Lavinia stares at her. Christine seems considering something. A sinister expression comes to her face. Then she turns back to Lavinia — coldly ) But you wanted my answer, didn’t you? Well, I agree to do as you said. I promise you I’ll never see Adam again after he calls this evening. Are you satisfied?

LAVINIA —(stares at her with cold suspicion ) You seem to take giving him up pretty easily!

CHRISTINE —(hastily ) Do you think I’ll ever give you the satisfaction of seeing me grieve? Oh, no, Vinnie! You’ll never have a chance to gloat!

LAVINIA —(still suspiciously — with a touch of scorn ) If I loved anyone —!

CHRISTINE —(tauntingly ) If? I think you do love him — as much as you can love! (with a sudden flurry of jealousy ) You little fool! Don’t you know I made him flirt with you, so you wouldn’t be suspicious?

LAVINIA —(gives a little shudder — then fiercely ) He didn’t fool me! I saw what a liar he was! I just led him on — to find out things! I always hated him! (Christine smiles mockingly and turns away, as if to go out of the room. Lavinia’s manner becomes threatening again. ) Wait! I don’t trust you! I know you’re thinking already how you can fool me and break the promise you’ve just made! But you better not try it! I’ll be watching you every minute! And I won’t be the only one! I wrote to Father and Orin as soon as I got back from New York!

CHRISTINE —(startled ) About Adam?

LAVINIA — Only enough so they’d be suspicious and watch you too. I said a Captain Brant had been calling and folks had begun to gossip.

CHRISTINE — Ah! I see what it’s going to mean — that you’ll always have this to hold over me and I’ll be under your thumb for the rest of my life! (She cannot restrain her rage — threateningly ) Take care, Vinnie! You’ll be responsible if —! (She checks herself abruptly. )

LAVINIA —(suspiciously ) If what?

CHRISTINE —(quickly ) Nothing. I only meant if I went off with Adam. But of course you know I won’t do that. You know there’s nothing I can do now — but obey your orders!

LAVINIA —(continues to stare at her suspiciously — grimly ) You ought to see it’s your duty to Father, not my orders — if you had any honor or decency! (then brusquely ) Brant is waiting outside. You can tell him what you’ve got to do — and tell him if he ever dares come here again —! (forcing back her anger ) And see that you get rid of him right now! I’m going upstreet to get the latest news. I won’t be gone more than a half-hour and I want him out of the house by the time I get back, do you hear? If he isn’t, I’ll write Father again. I won’t even wait for him to come home! (She turns her back on her mother and marches out the door, square-shouldered and stiff, without a backward glance. Christine looks after her, waiting until she hears the side door of the house close after her. Then she turns and stands in tense calculating thought. Her face has become like a sinister evil mask. Finally, as if making up her mind irrevocably, she comes to the table, tears off a slip of paper and writes two words on it. She tucks this paper in the sleeve of her dress and goes to the open window and calls. )

CHRISTINE — Adam! (She moves toward the door to wait for him. Her eyes are caught by the eyes of her husband in the portrait over the fireplace. She stares at him with hatred and addresses him vindictively, half under her breath. ) You can thank Vinnie, Ezra! (She goes to the door and reaches it just as Brant appears from the hall. She takes his hand and draws him into the room, closing the door behind him. One is immediately struck by the resemblance between his face and that of the portrait of Ezra Mannon. )

BRANT —(glancing uneasily at her, as they come to the center of the room ) She knows —?

CHRISTINE — Yes. She followed me to New York. And she’s found out who you are too, Adam.

BRANT —(with a grim smile ) I know. She got that out of me — the proof of it, at any rate. Before I knew what was up I’d given myself away.

CHRISTINE — She must have noticed your resemblance to Orin. I was afraid that might start her thinking.

BRANT —(sees the portrait for the first time. Instantly his body shifts to a fighting tenseness. It is as if he were going to spring at the figure in the painting.