LILY--Oh, I know he's a good actor. Lots of women have been in
love with him. [Then suddenly.] You won't be furious if I'm very,
very frank, will you, Martha?

MARTHA--[Surprised.] No, of course not, Lily.

LILY--Well, I'm the bearer of a message from the Jayson family.

MARTHA--[Astonished.] A message? For me?

LILY--Don't think that I have anything to do with it. I'm only a
Victor record of their misgivings. Shall I switch it going? Well,
then, father thinks, brother John and wife, sister Esther and
husband all think that you are unwisely intimate with this same
Bigelow.

MARTHA--[Stunned.] I? Unwisely intimate--? [Suddenly laughing with
amusement.] Well, you sure are funny people!

LILY--No, we're not funny. We'd be all right if we were. On the
contrary, we're very dull and deadly. Bigelow really has a
villainous rep. for philandering. But, of course, you didn't know
that.

MARTHA--[Beginning to feel resentful--coldly.] No, I didn't--and I
don't care to know it now.

LILY--[Calmly.] I told them you wouldn't relish their silly
advice. [In a very confidential, friendly tone.] Oh, I hate their
narrow small-town ethics as much as you do, Martha. I sympathize