1908
Act I
"The Library" atColonel Pickett's — an old Southern country house near Bloody Ground. The long windows open upon a superb view of wooded hills and pasture lands. On the walls are colored prints of English hunting, racing, and coaching scenes, framed photographs of horses, an oil painting of a most aristocratic black stallion. There is but one bookcase; it contains a jumble of books on horses, cattle, sports, theology, and a few college textbooks .
Against the writing table leansColonel Pickett'syoung daughter , Genevieve . She has a fresh, brilliant skin, an innocent, cheerful, pretty-face. She is looking admiringly and lovingly at Anita Holcombe , leaning against the window frame and gazing wistfully toward the hills . Mrs. Holcombe is handsome, is about thirty years old, has upon her youthful features the shadow of melancholy experience. She is wearing a pink-and-white dress as simple as Genevieve's white muslin, but fashionable. In her big white hat are two great plumes, the ends just touched with a delicate shade of pink. She is swinging absently a pink-and-white chiffon sunshade .
Drawing a long breath
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Looking at her sadly
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With embarrassment
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Embarrassed, color high
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Helplessly
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With a forced laugh
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From the direction of the veranda
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Genevieve kisses Anita , rushes out — and into the arms of Vincent Holcombe , who is coming along the veranda from the left .
Releasing her lingeringly
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She laughs, blushes, rushes off. Enter Holcombe , in striped flannels. He is a cynical, dissipated-looking man of forty, good-humored, selfish, spoiled .
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Smiling
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Lighting a cigarette
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Irritably
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Shakes his head, laughing .
Passionately
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Imploringly
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Angrily
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He wanders about the room, examining the pictures .
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He breaks off as Colonel Pickett enters by the door to the right. The colonel is a Southern gentleman of the antebellum school, tall and straight, with white hair, mustache, imperial, and aggressive eyebrows. He is carefully dressed in white linen. He shows plainly that he is a simple man — both lamb and lion — a believer in love and also in hate .
With a courtly bow to Anita
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Entering with a rush from door to left
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Anita trembles, draws back, glances uneasily at the colonel, then at Holcombe , who is seated, reading "The Turf." She shyly kisses Genevieve .
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She kisses Anita . On her way toward door to right her father pats her affectionately .
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At door
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Exit, throwing a kiss at Anita .
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Anita , embarrassed, glances nervously at Holcombe . He is apparently absorbed in his paper, but his face wears a broad grin of cynical amusement . Anita notes it, compresses her lips, turns to the colonel .
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Looking at Holcombe
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Holcombe twists in his chair .
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Looking up calmly
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Jessop enters the room from the veranda. In spite of the heat he is in black broadcloth. He is carrying a black bag which Anita notes and fastens her eyes upon as if it fascinated her .
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He puts the bag on the table, draws a bundle of papers from it .
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He hands the deed to Colonel Pickett , who glances through it indifferently .
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Taking the deed
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He goes to the window and reads with the greatest care , Anita watching him with repressed excitement .
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He seats himself at the table, takes a check book from the drawer, writes .
In a queer voice
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Coming from window
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Anita clasps her hands before her. Her expression is tense, expectant .
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Exit Colonel Pickett by door to left . Jessop busies himself at table with his papers . Anita stands in front of her husband and close to him .
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She sighs, sobs, turns away .
Entering from left
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She sits at the table, takes up the deed, glances through it .
Smiling at Colonel Pickett
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Holcombe , who is at the window, wheels about and stares at Anita . The colonel and Jessop are so seated that they do not see him .
Returning Holcombe's stare with a defiant smile
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Defiantly
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Glowering
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Struggling with his anger
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Colonel Pickett and Jessop are profoundly moved by Anita's thrilling voice and manner . Holcombe goes out upon the veranda .
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Holcombe sullenly returns, seats himself behind and out of sight of Colonel Pickett and Jessop .
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Holcombe starts from his chair, smothers a curse, sinks back .
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Holcombe rises in extreme agitation .
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Impatiently turning toward Holcombe
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Calmly
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Anita rises, goes to Colonel Pickett , kisses him .
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Composed, as the colonel and Jessop turn toward him
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Interrupting, his temper on edge
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Enter from right Moberley, Colonel Pickett's trainer, and Brown , his assistant. Both show signs of a recent and hasty toilet. They advance awkwardly .
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Holcombe sullenly seats himself at the table. He pretends to read the deed again. There is a long silence .
Banteringly, with a certain hysteria
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Holcombe's hand, holding the pen, pauses on its way to the ink well .
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Holcombe signs, rises .
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With a mocking bow and smile
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Writing
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Anita rises, turns away to the window . Moberley and Brown sign with great deliberation and awkwardness .
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He glances at the signatures, folds the deed, puts it in the bag on the table . Moberley and Brown bow and exeunt clumsily .
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With alacrity
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Jessop follows the colonel toward the door to left . Holcombe remains motionless at the farthest window .
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Without turning and in a muffled voice
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Exeunt Colonel Pickett and Jessop by door to left . Anita turns, slowly goes to the table, seats herself. She begins to laugh. Her laugh swells into a gale — hysterical, insane. She flings her arms upon the table, buries her face between them, her frame shaking with sobs . Holcombe turns, looks at her, slowly advances. Suddenly she straightens, rushes at the bag, tears it open . Holcombe , quicker than she, snatches the deed .
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Holcombe looks at her strangely, laughs slightly in his cool, cynical way. Then he takes the bag, puts the deed in it .
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Closes the bag, sets it out of her reach. Then he looks at her, nods, smiles .
Breathlessly
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As she gazes dazedly at him, he moves toward the door, with his habitual air of careless, complacent good nature .
Curtain .
The End