ACT II SC. I

Alison’s Account of Her Marital Life

In this scene Helena is shown to stay at the Porter’s apartment for two weeks. She has been helping Alison with the household chores which Alison appoints. Helena and Alison have an intimate conversation in which Alison tells Helena about the circumstances under which she married Jimmy. Her parents vehemently opposed the alliance but with little effect. For several months she led a miserable life with Jimmy in one of Jimmy’s friend’s house as he was too broke to afford an accommo- dation on his own. She could never force herself to like Hugh who had been a crude fellow. He and Jimmy did every thing to humiliate Alison. It was only after Hugh left for some foreign country that they came to this apartment where they are staying now. Jimmy had started a sweet stall with the help of Mrs Tanner, Hugh’s mother. Alison tells Helena Col. R that Jimmy has no idea about her pregnancy. She brushes away Helena’s apprehension that Jimmy may push her to death by his callous and verbal abuses by saying that she and Jimmy are very much in love. She tells Helena about their escape to the fantasy world where they play the bears and squirrel game. When the two women are engaged in con- versation, Jimmy is loudly playing the trumpet which is the cause of irritation to both.

Alison’s Mother and Helena

Cliff and Jimmy join the two women and Jimmy begins to talk in his usual offending and crude manner. Criticising things and petalk in general. Jimmy’s condemnation of Alison’s mother makes Helenaplici Jimmy feels especially annoyed on hearing that Alison had defied him by willing to accompany Helena to the Church. Jimmy makes somembim ing and humiliating remarks about Alison, Alison’s mother not spark even Helena who threatened to slap him if he did not stop his offensive talk. Jimmy hits back saying, that if she slaps him he will not hesitate to slap back in return. Jimmy asks Helena if she has watched anybody dying. When Helena gives a negative reply, Jimmy gives a pathetic account of his experience of watching his father die at the tender age of ten. That experience taught him more about love betrayal and death than Helena and the likes of her would know all their lives. How- ever Jimmy’s moving account produces no effect on Helena, Alison or Cliff.

Helena’s Telegram to Alison’s Father

Helena is shocked at Jimmy’s behaviour of Alison. She advises Alison to leave Jimmy in order to teach him a lesson. She tells Alison that she can not go on living in that way in her pregnant condition. Jimmy will dive her to death. Concerned with Alison’s well-being Helena secretly sends a telegram to Alison’s father to come and take away his daughter. She tells Alison about it later on and insists that Alison should leave Jimmy and go away with her father.

The News of Mrs Tanner’s Illness

Jimmy receives a call from London to inform him about Mrs Tanner’s illness. She has suffered a stroke and has been admitted to a London hospital in serious condition. Jimmy decides to go to London to see the dying woman and asks Alison to accompany him. Alison ignores his re- quests and goes away with Helena to the Church. Jimmy is so hurt by Alison’s refusal that he drops to the bed and buries his face beneath the sheet.

ACT II SC II

Col. Redfern, Alison’s Father Arrives

The next evening Alison’s father Col. Redfern arrives at the Porter’s apartment after receiving Helena’s telegram. Col. Redfern does not ap- prove of his daughter’s decision to leave Jimmy. He warns her that she is taking a big step. He holds himself and his wife is responsible for Jimmy’s attack on Alison and his family. He admits his mistake of op- posing Alison’s marriage with Jimmy. He admits that Jimmy has rightly described him as “just one of these sturdy old plants left over from the Edwardian Wilderness that cannot understand why the sun is not shin. ing any more”.

He then explains to his daughter why he feels that the sun does not shine anymore. He held a high position of authority as the commander of a Maharajah’s army till India’s liberation from Britain. But now after coming back to England he feels unimportant and unwanted. His life in India has vanished like a dream. He wanted his dream to continue for- ever. He is disillusioned as everything has changed.

Alison’s Departure

Alison is ready to live with her father. Helena who Alison believed would be accompanying her announces much to the surprise of Alison that she would stay on for another night as she has an important ap. pointment the next day. Alison gives Cliff a note to pass on to Jimmy. Cliff is distressed to know about Alison’s decision and suggests that she herself should tell Jimmy about it. After Alison had left Cliff gives the note to Helena and goes out of the house saying that he would not be able to see Jimmy hurt.

Helena’s Change of Attitude Towards Jimmy

Jimmy enters in a furious mood. He says that he had sat by Mrs Tanner’s bed side for eleven hours and then she died. Helena gives him Alison’s letter. He is enraged after reading the letter where Alison men- tions that she will always have “a deep, loving need of Jimmy”. He bluntly asks Helena what she was doing. He seizes her by shoulder and asks her to get out of the house in a threatening manner. At this Helena slaps his face savagely. But surprisingly the very next moment she kisses him very passionately.