‘I go off for a moment after his exit. It’s a strange, rather horridly strange, coincidence that in the play he—the character he played, I mean—does commit suicide offstage. He shoots himself. When I hear the shot I go off. The two other men have already made their exits. They remain off but I come on again almost immediately. I wait outside the door on the left from a position where I could watch Miss Hamilton and I re-enter on a “business” cue from her.’

‘How long would this take?’

‘Shall we show you?’ Helena suggested. She got up and moved to the centre of the stage. She raised her clasped hands to her mouth and stood motionless. She was another woman.

As if Clem had called: ‘Clear stage,’ and indeed he looked about him with an air of authority, Martyn, Jacko and Gay moved into the wings. Parry and J.G. went to the foot of the stairs and Poole crossed to above Helena. They placed themselves thus in the business-like manner of a rehearsal. The doctor however remained prone on his sofa breathing deeply and completely disregarded by everybody. Helena glanced at Clem Smith who went to the book.

‘From Ben’s exit, Clem,’ Poole said and after a moment Helena turned and addressed herself to the empty stage on her left.

‘I’ve only one thing to say, but it’s between the three of us.’ She turned to Parry and Darcey. ‘Do you mind?’ she asked them.

Parry said: ‘I don’t understand and I’m past minding.’

Darcey said: ‘My head is buzzing with a sense of my own inadequacy. I shall be glad to be alone.’

They went out, each on his own line, leaving Helena, Adam, and the ghost of Bennington, on the stage.

Helena spoke again to vacancy. ‘It must be clear to you, now. It’s the end, isn’t it?’

‘Yes,’ Clem’s voice said. ‘I understand you perfectly. Goodbye, my dear.’

They looked at the door on the left. Alleyn took out his watch. Helena made a quick movement as if to prevent the departure of an unseen person and Poole laid his hand on her arm. They brought dead Ben back to the stage by their mime and dismissed him as vividly. It seemed that the door must open and shut for him as he went out.

Poole said: ‘And now I must speak to you alone.’ There followed a short passage of dialogue which he and Helena played a tempo but with muted voices. Jacko, in the wings, clapped his hands and the report was as startling as a gun shot. Poole ran out through the left-hand door.

Helena traced a series of movements about the stage. Her gestures were made in the manner of an exercise but the shadow of their significance was reflected in her face. Finally she moved into the window and seemed to compel herself to look out. Poole re-entered.