MAGGIE [quickly]. No. [But the COMTESSE has already got it.]
COMTESSE. May I? [She must have thought they said Yes, for she opens
the letter. She shares its contents with them.] 'Dearest John, It is
at my request that the Comtesse is having Lady Sybil at the cottage
at the same time as yourself.'
JOHN. What?
COMTESSE. Yes, she begged me to invite you together.
JOHN. But why?
MAGGIE. I promised you not to behave as other wives would do.
JOHN. It's not understandable.
COMTESSE. 'You may ask why I do this, John, and my reason is, I think
that after a few weeks of Lady Sybil, every day, and all day, you
will become sick to death of her. I am also giving her the chance to
help you and inspire you with your work, so that you may both learn
what her help and her inspiration amount to. Of course, if your love
is the great strong passion you think it, then those weeks will make
you love her more than ever and I can only say good-bye. But if, as I
suspect, you don't even now know what true love is, then by the next
time we meet, dear John, you will have had enough of her.--Your
affectionate wife, Maggie.' Oh, why was not Sybil present at the
reading of the will! And now, if you two will kindly excuse me, I
think I must go and get that poor sufferer the eau de Cologne.
JOHN. It's almost enough to make a man lose faith in himself.
COMTESSE.
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