRE You can t help me, Elizabeth. HARRY Why not let her try? CLAIRE Why do you ask me to do that? This is my own thing. Why do you make me feel I should [Goes to ELIZABETH.] I will be good to you, Elizabeth. We ll THE VERGE 51 go around together. I haven t done it, but you ll see. We ll do gay things. I ll have a lot of beaus around for you. Anything else. Not this is Not this. ELIZABETH As you like, mother, of course. I just would have been so glad to to share the thing that interests you. [Hurt borne with good-breeding and a smile. HARRY Claire! [Which says, " How can you? " CLAIRE [Who is looking at ELIZABETH.] Yes, I will try. TOM I don t think so. As Claire says anything else. ELIZABETH Why of course I don t at all want to intrude. HARRY It ll do Claire good to take someone in. To get down to brass tacks and actually say what she s driving at. CLAIRE Oh Harry. But yes I will try. [Does try, but no words come. Laughs.] When you come to say it it s not One would rather not nail it to a cross of words [Laughs again.] with brass tacks. HARRY [Affectionately] But I want to see you put things into words, Claire, and realize just where you are. CLAIRE [Oddly.] You think that s a good idea? 52 THE VERGE ELIZABETH [In her manner of holding the world capably in her hands.] Now let s talk of something else. I hadn t the least idea of making mother feel badly. CLAIRE [Desperately] No, we ll go on. Though I don t know where we ll end. I can t answer for that. These plants [Beginning flounderingly .] perhaps they are less beautiful less sound than the plants from which they diverged. But they have found otherness. [Laughs a little shrilly] If you know what I mean. TOM Claire stop this! [To HARRY.] This is wrong. CLAIRE [Excitedly] No; I m going on. They have been shocked out of what they were into something they were not ; they ve broken from the forms in which they found themselves. They are alien. Outside. That s it, outside ; if you know what I mean ? ELIZABETH [Not shocked from what she is] But of course, the object of it all is to make them better plants. Other wise, what would be the sense in doing it? CLAIRE [Not reached by ELIZABETH.] Out there [Giving it with her hands] lies all that s not been touched lies life that waits. Back here the old pattern, done again, again and again. So long done it doesn t even know itself for a pattern in immensity. But this has invaded. Crept a little way into what wasn t. Strange lines in life unused. And when you make a THE VERGE 53 pattern new you know a pattern s made with life. And then you know that anything may be if only you know how to reach it. [This has taken form, not easily, but with great struggle between feeling and words. HARRY [Cordially.] Now I begin to get you, Claire. I never knew before why you called it the Edge Vine. CLAIRE I should destroy the Edge Vine. It isn t over the edge. It s running back to " all the girls." It s a little afraid of Miss Lane. [Looking somberly at it.} You are out, but you are not alive. ELIZABETH Why it looks all right, mother. CLAIRE Didn t carry life with it from the life it left. Dick you know what I mean. At least you ought to. [Her ruthless way of not letting anyone s feelings stand in the way of truth.} Then destroy it for me ! It s hard to do it with the hands that made it. DICK But what s the point in destroying it, Claire? CLAIRE [Impatiently.} I ve told you. It cannot create. DICK But you say you can go on producing it, and it s interesting in form. 54 THE VERGE CLAIRE And you think I ll stop with that? Be shut in with different life that can t creep on? [After trying to put destroying hands upon it,} It s hard to get past what we ve done. Our own dead things block the way. TOM But you re doing it this next time, Claire. [Nodding to the inner room.] In there! CLAIRE [Turning to that room} I m not sure. TOM But you told me Breath of Life has already repro duced itself. Doesn t that show it has brought life from the life it left? CLAIRE But timidly, rather wistfully. A little homesick. If it is less sure this time, then it is going back to Miss Lane. But if the pattern s clearer now, then it has made friends life that waits. I ll know tomorrow. ELIZABETH You know, something tells me this is wrong. CLAIRE The hymn-singing ancestors are tuning up. ELIZABETH I don t know what you mean by that mother, but CLAIRE But we will now sing, " Nearer my God to Thee; Nearer to " THE VERGE 55 ELIZABETH [Laughingly breaking in.] Well, I don t care. Of course you can make fun of me, but something does tell me this is wrong. To do what what DICK What God did? ELIZABETH Well yes. Unless you do it to make them better to do it just to do it that doesn t seem right to me. CLAIRE [Roughly.] "Right to you!" And that s all you know of adventure and of anguish. Do you know it is you world of which you re so true a flower makes me have to leave? You re there to hold the door shut! Because you re young and of a gayer world, you think I can t see them those old men ? Do you know why you re so sure of yourself? Because you can t feel. Can t feel the limitless out there a sea just over the hill. I will not stay with you\ ^ffiuries her hands in the earth around the Edge Vine. But suddenly steps back from it as she had from ELIZABETH.] And I will not stay with you! [Grasps it as we grasp what we would kill, is trying to pull it up. They all step forward in horror. ANTHONY is drawn in by this harm to the plant. ANTHONY Miss Claire! Miss Claire! The work of years! CLAIRE May only make a prison! [Struggling with HARRY, who is trying to stop her.] You think I too will die on the edge? [She has thrown him away, is now struggling with the vine.] Why did I make you ? To get past you ! 56 THE VERGE [As she twists it.] Oh yes, I know you have thorns! The Edge Vine should have thorns. [With a long tremendous pull for deep roots, she has it up. As she holds the torn roots. Oh, I have loved you so! You took me where I hadn t been. ELIZABETH [Who has been looking on with a certain practical horror.] Well, I d say it would be better not to go there! CLAIRE Now I know what you are for! [Flings her arm back to strike ELIZABETH with the Edge Vine. HARRY [Wresting it from her.] Claire! Are you mad? CLAIRE No, I m not mad. I m too sane! [Pointing to ELIZABETH and the words come from mighty roots.] To think that object ever moved my belly and sucked my breast! [ELIZABETH hides her face as if struck. HARRY [Going to ELIZABETH, turning to CLAIRE.] This is atrocious! You re cruel. [He leads ELIZABETH to the door and out. After an irresolute moment in which he looks from CLAIRE to TOM, DICK follows. ANTHONY cannot bear to go. He stoops to take the Edge Vine from the floor. CLAIRE S gesture stops him. He goes into the inner room. THE VERGE 57 CLAIRE [Kicking the Edge Vine out of her way, drawing deep breath, smiling.] O h. How good I feel! Light! [A movement as if she could fly.] Read me something, Tom dear. Or say something pleasant about God. But be very careful what you say about him ! I have a feeling he s not far off. dbJMjMto [CURTAIN] ACT TWO Late afternoon of the following day. CLAIRE is alone in ike tower a tower which is thought to be round but does not complete the circle. The back is curved, then jagged lines break from that, and the front is a queer bulging window in a curve that leans. The whole structure is as if given a twist by some terrific force like something wrung. It is lighted by an old-fashioned watchman s lan tern hanging from the ceiling; the innumerable pricks and slits in the metal throw a marvelous pattern on the curved wall like some masonry that hasn t been. There are no windows at back, and there is no door save an opening in the floor. The delicately distorted rail of a spiral staircase^ winds up from below. CLAIRE is seen through the huge ominous window as if shut into the tower. She is lying on a seat at the back looking at a book of drawings. To do this she has left the door of her lantern a little open and her own face is drawing clearly seen. A door is heard opening below; laughing voices, CLAIRE listens, not pleased. ADELAIDE [Voice coming up] Dear dear, why do they make such twisting steps. HARRY Take your time, most up now. [HARRY S head appears, he looks back.] Making it all right? ADELAIDE I can t tell yet [Laughingly] No, I don t think so. THE VERGE 59 HARRY [Reaching back a hand for her.] The last lap is the bad lap. [ADELAIDE is up, and occupied with getting her breath. HARRY Since you wouldn t come down, Claire, we thought we d come up. ADELAIDE [As CLAIRE does not greet her.] I m sorry to intrude, but I have to see you, Claire. There are things to be arranged. [CLAIRE volunteering nothing about arrange ments, ADELAIDE surveys the tower. An unsympathetic eye goes from the curves to the lines which diverge. Then she looks from the window.] Well, at least you have a view. HARRY This the first time you ve been up here? ADELAIDE Yes, in the five years you ve had the house I was never asked up here before. CLAIRE [Amiably enough.] You weren t asked up here now. ADELAIDE Harry asked me. CLAIRE It isn t Harry s tower. But never mind since you don t like it it s all right. ADELAIDE [Her eyes again rebuking the irregularities of the tower.] No, I confess I do not care for it. A round tower should go on being round 60 THE VERGE HARRY Claire calls this the thwarted tower. She bought the house because of it. [Going over and sitting by her, his hand on her ankle.] Didn t you, old girl? She says she d like to have known the architect. ADELAIDE Probably a tiresome person too incompetent to make a perfect tower. CLAIRE Well, now he s disposed of, what next? ADELAIDE [Sitting down in a manner of capably opening a con ference.] Next, Elizabeth, and you, Claire. Just what is the matter with Elizabeth? CLAIRE [Whose voice is cool, even, as if herself is not really engaged by this.] Nothing is the matter with her. She is a tower that is a tower. ADELAIDE Well, is that anything against her? CLAIRE She s just like one of her father s portraits. They never interested me. Nor does she. [Looks at the drawings which do interest her. ADELAIDE A mother cannot cast off her own child simply because she does not interest her! CLAIRE [An instant raising cool eyes to ADELAIDE.] Why can t she? THE VERGE 61 ADELAIDE Because it would be monstrous! CLAIRE And why can t she be monstrous if she has to be? ADELAIDE You don t have to be. That s where I m out of patience with you, Claire. You are really a particularly intelligent, competent person, and it s time for you to call a halt to this nonsense and be the woman you were meant to be! CLAIRE [Holding the book up to see another way.] What inside dope have you on what I was meant to be? ADELAIDE I know what you came from. CLAIRE Well, isn t it about time somebody got loose from that ? What I came from made you, so ADELAIDE [Stiffly.] I see. CLAIRE So you being such a tower of strength, why need I too be imprisoned in what I came from? ADELAIDE It isn t being imprisoned. Right there is where you make your mistake, Claire. Who s in a tower in an unsuccessful tower? Not I. I go about in the world free, busy, happy. Among people. I have no time to think of myself. CLAIRE No. 62 THE VERGE ADELAIDE No. My family. The things that interest them; from morning till night it s CLAIRE Yes, I know you have a large family, Adelaide; five, and Elizabeth makes six. ADELAIDE We ll speak of Elizabeth later. But if you would just get out of yourself and enter into other people s lives CLAIRE Then I would become just like you. And we should all be just alike in order to assure one another that we re all just right. But since you and Harry and Elizabeth and ten million other people bolster each other up, why do you especially need me? ADELAIDE [Not unkindly.] We don t need you as much as you need us. CLAIRE [A wry face.] I never liked what I needed. HARRY I am convinced I am the worst thing in the world for you, Claire. CLAIRE [With a smile for his tactics, but shaking her head.] I m afraid you re not. I don t know perhaps you are. ADELAIDE Well, what is it you want, Claire? CLAIRE [Simply.] You wouldn t know if I told you. THE VERGE 63 ADELAIDE That s rather arrogant. HARRY Yes, take a chance, Claire. I have been known to get an idea and Adelaide quite frequently gets one. CLAIRE [The first resentment she has shown.] You two feel very superior, don t you? ADELAIDE I don t think we are the ones who are feeling superior. CLAIRE Oh, yes, you are. Very superior to what you think is my feeling of superiority, comparing my isolation with your " heart of humanity." Soon we will speak of the beauty of common experiences, of the Oh, I could say it all before we come to it. HARRY Adelaide came up here to help you, Claire. CLAIRE Adelaide came up here to lock me in. Well, she can t do it. ADELAIDE [Gently.] But can t you see that one may do that to one s self? CLAIRE [Thinks of this, looks suddenly tired then smiles.] Well, at least I ve changed the keys. HARRY " Locked in." Bunkum. Get that out of your head. Claire. Who s locked in? Nobody that I know of, We re all free Americans. Free as air. I 64 THE VERGE ADELAIDE I wish you d come and hear one of Dr. Morley s sermons, Claire. You re very old-fashioned if you think sermons are what they used to be. CLAIRE [With interest.] And do they still sing " Nearer my God to Thee?" ADELAIDE They do, and a noble old hymn it is. It would do you no harm at all to sing it. CLAIRE [Eagerly.] Sing it to me, Adelaide. I d like to hear you sing it. ADELAIDE It would be sacrilege to sing it to you in this mood. CLAIRE [Falling back.] Oh, I don t know. I m not so sure God would agree with you. That would be one on you, wouldn t it? ADELAIDE It s easy to feel one s self set apart! CLAIRE No, it isn t. ADELAIDE [Beginning anew.] It s a new age, Claire.^ Spiritual values CLAIRE Spiritual values! [In her brooding way.] So you have pulled that up. [With cunning.] Don t think I don t know what it is you do. THE VERGE 65 ADELAIDE Well, what do I do? I m sure I have no idea what you re talking about. HARRY [Affectionately, as CLAIRE is looking with intentness at what he does not see.] What does she do, Claire? CLAIRE It s rather clever, what she does. Snatching the phrase [A movement as if pulling something up.] standing it up between her and the life that s there. And by saying it enough. " We have life! We have life! We have life! " Very good come-back at one who would really be " Just so! We are that. Right this way, please " That, I suppose, is what we mean by needing each other. All join in the chorus, " This is it! This is it! This is it! " And anyone who won t join is to be visited by relatives. [Regarding ADELAIDE with curiosity.] Do you really think that anything is going on in you? ADELAIDE [Stiffly.] I am not one to hold myself up as a perfect example of what the human race may be. CLAIRE [Brightly.] Well, that s good. HARRY Claire! CLAIRE Humility s a real thing not just a fine name for laziness. HARRY Well Lord A mighty, you can t call Adelaide lazy. 66 THE VERGE CLAIRE She stays in one place because she hasn t the energy to go anywhere else. ADELAIDE [As if the last word in absurdity has been said.] I haven t energy? CLAIRE [Mildly.] You haven t any energy at all, Adelaide. That s why you keep so busy. ADELAIDE Well Claire s nerves are in a worse state than I had realized. CLAIRE So perhaps we d better look at Blake s drawings. [Takes up the book. ADELAIDE It would be all right for me to look at Blake s draw ings. You d better look at the Sistine Madonna. [Affectionately, after she has watched CLAIRE S face a moment.] What is it, Claire? Why do you shut your self out from us? CLAIRE I told you. Because I do not want to be shut in with you. ADELAIDE All of this is not very pleasant for Harry. HARRY I want Claire to be gay. CLAIRE Funny you should want that. [Speaks unwillingly, a curious, wistful unwillingness.] Did you ever say a preposterous thing, then go trailing after the thing you ve said and find it wasn t so preposterous? Here THE VERGE 67 is the circle we are in. [Describes a big circle.] Being gay. It shoots little darts through the circle, and a minute later gayety all gone, and you looking through that little hole the gayety left. ADELAIDE [Going to her, as she is still looking through that little hole.} Claire, dear, I wish I could make you feel how much I care for you. [Simply, with real feeling.] You can call me all the names you like dull, common place, lazy that is a new idea, I confess, but the rest of our family s gone now, and the love that used to be there between us all the only place for it now is between you and me. You were so much loved, Claire. You oughtn t to try and get away from a world in which you are so much loved. [To HARRY.] Mother, Father all of us, always loved Claire best. We always loved Claire s queer gayety. Now you ve got to hand it to us for that, as the children say. CLAIRE [Moved, but eyes shining with a queer bright loneliness.] But never one of you once looked with me through the little pricks the gayety made never one of you once, looked with me at the queer light that came in through the pricks. ADELAIDE And can t you see, dear, that it s better for us we didn t? And that it would be better for you now if you would just resolutely look somewhere else? You must see yourself that you haven t the poise of people who are held well, within the circle, if you choose to put it that way. There s something about being in that main body, having one s roots in the big common experi ences, gives a calm which you have missed. That s why I want you to take Elizabeth, forget yourself, and 68 THE VERGE CLAIRE I do want calm. But mine would have to be a calm I worked my way to. A calm all prepared for me would stink. ADELAIDE [Less sympathetically.] I know you have to be your self, Claire. But I don t admit you have a right to hurt other people. HARRY I think Claire and I had better take a nice long trip. ADELAIDE Now why don t you? CLAIRE I am taking a trip. ADELAIDE Well, Harry isn t, and he d like to go and wants you to go with him. Go to Paris and get yourself some awfully good-looking clothes and have one grand fling at the gay world. You really love that, Claire, and you ve been awfully dull lately. I think that s the whole trouble. HARRY I think so too. ADELAIDE This sober business of growing plants CLAIRE Not sober it s mad. ADELAIDE All the more reason for quitting it. CLAIRE But madness that is the only chance for sanity. THE VERGE 69 ADELAIDE Come, come, now lets not juggle words. CLAIRE [Springing up.] How dare you say that to me, Adelaide. You who are such a liar and thief and whore with words! ADELAIDE [Facing her, furious.] How dare you HARRY Of course not, Claire. You have the most prepos terous way of using words. CLAIRE I respect words. ADELAIDE Well, you ll please respect me enough not to dare use certain words to me! CLAIRE Yes, I do dare. I m tired of what you do you and all of you. Life experience values calm sen sitive words which raise their heads as indications. And you pull them up to decorate your stagnant little minds and think that makes you And because you have pulled that word from the life that grew it you won t let one who s honest, and aware, and troubled, try to reach through to to what she doesn t know is there. [She is moved, excited, as if a cruel thing has been done.] Why did you come up here? ADELAIDE To try and help you. But I begin to fear I can t do it. It s pretty egotistical to claim that what so many people are, is wrong. 70 THE VERGE [CLAIRE, after looking intently at ADE LAIDE, slowly, smiling a little, de scribes a circle. With deftly used hands makes a quick, vicious break in tlw circle which is there in the air. HARRY [Going to her, taking her hands.] It s getting close to dinner time. You were thinking of something else, Claire, when I told you Charlie Emmons was coming to dinner tonight. [Answering her look.] Sure he is a neurologist, and I want him to see you. I m perfectly honest with you cards all on the table, you know that. I m hoping if you like him and he s the best scout in the world, that he can help you. [Talking hurriedly against the stillness which follows her look from him to ADELAIDE, where she sees between them an " under standing " about her.] Sure you need help, Claire. Your nerves are a little on the blink from all you ve been doing. No use making a mystery of it or a tragedy. Emmons is a cracker-jack, and naturally I want you to get a move on yourself and be happy again. CLAIRE [Who has gone over to the window] And this neurol ogist can make me happy? HARRY Can make you well and then you ll be happy. ADELAIDE [In the voice <?/ now fixing it all up] And I just had an idea about Elizabeth. Instead of working with mere plants, why not think of Elizabeth as a plant and [CLAIRE, who has been looking out the window now throws open one of the panes that swings out or seems to and calls down in great excitement. THE VERGE 71 CLAIRE Tom! Tom! Quick! Up here! I m in trouble! HARRY [Going to the window.] That s a rotten thing to do, Claire! You ve frightened him. CLAIRE Yes, how fast he can run. He was deep in thought and I stabbed right through. HARRY Well, he ll be none too pleased when he gets up here and finds there was no reason for the stabbing ! [They wait for his footsteps, HARRY annoyed, ADELAIDE offended, but stealing worried looks at CLAIRE, who is looking fixedly at the place in the floor where TOM will appear. Run ning footsteps. TOM [His voice getting there before he does.] Yes, Claire yes yes [As his head appears.] What is it? CLAIRE [At once presenting him and answering his question] My sister. TOM [Gasping] Oh, why is that all? I mean how do you do? Pardon, I [Panting] came up rather hurriedly. HARRY If you want to slap Claire, Tom, I for one have no objection. 72 THE VERGE CLAIRE Adelaide has the most interesting idea, Tom. She proposes that I take Elizabeth and roll her in the gutter. Just let her lie there until she breaks up into ADELAIDE Claire! I don t see how even in fun pretty vulgar fun you can speak in those terms of a pure young girl. I m beginning to think I had better take Elizabeth. CLAIRE Oh, I ve thought that all along. ADELAIDE And I m also beginning to suspect that oddity may be just a way of shifting responsibility. CLAIRE [Cordially interested in this possibility.] Now you know that might be. ADELAIDE A mother who does not love her own child! You are an unnatural woman, Claire. CLAIRE Well, at least it saves me from being a natural one. ADELAIDE Oh I know, you think you have a great deal! But let me tell you, you ve missed a great deal! You ve never known the faintest stirring of a mother s love. CLAIRE That s not true. HARRY No. Claire loved our boy. THE VERGE 73 CLAIRE I m glad he didn t live. HARRY [Low.] Claire! CLAIRE I loved him. Why should I want him to live? HARRY Come, dear, I m sorry I spoke of him when you re not feeling well. CLAIRE I m feeling all right. Just because I m seeing some thing, it doesn t mean I m sick. HARRY Well, let s go down now. About dinner time. I shouldn t wonder if Emmons were here. [As ADELAIDE is starting down stairs.] Coming, Claire? CLAIRE No. HARRY But it s time to go down for dinner. CLAIRE I m not hungry. HARRY But we have a guest. Two guests Adelaide s staying, too. CLAIRE Then you re not alone. HARRY But I invited Dr. Emmons to meet you. 74 THE VERGE CLAIRE [Her smile flashing.] Tell him I am violent tonight. HARRY Dearest how can you joke about such things! CLAIRE So you do think they re serious? HARRY [Irritated.] No, I do not! But I want you to come down for dinner! ADELAIDE Come, come, Claire; you know quite well this is not the sort of thing one does. CLAIRE Why go on saying one doesn t, when you are seeing one does? [To Tom.] Will you stay with me a while? I want to purify the tower. [ADELAIDE begins to disappear. HARRY Fine time to choose for a te te-a-te te. [As he is leav ing.] I d think more of you, Edgeworthy, if you refused to humor Claire in her ill-breeding. ADELAIDE [Her severe voice coming from below.] It is not what she was taught. CLAIRE No, it s not what I was taught. [Laughing rather timidly.] And perhaps you d rather have your dinner? TOM No. THE VERGE 75 CLAIRE We ll get something later. I want to talk to you. [But she does not laughs.] Absurd that I should feel bashful with you. Why am I so awkward with words when I go to talk to you? TOM The words know they re not needed. CLAIRE No, they re not needed. There s something under neath an open way down below the way that words can go. [rather desperately.] It is there, isn t it ? TOM Oh, yes, it is there. CLAIRE Then why do we never go it? / TOM , If we went it, it would not be there. CLAIRE Is that true? How terrible, if that is true. TOM Not terrible, wonderful that it should of itself be there. CLAIRE [With the simplicity that can say anything.] I want to go it, Tom, I m lonely up on top here. Is it that I have more faith than you, or is it only that I m greedier? You see you don t know [Her reckless laugh.] what you re missing. You don t know how I could love you. TOM Don t, Claire; that isn t how it is between you and me. 76 THE VERGE CLAIRE But why can t it be every way between you and me? TOM Because we d lose the open way. [The quality of his denial shows how strong his feeling for her.] With anyone else not with you. CLAIRE But you are the only one I want. The only one all of me wants. TOM I know; but that s the way it is. CLAIRE You re cruel. TOM Oh, Claire, I m trying so hard to save it for us. Isn t it our beauty and our safeguard that underneath our separate lives, no matter where we may be, with what other, there is this open way between us? That s so much more than anything we could bring to being. CLAIRE Perhaps. But it s different with me. I m not all spirit. TOM [His hand on her.] Dear! CLAIRE No, don t touch me since [Moving.] you re going away tomorrow? [He nods.] For always? [His head just moves assent.] India is just another country. But there are undiscovered countries. THE VERGE 77 TOM Yes, but we are so feeble we have to reach our country through the actual country lying nearest. Don t you do that yourself, Claire? Reach your country through the plants country? CLAIRE My country? You mean Outside? TOM No, I don t think it that way. CLAIRE Oh, yes, you do. TOM Your country is the inside, Claire. The innermost. You are disturbed because you lie too close upon the heart of life. CLAIRE [Restlessly.] I don t know; you can think it one way or another. No way says it, and that s good at least it s not shut up in saying. [She is looking at her enclosing hand, as if something is shut up there. TOM But also, you know, things may be freed by expres sion. Come from the unrealized into the fabric of life. CLAIRE Yes, but why does the fabric of life have to freeze into its pattern? It should [doing it with her hands} flow [Then turning like an unsatisfied child to him} But I wanted to talk to you. TOM You are talking to me. Tell me about your flower that never was before your Breath of Life ? 78 THE VERGE CLAIRE I ll know tomorrow. You ll not go until I know? TOM I ll try to stay. CLAIRE It seems to me, if it has then I have, integrity in [Smiles, it is as if the smile lets her say it.] otherness. I don t want to die on the edge! TOM Not you! CLAIRE Many do. It s what makes them too smug in all-ness those dead things on the edge, died, distorted trying to get through. Oh don t think I don t see The Edge Vine! [A pause, then swiftly.] Do you know what I mean? Or do you think I m just a fool, or crazy? TOM I think I know what you mean, and you know I don t think you are a fool, or crazy. CLAIRE Stabbed to awareness ! no matter where it takes you, isn t that more than a safe place to stay? [Telling him very simply despite ilie pattern <?/ pain in her voice.] Anguish may be a thread making patterns that haven t been. A thread blue and burning. TOM [To take her from what even he fears for her.] But you were telling me about the flower you breathed to life. What is your Breath of Life? CLAIRE [An instant playing.} It s a secret. A secret? it s a trick. Distilled from the most fragile flowers there THE VERGE , are. It s only air pausing playing; except, far in, one stab of red, its quivering heart that asks a question. But here s the trick I bred the air form to strength. The strength shut up behind us I ve sent far out. [Troubled.] I ll know tomorrow. And I have another gift for Breath of Life; some day though days of work lie in between some day I ll give it reminiscence. Fragrance that is no one thing in here but reminiscent. [Silence, she raises wet eyes.] We need the haunting beauty from the life we ve left. I need that. [He takes her hands and breathes her name.] Let me reach my country with you. I m not a plant. After all, they don t accept me. Who does accept me ? Will you ? TOM My dear dear, dear, Claire you move me so! You stand alone in a clearness that breaks my heart. [Her hands move up his arms. He takes them to hold them from where they would go though he can hardly do it.] But you ve asked what you yourself could answer best. We d only stop in the country where everyone stops. CLAIRE We might come through to radiance. TOM Radiance in an enclosing place. CLAIRE Perhaps radiance lighting forms undreamed. [Her reckless laugh.] I d be willing to take a chance, I d rather lose than never know. TOM No, Claire. Knowing you from underneath, I know you couldn t bear to lose. BO THE VERGE CLAIRE Wouldn t men say you were a fool! TOM They would. CLAIRE And perhaps you are. [He smiles a little .] I feel so desperate, because if only I could show you what I am, you might see I could have without losing. But I m a stammering thing with you. TOM You do show me what you are. CLAIRE I ve known a few moments that were life. Why don t they help me now? One was in the air. I was up with Harry flying high. It was about four months before David was born the doctor was furious pregnant women are supposed to keep to earth. We were going fast I was flying I had left the earth. And then within me, movement, for the first time stirred to life far in air -- movement within. The man unborn, he too, would fly. And so I always loved him, He was movement and wonder. In his short life were many flights. I never told anyone about the last one. His little bed was by the window he wasn t four years old. It was night, but him not asleep. He saw the morning star you know the morning star. Brighter stranger reminiscent and a promise. He pointed "Mother," he asked me, " what is there beyond the stars? " A baby, a sick baby the morning star. Next night the finger that pointed was [Suddenly bites her own finger] But, yes, I am glad. He would always have tried to move and too much would hold him. Wonder would die and he d laugh at soaring. [Looking THE VERGE 81 down, sidewise] Though I liked his voice. So I wish you d stay near me for I like your voice, too. TOM Claire! That s [Choked.] almost too much. CLAIRE [One of her swift changes canny, almost practical.} Well, I m glad if it is. How can I make it more? [But what she sees brings its own change.] I know what it is you re afraid of. It s because I have so much yes, why shouldn t I say it ? passion. You feel that in me, don t you? You think it would swamp everything. But that isn t all there is to me. TOM Oh, I know it! My dearest why it s because I know it! You think I am a fool? CLAIRE It s a thing that s sometimes more than I am. And yet I I am more than it is. TOM I know. I know about you. CLAIRE I don t know that you do. Perhaps if you really knew about me you wouldn t go away. TOM You re making me suffer, Claire. CLAIRE I know I am. I want to. Why shouldn t you suffer? [Now seeing it more clearly than she has ever seen it.] You know what I think about you? You re afraid of suffering, and so you stop this side in what you persuade yourself is suffering. [Waits, then sends it 82 THE VERGE straight.] You know how it is with me and Dick? [As she sees him suffer.] Oh, no, I don t want to hurt you! Let it be you! I ll teach you you needn t scorn it. It s rather wonderful. TOM Stop that, Claire! That isn t you. CLAIRE Why are you so afraid of letting me be low if that. ^ is low? You see [Cannily.] I believe in beauty. I have the faith that can be bad as well as good. And you know why I have the faith? Because sometimes from my lowest moments beauty^ has opened as the sea. From a cave I saw immensity. My love, you re going away Let me tell you how it is with me; I want to touch you somehow touch you once before I die Let me tell you how it is with me. I do not want to work, I want to be; Do not want to make a rose or make a poem Want to lie upon the earth and know. [Closes her eyes.] Stop doing that ! words going into patterns ; They do it sometimes when I let come what s there. Thoughts take pattern then the pattern is the thing. But let me tell you how it is with me. [It flows again.] All that I do or say it is to what it comes from, A drop lifted from the sea. I want to lie upon the earth and know. But scratch a little dirt and make a flower; Scratch a bit of brain something like a poem. [Covering her face.] Stop doing that. Help me stop doing that! THE VERGE 83 TOM [And from the place where she had carried him. Don t talk at all. Lie still and know And know that I am knowing. CLAIRE Yes; but we are so weak we have to talk; To talk to touch. Why can t I rest in knowing I would give my life to reach you? That has all there is. But I must put my timid hands upon you, Do something about infinity. Oh, let what will flow into us, And fill us full and leave us still. Wring me dry, And let me fill again with life more pure. To know to feel, And do nothing with what I feel and know That s being good. That s nearer God. [Drenched in the feeling that has flowed through her but surprised helpless.] Why, I said your thing, didn t I ? Opened my life to bring you to me, and what came is what sends you away. TOM No! What came is what holds us together. What came is what saves us from ever going apart. [Brokenly.] My beautiful one. You you brave flower of all our knowing. CLAIRE I am not a flower. I am too torn. If you have anything Help me. Breathe. Breathe the healing oneness, and let me know in calm. * [With a sob his head rests upon her. 84 THE VERGE CLAIRE [Her hands on his head, but looking far.] Beauty you pure one thing. Breathe Let me know in calm. Then trouble me, trouble me for other moments in father calm. [Slow, motionless, barely articulate TOM [As she does not move he lifts his head. And even as he looks at her, she does not move, nor look at him.] Claire [His hand out to her, a little afraid.] You went away from me then. You are away from me now. CLAIRE Yes, and I could go on. But I will come back. [It is hard to do. She brings much with her.] That, too, I will give you my by-my self -ness. That s the utter most I can give. I never thought to try to give it. But let us do it the great sacrilege ! Yes ! [Excited, she rises; she has his hands, and brings him up beside her.] Let us take the mad chance! Perhaps it s the only way to save What s there. How do we know? How can we know? Risk. Risk everything. From all that flows into us, let it rise! All that we never thought to use to make a moment let it flow into what could be ! Bring all into life between us or send all down to death! Oh, do you know what I am doing? Risk, risk everything. Why are you so afraid to lose? What holds you from me? Test all. Let it live or let it die. It is our chance our chance to bear what s there. My dear one I will love you so. With all of me. I am not afraid now of all of me. Be generous. Be unafraid. Life is for life though it cuts us from the farthest life. How can I make you know that s true? All that we re open to [Hesitates, shudders.] But yes I will, I will risk the life that waits. Perhaps only he who gives his loneli- THE VERGE 85 ness shall find. You never keep by holding. [Gesture of giving.] To the uttermost. And it is gone or it is there. You do not know and that makes the moment [Mitsic has begun a phonograph down stairs; they do not heed it.] Just as I would cut my wrists [Holding them out.] Yes, perhaps this lesser thing will tell it would cut my wrists and let the blood flow out till all is gone if my last drop would make would make [Looking at them fascinated.] I want to see it doing that ! Let me give my last chance for life to [He snatches her they are on the brink of their moment; now that there are no words the phonograph from down stairs is louder. It is playing lan- gorously the Barcarole; they become conscious of this they do not want to be touched by the love song. CLAIRE Don t listen. That s nothing. This isn t that. [Fearing.] I tell you it isn t that. Yes, I know that s amorous enclosing. I know a little place. This isn t that. [Her arms going around him all the lure of " that " while she pleads against it as it comes up to them.] We will come out to radiance in far places. [Admitting, using.] Oh, then let it be that! Go with it. Give up the otherness. I will ! And in the giving up perhaps a door we d never find by searching. And if it s no more than all have known, I only say it s worth the allness ! [Her arms wrapped round him.] My love my love let go your pride in loneliness and let me give you joy! TOM [Drenched in her passion, but fighting.] It s you. [In anguish.] You rare thing untouched not not 86 THE VERGE into this not back into this by me lover of your apartness. [She steps back. She sees he cannot. She stands there, before what she wanted more than life, and almost had, and lost. A long moment. Then she runs down the stairs. CLAIRE [Her voice coming up.} Harry! Choke that phono graph ! If you want to be lewd do it yourselves ! You tawdry things you cheap little lewd cowards [A door heard opening below.} Harry! If you don t stop that music, I ll kill myself. [Far down, steps on stairs. HARRY Claire, what is this ? CLAIRE Stop that phonograph or I ll HARRY Why of course I ll stop it. What what is there to get so excited about ? Now now just a minute, dear. It ll take a minute. [CLAIRE comes back upstairs, dragging steps, face ghastly. The amorous song still comes up, and louder now, that doors are open. She and TOM do not look at one another. Then, on a langorous swell the music comes to a grating stop. They do not speak or move. Quick footsteps HARRY comes up. HARRY What in the world were you saying, Claire? Cer tainly you could have asked me more quietly to turn off the Victrola. Though what harm was it doing you THE VERGE 87 way up here? [A sharp little sound from CLAIRE; she checks it, her hand over her mouth. HARRY looks from her to TOM.] Well I think you two would better have had your dinner. Won t you come down now and have some? CLAIRE [Only now taking her hand from her mouth.} Harry, tell him to come up here that insanity man. I want to ask him something. HARRY "Insanity man!" How absurd. He s a nerve specialist. There s a vast difference. CLAIRE Is there? Anyway, ask him to come up here. Want to ask him something. TOM [Speaking with difficulty.] Wouldn t it be better for us to go down there? CLAIRE No. So nice up here ! Everybody up here ! HARRY [Worried] You ll be yourself, will you, Claire? [She checks a laugh, nods.] I think he can help you. CLAIRE Want to ask him to help me. HARRY [As he is starting down.] He s here as a guest tonight, you know, Claire. CLAIRE I suppose a guest can help one. 88 THE VERGE TOM [When the silence rejects it.] Claire, you must know, it s because it is so much, so CLAIRE Be still. There isn t anything to say. TOM [Torn tortured.] If it only weren t you! CLAIRE Yes, so you said. If it weren t I. I suppose I wouldn t be so interested ! [Hears them starting up below keeps looking at the place where they will appear. [HARRY is heard to call, " Coming, DICK? " and DICK S voice replies, "In a moment or two." ADELAIDE comes first. ADELAIDE [As her head appears] Well, these stairs should keep down weight. You missed an awfully good dinner, Claire. And kept Mr. Edgeworthy from a good dinner. CLAIRE Yes. We missed our dinner. [Her eyes do not leave the place where DR. EMMONS will come up.] HARRY [As he and EMMONS appear.] Claire, this is CLAIRE Yes, I know who he is. I want to ask you THE VERGE 89 ADELAIDE Let the poor man get his breath before you ask him anything. [He nods, smiles, looks at CLAIRE with interest. Careful not to look too long at her, surveys the tower. EMMONS Curious place. ADELAIDE Yes; it lacks form, doesn t it? CLAIRE What do you mean? How dare you? y [It is impossible to ignore her agitation; she is backed against the curved wall, as far as possible from them. HARRY looks at her in alarm, then in resent ment at TOM who takes a step nearer CLAIRE. HARRY [Trying to be light] Don t take it so hard Claire. CLAIRE [To Emmons.] It must be very interesting help ing people go insane. ADELAIDE Claire! How preposterous. EMMONS [Easily.] I hope that s not precisely what we do. ADELAIDE [With the smile of one who is going to " cover it." Trust Claire to put it in the unique and amusing way. 90 THE VERGE CLAIRE Amusing? You are amused? But it doesn t matter. [To the doctor} I think it is very kind of you helping people go insane. I suppose they have all sorts of reasons for having to do it reasons why they can t stay sane any longer. But tell me, how do they do it? It s not so easy to get out. How do so many manage it? EMMONS I d like immensely to have a talk with you about all this some day. ADELAIDE Certainly this is not the time, Claire. CLAIRE The time? When you can t go any farther isn t that ADELAIDE [Capably taking the whole thing into matter-of-fact- ness.] What I think is, Claire has worked too long with plants. There s something not quite sound about making one thing into another thing. What we need is unity. [From CLAIRE something like a moan] Yes dear, we do need it [To the doctor] I can t say that I believe in making life over like this. I don t think the new species are worth it. At least I don t believe in it for Claire. If one is an intense, sensitive person CLAIRE Isn t there any way to stop her? Always always smothering it with the word for it? EMMONS [Soothingly] But she can t smother it. Anything that s really there she can t hurt with words. THE VERGE 91 CLAIRE [Looking at him with eyes too bright.] Then you don t see it either. [Angry.] Yes, she can hurt it ! Piling it up always piling it up between us and What there. Clogging the way always [To EMMONS.] I want to cease to know ! That s all I ask. Darken it. Darken it. If you came to help me, strike me blind ! EMMONS You re really all tired out, aren t you? Oh, we ve got to get you rested. CLAIRE They deny it saying they have it ; and he [half looks at TOM quickly looks away] others, deny it afraid of losing it. We re in the way. Can t you see the dead stuff piled in the path? [Pointing. DICK [Voice coming up.] Me too? CLAIRE [Staring at the path, hearing his voice a moment after it has come.] Yes, Dick you too. Why not you too. [After he has come up.] What is there any more than you are? DICK [Embarrassed by the intensity, but laughing.] A ques tion not at all displeasing to me. Who can answer it? CLAIRE [More and more excited.] Yes! Who can answer it? [Going to him, in terror.] Let me go with you and be with you and know nothing else ! ADELAIDE [Gasping.] Why ! 92 THE VERGE HARRY Claire ! This is going a little too CLAIRE Far? But you have to go far to [Clinging to DICK.] Only a place to hide your head what else is there to hope for ? I can t stay with them piling it up ! Always piling it up! I can t get through to he won t let me through to what I don t know is there! [As DICK would help her regain herself.] Don t push me away! Don t don t stand me up, I will go back to the worst we ever were ! Go back and remem ber what we ve tried to forget! ADELAIDE It s time to stop this by force if there s no other way. [The doctor shakes his head. CLAIRE All I ask is to die in the gutter with everyone spitting on me. [Changes to a curious weary smiling quiet.] Still, why should they bother to do that? HARRY [Brokenly.] You re sick, Claire. There s no denying it. [Looks at EMMONS, who nods. ADELAIDE Something to quiet her to stop it. CLAIRE [Throwing her arms around DICK.] You, Dick. Not them. Not any of them. DICK Claire, you are overwrought. You must THE VERGE 93 HARRY [To DICK, as if only now realizing that phase of it.] I ll tell you one thing, you ll answer to me for this! [He starts for DICK is restrained by EMMONS, chiefly by his grave shake of the head. With HARRY S move to them, DICK has shielded CLAIRE. CLAIRE Yes hold me. Keep me. You have mercy ! You will have mercy. Anything everything that will let me be nothing! [CURTAIN] ACT THREE In the greenhouse, the same as Act I. ANTHONY is bedding small plants where the Edge Vine grew. In the inner room the plant like caught motion glows as from a light within. HATTIE, the Maid, rushes in from outside. ANTHONY [Turning angrily.] You are not what this place HATTIE Anthony, come in the house. I m afraid. Mr. Archer, I never saw him like this. He s talking to Mr. Demming something about Mrs. Archer. ANTHONY [Who in spite of himself is disturbed by her agitation.] And if it is, it s no business of yours. HATTIE You don t know how he is. I went in the room and ANTHONY Well, he won t hurt you, will he? HATTIE How do I know who he ll hurt a person s whose [Seeing how to get him.] Maybe he ll hurt Mrs. Archer. ANTHONY [Startled, then smiles.] No; he won t hurt Miss Claire, THE VERGE 95 HATTIE What do you know about it? out here in the plant house? ANTHONY And I don t want to know about it. This is a very important day for me. It s Breath of Life I m thinking of today not you and Mr. Archer. HATTIE Well suppose he does something to Mr. Demming? ANTHONY Mr. Demming will have to look out for himself, I am at work. [Resuming work. HATTIE Don t you think I ought to tell Mrs. Archer that ANTHONY You let her alone! This is no day for her to be bothered by you. At eleven o clock [Looks at watch.] she comes out here to Breath of Life. HATTIE [With greed for gossip.] Did you see any of them when they came downstairs last night? ANTHONY I was attending to my own affairs. HATTIE They was all excited. Mr. Edgeworthy he went away. He was gone all night, I guess. I saw him coming back just as the milkman woke me up. Now he s packing his things. He wanted to get to Mrs. Archer too just a little while ago. But she won t open her door for none of them. I can t even get in to do her room. 96 THE VERGE ANTHONY Then do some other room and leave me alone in this room. HATTIE [A little afraid of what she is asking.] Is she sick, Anthony or what? [Vindicating herself, as he gives her a look.] That doctor he stayed here late. But she d locked herself in. I heard Mr. Archer ANTHONY You heard too much ! [He starts for the door, to make her leave, but DICK rushes in. Looks around wildly, goes to the trap door, finds it locked. ANTHONY What are you doing here ? DICK Trying not to be shot if you must know. This is the only place I can think o f till he comes to his senses and I can get away. Open that, will you ? Rather ignominious but better be absurd than be dead. HATTIE Has he got the revolver? DICK Gone for it. Thought I wouldn t sit there till he got back. [To Anthony.] Look here don t you get the idea? Get me some place where he can t come. ANTHONY , It is not what this place is for. DICK Any place is for saving a man s life. THE VERGE 97 HATTIE Sure, Anthony. Mrs. Archer wouldn t want Mr. Demming shot. DICK That s right, Anthony. Miss Claire will be angry at you if you get me shot. [He makes for the door of the inner room. ANTHONY You can t go in there. It s locked. [HARRY rushes in from outside. HARRY I thought so! [He has the revolver. HATTIE screams. ANTHONY Now Mr. Archer, if you ll just stop and think, you ll know Miss Claire wouldn t want Mr. Demming shot. HARRY You think that can stop me? You think you can stop me? [Raising the revolver.] A dog that ANTHONY [Keeping squarely between HARRY and DICK.] Well, you can t shoot him in here. It is not good for the plants. [HARRY is arrested by this reason] And espe cially not today. Why, Mr. Archer, Breath of Life may flower today. It s years Miss Claire s been working for this day. HARRY I never thought to see this day! ANTHONY No, did you? Oh, it will be a wonderful day. And how she has worked for it. She has an eye that sees what isn t right in what looks right. Many s the time .GE 98 THE VER I ve thought Here the form is set and then she d say " We ll try this one," and it had what I hadn t known was there. She s like that. HARRY I ve always been pleased, Anthony, at the way you ve worked with Miss Claire. This is hardly the time to stand there eulogizing her. And she s [can hardly say it] things you don t know she is. ANTHONY [Proudly.] Oh, I know that! You think I could work with her and not know she s more than I know she is? HARRY Well if you love her you ve got to let me shoot the dirty dog that drags her down! ANTHONY Not in here. Not today. More than like you d break the glass. And Breath of Life s in there. HARRY Anthony, this is pretty clever of you but ANTHONY I m not clever. But I know how easy it is to turn life back. No, I m not clever at all, [CLAIRE has appeared and is looking in from outside] but I do know there are things you mustn t hurt. [He sees her], Yes, here s Miss Claire. [SHE comes in. She is looking immaculate. CLAIRE From the gutter I rise again, refreshed. One does, you know. Nothing is fixed not even the gutter. THE VERGE 99 [Smilingly to HARRY and refusing to notice revolver or agitation] How did you like the way I entertained the nerve specialist? HARRY Claire! You can joke about it? CLAIRE [Taking the revolver from the hand she has shocked to limpness] Whom are you trying to make hear? HARRY I m trying to make the world hear that [pointing] there stands a dirty dog who CLAIRE Listen, Harry. [Turning to HATTIE, who is over by the tall plants at right, not wanting to be shot but not wanting to miss the conversation] You can do my room now, Hattie. [HATTIE goes] If you re thinking of shooting Dick, you can t shoot him while he s backed up against that door. ANTHONY Just what I told them, Miss Claire. Just what I told them. CLAIRE And for that matter, it s quite dull of you to have any idea of shooting him. HARRY I may be dull I know you think I am but I ll show you that I ve enough of the man in me to CLAIRE To make yourself ridiculous? If I ran out and hid my head in the mud, would you think you had to shoot the mud? 100 THE VERGE DICK [Stung out of fear.] That s pretty cruel! CLAIRE Well, would you rather be shot? HARRY So you just said it to protect him! CLAIRE I change it to grass. [Nodding to DICK.] Grass. If I hid my face in the grass, would you have to burn the grass? HARRY Oh, Claire, how can you? When you know how I love you and how I m suffering? CLAIRE [With interest.] Are you suffering? HARRY Haven t you eyes? CLAIRE I should think it would do something to you HARRY God! Have you no heart? [The door opens. TOM comes in. CLAIRE [Scarcely saying it.] Yes, I have a heart. TOM [After a pause.] I came to say good-bye. CLAIRE God! Have you no heart? Can t you at least wait till Dick is shot? THE VERGE 101 TOM Claire! [Now sees the revolver in her hand that is turned from him. Going to her.} Claire! CLAIRE And even you think this is so important? [Care lessly raises the revolver, and with her left hand out flat, tells TOM not to touch her.} Harry thinks it important he shoot Dick, and Dick thinks it important not to be shot, and you think I mustn t shoot anybody even myself and can t any of you see that none of that is as important as where revolvers can t reach ? [Put ting revolver where there i.j no E,dge Vine.} I shall never shoot myself. I m too i .Uere c ted ; n destruction to cut it short by shooting,. [After looking from one to the oilier, .laughs. Pointing.}*- One^-ttfro ; th/e^ 1 . You- love-me. But why do you *bririg it out here \ ANTHONY [Who has resumed work.} It is not what this place is for. CLAIRE No. This place is for the destruction that can get through. ANTHONY Miss Claire, it is eleven. At eleven we are to go in and see CLAIRE Whether it has gone through. But how can we go with Dick against that door ? ANTHONY He ll have to move. CLAIRE And be shot? 102 THE VERGE HARRY [Irritably.] Oh, he ll not be shot. Claire can spoil anything. [DiCK steps away from the door; CLAIRE takes a step nearer it. CLAIRE [Halting.] Have I spoiled everything? I don t want to go in there. ANTHONY We re going in together, Miss Claire. Don t you remember? Oh [Looking resentfully at the others.] don t let any little thing, spoil it for you the work of all those days the hope of so many days. CLAIRE Yes that s :t. ANTHONY You re afraid you haven t done it? CLAIRE Yes, but afraid I have. HARRY [Cross, but kindly.] That s just nervousness, Claire. I ve had the same feeling myself about making a record in flying. CLAIRE [Curiously grateful] You have, Harry? HARRY [Glad enough to be back in a more usual world.] Sure. I ve been afraid to know, and almost as afraid of having done it as of not having done it. [CLAIRE nods, steps nearer, then again pulls back. THE VERGE 103 CLAIRE I can t go in there. [She almost looks at TOM.] Not today ANTHONY But Miss Claire, there ll be things to see today we can t see tomorrow. CLAIRE You bring it in here! ANTHONY In Out from its own place? [She nods.] And where they are ? [Again she nods.] [Reluctantly he goes to the door.] I will not look into the heart. No one must know before you know. [In the inner room, his head a little turned away, he is seen very carefully to lift the plant which glows from within. As he brings it in, no one looks at it. HARRY takes a box of seedlings from a stand and puts them on the floor, that the newcomer may have a place. ANTHONY Breath of Life is here, Miss Claire. [CLAIRE half turns, then stops. CLAIRE Look and see what you see. ANTHONY No one should see what you ve not seen. CLAIRE I can t see until I know. [ANTHONY looks into the flower. ANTHONY [Agitated.] Miss Claire ! 104 THE VERGE CLAIRE It has come through? ANTHONY It has gone on. CLAIRE Stronger? ANTHONY Stronger, surer. CLAIRE And more fragile? ANTHONY And more fragile. CLAIRE Look deep. No turning back? ANTHONY [After a searching look.] The form is set. [He steps back from it. CLAIRE Then it is out. [From where she stands she turns slowly to the plant.] You weren t. You are. ANTHONY But come and see, Miss Claire. CLAIRE It s so much more than I d see. HARRY Well I m going to see. [Looking into it.] I never saw anything like that before! There seems something alive inside this outer shell. ,THE VERGE 105 DICK [He too looking in and he has an artist s manner of a hand up to make the light right.] It s quite new in form. It says something about form. HARRY [Cordially to Claire, who stands apart] So you ve really put it over. Well well, congratulations. It s a good deal of a novelty, I should say, and I ve no doubt you ll have a considerable success with it people always like something new. I m mighty glad after all your work, and I hope it will set you up. CLAIRE [Low and like a machine] Will you all go away ? [Anthony goes into the other room. HARRY Why why, yes. But oh, Claire! Can t you take some pleasure in your work? \As she stands there very still] Emmons says you need a good long rest and I think he s right. TOM Can t this help you, Claire? Let this be release. This breath of the uncap tured. CLAIRE [And though speaking, she remains just as still] Breath of the uncaptured? You are a novelty. Out? You have been brought in. A thousand years from now, when you are but a form too long repeated, Perhaps the madness that gave you birth will burst again, 106 THE VERGE And from the prison that is you will leap pent queer- nesses To make a form that hasn t been To make a prison new. And this we call creation. [Very low, her head not coming up. Go away ! [ToM goes; HARRY hesitates, looking in anxiety at Claire. He starts to go, stops, looks at Dick, from him to Claire. But goes. A moment later, Dick mows near Claire; stands uncer tainly, then puts a hand upon her. She starts, only then knowing he is there. CLAIRE [A slight shrinking away, but not really reached.] Um, urn. [He goes. Claire steps nearer her creation. She looks into what hasn t been. With her breath, and by a gentle moving of her hands, she fans it to fuller openness. As she does this TOM returns and from outside is looking in at her. Softly he opens the door and comes in. She does not know that he is there. In the way she looks at the flower he looks at her. TOM -Claire [She lifts her head] As you stood there, looking into the womb you breathed to life, you were beautiful to me beyond any other beauty. You were life and its reach and its anguish. I can t go away from you. I will never go away from you. It shall all be as you wish. I can go with you where I could not go alone. If this is delusion, I want that delusion. It s THE VERGE 107 more than any reality I could attain. [As she does not move.] Speak to me, Claire. You are glad? CLAIRE [From far.] Speak to you? [Pause.] Do I know who you are? TOM I think you do. CLAIRE Oh, yes. I love you. That s who you are. [Waits again.] But why are you something very far away? TOM Come nearer. CLAIRE Nearer? [Feeling it with her voice.] Nearer. But I think I am going the other way. TOM No, Claire come to me. Did you understand, dear. I am not going away. CLAIRE You re not going away? TOM Not without you, Claire. And you and I will be together. Is that what you wanted ? CLAIRE Wanted? [As if wanting is something that harks far back. But the word calls to her passion.] Wantedl [A sob, hands out, she goes to him. But before his arms can take her, she steps back.] Are you trying to pull me down into what I wanted? Are you here to make me stop ? 108 THE VERGE TOM How can you ask that ? I love you because it is not in you to stop. CLAIRE And loving me for that would stop me? Oh, help me see it ! It is so important that I see it. TOM It is important. It is our lives. CLAIRE And more than that. I cannot see it because it is so much more than that. TOM Don t try to see all that it is. From peace you ll see a little more. CLAIRE Peace? [Troubled as we are when looking at what we cannot see dearly.] What is peace? Peace is what the struggle knows in moments very far apart. Peace that is not a place to rest. Are you resting? What are you ? You who d take me from what I am to some thing else ? TOM I thought you knew, Claire. CLAIRE I know what you pass for. But are you beauty? Beauty is that only living pattern the trying to take pattern. Are you trying ? TOM Within myself, Claire. I never thought you doubted that. THE VERGE 109 CLAIRE Beauty is [She turns to Breath of Life, as if to learn it tJiere, but turns away with a sob.] If I cannot go to you now I will always be alone. [Ton takes her in his arms. She is shaken, then comes to rest.] TOM Yes rest. And then come into joy. You have so much life for joy. CLAIRE [Raising her head, called by promised gladness.] We ll run around together. [Lovingly he nods.] Up hills. All night on hills. TOM [Tenderly.] All night on hills. CLAIRE We ll go on the sea in a little boat. TOM On the sea in a little boat. CLAIRE But there are other boats on other seas. [Drawing back from him, troubled.] There are other boats on other seas. TOM [Drawing her back to him.] My dearest not now, not now. CLAIRE [Her arms going round him.] Oh, I would love those hours with you. I want them. I want you! [They kiss but deep in her is sobbing.] Reminiscence. [Her hand feeling his arm as we touch what we would remember.] Reminiscence. [With one of her swift changes steps 110 THE VERGE back from him.] How dare you pass for what you re not? We, are tired, and so we think it s you. Stop with you. Don t get through to what you re in the way of. Beauty is not something you say about beauty. TOM I say little about beauty, Claire. CLAIRE Your life says it. By standing far off you pass for it. Smother it with a life that passes for it. But beauty [Getting it from the flower.} Beauty is the humility breathed from the shame of succeeding. TOM But it may all be within one s self, dear. CLAIRE [Drawn by this, but held, and desperate because she is held] When I have wanted you with all my wanting why must I distrust you now? When I love you with all of me, why do I know that only you are worth my hate? TOM It s the fear of easy satisfactions. I love you for it. CLAIRE [Over the flower] Breath of Life you here? Are you lonely Breath of Life ? TOM Claire hear me! Don t go where we can t go. As there you made a shell for life within, make for yourself a life in which to live. It must be so. CLAIRE As you made for yourself a shell called beauty? THE VERGE 111 TOM What is there for you, if you ll have no touch with what we have? CLAIRE What is there? There are the dreams we haven t dreamed. There is that long and flowing pattern [She follows that but suddenly and as if blindly, goes to him.] I am tired. I am lonely. I m afraid. [He holds her, soothing. But she steps back from him.} and because we are tired lonely and afraid, we stop with you. Don t get through to what you re in the way of. TOM Then you don t love me? CLAIRE I m fighting for my chance. I don t know which chance. [Is drawn to the other chance, to Breath of Life. Looks into it as if to look through to the uncaptured. And through this life just caught comes the truth she chants.] I ve wallowed at a coarse man s feet, I m sprayed with dreams we ve not yet come to. I ve gone so low that words can t get there, I ve never pulled the mantle of my fears around me And called it loneliness And called it God. Only with life that waits have I kept faith. [With effort raising her eyes to the man. And only you have ever threatened me. TOM [Coming to her, and with strength now.] And I will threaten you. I m here to hold you from where I know you cannot go. You re trying what we can t do. 112 THE VERGE CLAIRE What else is there worth trying? TOM I love you, and I will keep you from fartherness 7 from harm. You are mine, and you will stay with me! [Roughly.] You hear me? You will stay with me ! CLAIRE [Her head on his breast, in ecstacy of rest. Drowsily.] You can keep me? TOM Darling! I can keep you. I will keep you safe. CLAIRE [Troubled by the word, but barely able to raise her head.] Safe? TOM [Bringing her to rest again.] Trust me, Claire. CLAIRE [Not lifting her head, but turning it so she sees Breath of Life.] Now can I trust what is? [Suddenly pushing him roughly away.] No! I will beat my life to pieces in the struggle to TOM To what, Claire? CLAIRE Not to stop it by seeming to have it. [With fury.] I will keep my life low low that I may never stop myself or any one with the thought it s what / have. I d rather be the steam rising from the manure than be a thing called beautiful! [With sight too dear.] Now I know who you are. It is you puts out the breath of life. Image of beauty You fill the place should be a gate. [In agony.] Oh, that it is you fill the THE VERGE 113 place should be a gate ! My darling ! That it should be you who [Her hands moving on him.] Let me tell you something. Never was loving strong as my loving of you! Do you know that? Oh, know that! Know it now! [Her arms go around his neck.] Hours with you I d give my life to have! That it should be you [He would loosen her hands, for he cannot breathe. But when she knows she is choking him, that knowledge is fire burning its way into the last passion.] It is you. It is you. TOM [Words coming from a throat not free.] Claire ! What are you doing? {Then she knows what she is doing. CLAIRE [To his resistance] No I You are too much! You are not enough. [Still wanting not to hurt her, he is slow in getting free. He keeps stepping backward trying, in grow ing earnest, to loosen her hands. But he does not loosen them before she has found the place in his throat that cuts off breath. As he gasps] Breath of Life my gift to you! [She has pushed him against one of the plants at right as he sways, strength she never had before pushes him over backward, just as they have struggled from sight. Violent crash of glass is heard. TOM [Faint smothered voice] No. I m hurt. CLAIRE [In the frenzy and agony of killing] Oh gift! Oh gift! [There is no sound. CLAIRE rises steps back is seen now; is looking down.] Gift. 114 THE VERGE [Like one who does not know where she is, she moves into the room looks around. Takes a step toward Breath of Life, turns and goes quickly to the door. Stops, as if stopped. Sees the revolver where the Edge Vine was. Slowly goes to it. Holds it as if she cannot think what it is for. Then raises it high and fires above through the place in the glass left open for ventilation. [ANTHONY comes from the inner room. His eyes go from her to the body beyond. HARRY rushes in from outside. HARRY Who fired that? CLAIRE I did. Lonely. [Seeing ANTHONY S look, HARRY S eyes follow it. HARRY Oh! What? What? [DiCK comes running in.} Who? Claire! [DiCK sees goes to TOM. CLAIRE Yes. I did it. MY Gift. HARRY Is he ? He isn t ? He isn t ? [Tries to go in there. Cannot there is the sound of broken glass, of a position being changed then DICK reappears. DICK [His voice in jerks.] It s it s no use, but I ll go for a doctor. THE VERGE 115 HARRY No no. Oh, I suppose [Falling down beside CLAIRE his face against her.] My darling ! How can I save you now? CLAIRE [Speaking each word very carefully.] Saved myself. ANTHONY I did it. Don t you see? I didn t want so many around. Not what this place is for. HARRY [Snatching at this but lets it go.] She wouldn t let [Looking up at CLAIRE then quickly hiding his face.] And don t you see ? CLAIRE Out. [A little like a child s pleased surprise.] Out. [DiCK stands there, as if unable to get to the door his face distorted, biting his hand. ANTHONY Miss Claire ! You can do anything won t you try? CLAIRE Reminiscence? [Speaking the word as if she has left even that, but smiles a little. [ANTHONY takes Reminiscence, the flower she was breeding for fragrance for Breath of Life holds it out to her. But she has taken a step forward, past them all. CLAIRE Out. [As if feeling her way. 116 THE VERGE Nearer, [Her voice now feeling the way to it. Nearer [Voice almost upon it. my God . [Falling upon it with surprise. To Thee, [Breathing it. Nearer to Thee, E en though it be [A slight turn of the head toward the dead man she loves a mechanical turn just as far the other way. a cross That [Her head going down. raises me; [Her head slowly coming up singing it. Still all my song shall be Nearer my [Slowly the curtain begins to shut her out. The last word heard is the final Nearer a faint breath from far. [CURTAIN] RETURN CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT TO""* 202 Main Library 642-3403 LOAN PERIOD 1 HOME USE 2 3 4 5 6 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS 1 -month loans may be renewed by calling 642-3405 6-month loans may be recharged by bringing books to Circulation De Renewals and recharges may be made 4 days prior to due date >UE AS STAMPED BELOW J fcJJOS <HS.CTL mz6-m II If A rr Onni KIWI 61977 JUL (J 7 tUOj B3X "ftffl oV 77 i D7D <JUIi <} J. | prr f*fB ii if 1 v y/o Illkl A A <lA/\/ l k. &IAV A ii onni JUN 2 6 1996 MAY 9 dUU! RECEIVED JUN 2 5 ?nns ; . JL/L I 3 2005 II Ikl -1 A ^ JUN 1 2 1 99 FORM NO. DD 6, 40m 7 6 76 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELI BERKELEY, CA 94720 CDS133Dllb UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY