His Return (Helen)
Helen says
It’s not that! Oh, no! It’s not that! It’s because I’ve gotten old! Come here: stand beside me: look at yourself next to me! Do you see?… It’s come! It’s come! I always knew it would come–not gradually, so that I wouldn’t know it, but all of a sudden, without a moment’s notice–all at once! It was only three years ago that I said goodbye to him, and I wore this dress. I was a young wife. Today he’s coming home to find me an old woman! Don’t lie to me, please! I’ve lied to myself enough! I’ve painted and powdered and dined and danced with the youngest of them! But it had to come to an end. I knew it had to come to an end. But I hoped–how I hoped that it would not come to an end before today! You can’t say anything. There’s nothing anybody can say. I used to say to myself that he’d find me as young, as beautiful, as the day I waved goodbye to him at the station. Now–now I know that will never be. He’ll come home to find an old woman sitting opposite him at his own table!