The Children's Hour

Act III returns to the living room at the school. The room is “not dirty, but it is dull and dark and uncared for” (58). Karen sits in a chair, and Martha lies on the couch, facing the pillows. Martha notes that it’s cold and asks for the time. Karen responds, “I don’t know. What’s the difference?” (58). Martha comments that she was hoping it was bath time because she looks forward to a bath all day. She says, “It’s my last touch with the full life. It makes me feel important to know that there’s one thing ahead of me, one thing I’ve got to do” (58). The phone rings, but they ignore it. It persists, so Karen stands up, unhooks the receiver, and sits again. Karen points out that Joe is late, asking for the time, and Martha responds, “We’ve been sitting here for eight days asking each other the time. Haven’t you heard? There isn’t time anymore” (59). They discuss dinner, and Karen suggests a walk. Martha agrees, proposing that they walk through the park, but Karen replies that someone might see them, putting the walk off until tomorrow.

Karen reminds Martha that Joe is urging them to go out, lest the people who don’t believe the lies start to think they’re true. Martha doesn’t believe that any people like that are left. Karen presses, commenting that Joe suggested they go shopping, and Martha replies, “There aren’t three stores in Lancet that would sell us everything” (60). They have been receiving visits and pamphlets from “ladies’ clubs” (60) inviting them to attend meetings. A grocery delivery boy enters with a box. He “stands staring at them, [and] giggles a little” (60). He stares at Karen, claiming that he knocked but did not receive a response. He continues to giggle, handing over the groceries. As he exits, he tells them a car is approaching. Despairing, Karen asks Martha why such a thing happened to them and what they are supposed to do. Martha reminds her that she will be marrying Joe soon and that will make everything all right again. When Karen replies without conviction, Martha affirms, “There mustn’t be anything wrong between you and Joe. Never” (61).

Hearing someone in the hall, Karen brightens up, expecting Joe to arrive. Instead, Mrs. Mortar enters. Martha greets her, sarcastically offering tea and sandwiches and finally asking, “Where the hell have you been?” (62). Mrs. Mortar has failed to answer Martha’s telegrams and claims that she hadn’t stayed in one spot for long. Martha wants to know why Mrs. Mortar didn’t return to testify for them, and Mrs. Mortar argues that she was on tour. Martha points out that Mrs. Mortar waited until the ordeal was over to be in touch. In their libel suit against Mrs. Tilford, the defense relied heavily on Mrs. Mortar’s comments, which Mrs. Mortar was not there to retract or explain. Mrs. Mortar apologizes, explaining that she is ready to stand with them to recover, but Martha interrupts her by telling her to be on the eight o’clock train leaving town. Martha argues, “You’ve come back to pick the bones dry. Well, there aren’t even bones anymore. There’s nothing left for you” (63). Mrs. Mortar sniffles, asking why Martha would say such a thing, and Martha replies, “Because I hate you. I’ve always hated you” (63). Mrs. Mortar tells Martha that she will be in her room when Martha is ready to apologize.

As Mrs. Mortar exits, Joe enters. Mrs. Mortar comments that Joe must be loyal to remain through the accusations, and Karen and Martha respond by telling her that they will remind her to leave for the train. Martha says that Mrs. Mortar came back only because she has no money. Joe tells them that he has sold his house and that he intends to marry Karen this week and then the three of them can leave town. He insists that they will go to Vienna, where he can get his old job back. Karen says that he doesn’t want to return to Vienna, and he agrees, adding that they would both rather stay in Lancet but they can’t. Martha interjects that it is better if she doesn’t go with them. Joe insists that she stay with them, at least for the moment. Karen offers that they can return one day, and Joe disagrees. He begins to discuss packing, and Karen laments that her accusers have taken away their home. Joe tells her to stop talking about it, adding, “What you’ve done, you’ve done—and that’s that” (66). Seizing upon his wording, Karen asks, “What I’ve done?” (66). Joe clarifies that he meant “what’s been done to you” (66), but Karen asks again, with no response. Joe tells her that they can’t dwell on their problems forever, insisting that they move forward together.

Karen asks if they can have a baby immediately, and Joe agrees noncommittally, adding that they will be short on money. Karen responds that he used to want to have a baby right after they married, and Joe gets angry at her, finding a second meaning in everything he says. He begs her to leave with him as soon as possible. Karen tells him that they can’t run away from this because everything will always have a second meaning. She tells him that their relationship won’t work and that they both knew as much the day that they lost the libel case in court. Karen demands that he ask the question he wants to ask. He resists, then finally begins to ask if the story was true. Karen stops him, stating, “No. Martha and I have never touched each other” (67). She isn’t upset that he needed to hear it and appreciates his loyalty. Joe begs her to move forward with him and get married, insisting that he believes her. Karen responds that neither of them would ever be sure he believed her, and her anxiety about it would make her hate him. Karen asserts that they can’t go back to the way things were.

Joe pleads with Karen, and she asks him to stay away for two days and think about it before deciding what he wants. He agrees, swearing that he will return, and Karen watches him go, then says, “No, you won’t. Never, darling” (69). Martha reenters, and Karen tells her that Joe isn’t coming back. Martha asks why, and Karen states, “He thought that we had been lovers” (69). Martha insists that she should go to him. Karen suggests they leave town. Martha points out that wherever they go, people will know them, as the trial has been a big story. She says, “There’ll never be any place for us to go. We’re bad people. We’ll sit. We’ll be sitting the rest of our lives wondering what’s happened to us. You think this scene is strange? Well, get used to it; we’ll be here for a long time. Let’s pinch each other sometimes. We can tell whether we’re still living” (70). Karen asserts that others have been accused of the same crime without having their lives ruined.

Martha begins to explain that she loves Karen only as a friend but finally admits, “I have loved you the way they said” (71). Karen calls her crazy, and Martha claims, “There’s always been something wrong. Always—as long as I can remember. But I never knew it until all this happened” (71). Karen tries to refuse to listen, but Martha insists that she needs to confess. She tried to convince herself otherwise when Mary accused them, but now she is confused: “There’s something in you, and you don’t know it and you don’t do anything about it. Suddenly a child gets bored and lies—and there you are, seeing it for the first time” (72). Upset, Karen insists that Martha should lie down and they can discuss it tomorrow. Slowly, quietly, Martha exits. After a moment, there is the sound of a gunshot. Karen doesn’t move right away, but then she leaps out of the chair and out of the room. Mrs. Mortar rushes in, alarmed, searching for Martha. Karen reenters. Mrs. Mortar sees her expression, asking frantically, “What shall we do?” (73). She begins to call for a doctor, but Karen tells her that Martha is dead.

Mrs. Mortar weeps about her last exchange with Martha, reassuring herself that she treated her well, adding that “suicide’s a sin” (73). Mrs. Mortar cries that Martha should have waited for the scandal to blow over. Karen says, “That isn’t the reason she did it” (73) but won’t elaborate when Mrs. Mortar questions her. Mrs. Mortar wails about having no place to go. The doorbell rings. Mrs. Mortar exits and comes back with Agatha, Mrs. Tilford’s maid, who insists that she must talk to Karen immediately. They’ve been calling with no response, and Mrs. Tilford is waiting in the car. Agatha insists that she always believed Karen, but Mrs. Tilford is ill and wants to come in and speak to her. Karen agrees, despite Mrs. Mortar’s protestations. Mrs. Tilford tells Karen that she has discovered that Mary was lying and that she blackmailed Rosalie into lying, too. Mrs. Tilford promises a public apology and the money owed from the lawsuit, adding, “I—I must see that you won’t suffer anymore” (75).

Karen tells Mrs. Tilford, “We’re not going to suffer anymore. Martha is dead” (76). She admonishes Mrs. Tilford for ruining their lives and then coming to clear her conscience. Mrs. Tilford claims that she will never feel at peace about what she did, but she wants to help Karen. Karen suggests that she send Mary away, but Mrs. Tilford tells her that she can’t because “whatever she does, it must be to me and no one else” (77). Karen informs her that she and Joe have broken up, and Mrs. Tilford offers to intervene, but Karen turns her down. She tries to convince Karen to leave, but Karen refuses until Martha is buried. Karen agrees to let Mrs. Tilford help her afterward if it will make her feel better. As she leaves, Mrs. Tilford begs her to write. Karen agrees, saying, “If I ever have anything to say” (78), and they both say goodbye. A moment after Mrs. Tilford exits, Karen raises her hand and repeats, “Goodbye” (78).