But the time has come when that must cease, Letitia
. . . man will not always be a domestic appendage! And you will simply
have to face this new situation. Do you still possess your husband's
love? Do you really love him? Nothing else will count . . . none of
your "rights" . . . we are not afraid of man or devil.
LETITIA. [Gasps.] Oh! [Turns to HENRY.] Henry, will you tell me what
all this means? Can it be that you assent to these outrageous ideas?
HENRY. I assent to them, Letitia. It may be that you still love me,
but you have given me few signs of it. You have been . . . you are . .
. a selfish woman.
LETITIA. Henry!
HENRY. How often do you give a thought to me . . . to the needs of my
nature? You think of your whims and your prejudices; you think of your
social position . . . of your "world" and its conventions. You think
of what your mother approves, of what your father approves, of what
this person will say and what that person will say. And I follow you
about . . . I play my part in the hollow show that you call life; but
all the time my heart is crying out in me . . . I am starving . . .
starving!
LETITIA. [Startled.] Henry!
OCEANA. Ah! She is beginning to see it!
LETITIA. [Stretches out her arms and totters towards him, weeping.]
Henry! I love you! [Wildly.] Believe me! Believe me! I love you! Don't
you remember when you were ill three years ago . . . how I nursed you
and watched over you? You knew that I loved you then.
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