Just before dawn in the morning--shows the kitchen and Cabot's bedroom. In the kitchen, by the light of a tallow candle on the table, Eben is sitting, his chin propped on his hands, his drawn face blank and expressionless. His carpetbag is on the floor beside him. In the bedroom, dimly lighted by a small whale-oil lamp, Cabot lies asleep. Abbie is bending over the cradle, listening, her face full of terror yet with an undercurrent of desperate triumph. Suddenly, she breaks down and sobs, appears about to throw herself on her knees beside the cradle; but the old man turns restlessly, groaning in his sleep, and she controls herself, and, shrinking away from the cradle with a gesture of horror, backs swiftly toward the door in rear and goes out. A moment later she comes into the kitchen and, running to Eben, flings her arms about his neck and kisses him wildly. He hardens himself, he remains unmoved and cold, he keeps his eyes straight ahead.
ABBIE--(hysterically) I done it, Eben! I told ye I'd do it! I've proved I love ye--better'n everythin'--so's ye can't never doubt me no more!
EBEN--(dully) Whatever ye done, it hain't no good now.
ABBIE--(wildly) Don't ye say that! Kiss me, Eben, won't ye? I need ye t' kiss me arter what I done! I need ye t' say ye love me!
EBEN--(kisses her without emotion--dully) That's fur good-by. I'm a-goin' soon.
ABBIE--No! No! Ye won't go--not now!
EBEN--(going on with his own thoughts) I been a-thinkin'--an' I hain't goin' t' tell Paw nothin'. I'll leave Maw t' take vengeance on ye. If I told him, the old skunk'd jest be stinkin' mean enuf to take it out on that baby. (his voice showing emotion in spite of him) An' I don't want nothin' bad t' happen t' him. He hain't t' blame fur yew. (He adds with a certain queer pride) An' he looks like me! An' by God, he's mine! An' some day I'll be a-comin' back an' . . . !
ABBIE--(too absorbed in her own thoughts to listen to him--pleadingly) They's no cause fur ye t' go now--they's no sense--it's all the same's it was--they's nothin' come b'tween us now--arter what I done!
EBEN--(Something in her voice arouses him. He stares at her a bit frightenedly.) Ye look mad, Abbie. What did ye do?
ABBIE--I--I killed him, Eben.
EBEN--(amazed) Ye killed him?
ABBIE--(dully) Ay-eh.
EBEN--(recovering from his astonishment--savagely) An' serves him right! But we got t' do somethin' quick t' make it look s'if the old skunk'd killed himself when he was drunk. We kin prove by 'em all how drunk he got.
ABBIE--(wildly) No! No! Not him! (laughing distractedly) But that's what I ought t' done, hain't it? I oughter killed him instead! Why didn't ye tell me?
EBEN--(appalled) Instead? What d'ye mean?
ABBIE--Not him.
EBEN--(his face grown ghastly) Not--not that baby!
ABBIE--(dully) Ay-eh!
EBEN--(falls to his knees as if he'd been struck--his voice trembling with horror) Oh, God A'mighty! A'mighty God! Maw, whar was ye, why didn't ye stop her?
ABBIE--(simply) She went back t' her grave that night we fust done it, remember? I hain't felt her about since. (A pause. Eben hides his head in his hands, trembling all over as if he had the ague. She goes on dully) I left the piller over his little face. Then he killed himself. He stopped breathin'. (She begins to weep softly.)
EBEN--(rage beginning to mingle with grief) He looked like me. He was mine, damn ye!
ABBIE--(slowly and brokenly) I didn't want t' do it. I hated myself fur doin' it. I loved him. He was so purty--dead spit 'n' image o' yew. But I loved yew more--an' yew was goin' away--far off whar I'd never see ye agen, never kiss ye, never feel ye pressed agin me agen--an' ye said ye hated me fur havin' him--ye said ye hated him an' wished he was dead--ye said if it hadn't been fur him comin' it'd be the same's afore between us.
EBEN--(unable to endure this, springs to his feet in a fury, threatening her, his twitching fingers seeming to reach out for her throat) Ye lie! I never said--I never dreamed ye'd--I'd cut off my head afore I'd hurt his finger!
ABBIE--(piteously, sinking on her knees) Eben, don't ye look at me like that--hatin' me--not after what I done fur ye--fur us--so's we could be happy agen--
EBEN--(furiously now) Shut up, or I'll kill ye! I see yer game now--the same old sneakin' trick--ye're aimin' t' blame me fur the murder ye done!
ABBIE--(moaning--putting her hands over her ears) Don't ye, Eben! Don't ye! (She grasps his legs.)
EBEN--(his mood suddenly changing to horror, shrinks away from her) Don't ye tech me! Ye're pizen! How could ye--t' murder a pore little critter--Ye must've swapped yer soul t' hell! (suddenly raging) Ha! I kin see why ye done it! Not the lies ye jest told--but 'cause ye wanted t' steal agen--steal the last thin' ye'd left me--my part o' him--no, the hull o' him--ye saw he looked like me--ye knowed he was all mine--an' ye couldn't b'ar it--I know ye! Ye killed him fur bein' mine! (All this has driven him almost insane. He makes a rush past her for the door--then turns--shaking both fists at her, violently) But I'll take vengeance now! I'll git the Sheriff! I'll tell him everythin'! Then I'll sing "I'm off to Californi-a!" an' go--gold--Golden Gate--gold sun--fields o' gold in the West! (This last he half shouts, half croons incoherently, suddenly breaking off passionately.) I'm a-goin' fur the Sheriff t' come an' git ye! I want ye tuk away, locked up from me! I can't stand t' luk at ye! Murderer an' thief 'r not, ye still tempt me! I'll give ye up t' the Sheriff! (He turns and runs out, around the corner of house, panting and sobbing, and breaks into a swerving sprint down the road.)
ABBIE--(struggling to her feet, runs to the door, calling after him) I love ye, Eben! I love ye! (She stops at the door weakly, swaying, about to fall.) I don't care what ye do--if ye'll on'y love me agen! (She falls limply to the floor in a faint.)
