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room?
    BABY DOLL [
shifting slightly
]: Is that room enough for you?
    SILVA : Enough for me. How about you?
    BABY DOLL : Is it strong enough to support us both?
    SILVA : I hope. Let’s swing a little. You seem all tense. Motion relaxes people. It’s like a cradle. A cradle relaxes a baby. They call you “Baby,” don’t they?
    BABY DOLL : That’s sort of a pet name.
    SILVA : Well in the swing you can relax like a cradle. . . .
    BABY DOLL : Not if you swing it so high. It shakes me up.
    SILVA : Well, I’ll swing it low then. Are you relaxed?
    BABY DOLL : I’m relaxed enough. As much as necessary.
    SILVA : No, you’re not. Your nerves are all tied up.
    BABY DOLL : You make me nervous.
    SILVA : Just swinging with you?
    BABY DOLL : Not just that.
    SILVA : What else then?
    BABY DOLL : All them questions you asked me about the fire.
    SILVA : I only inquired about your husband—about his leaving the house after supper.
    BABY DOLL : Why should I have to explain why he left the house? Besides, I did. I think I explained that to you.
    SILVA : You said that he left the house before the fire broke out.
    BABY DOLL : What about it?
    SILVA : Why did he leave the house?
    BABY DOLL : I explained that to you. I explained that to you.
    SILVA : What was the explanation? I forgot it.
    [
Baby Doll’s face is beaded with sweat. To save her life she can’t think, can’t think at all
.]
    BABY DOLL [
just to gain a moment
]: Oh, you’re talking about my husband?
    SILVA : That’s who I’m talking about.
    BABY DOLL : How should I know!!!
    SILVA : You mean where he went after supper.
    BABY DOLL : Yes!! How should I know where he went.
    SILVA : I thought you said you explained that to me.
    BABY DOLL : I did! I explained it to you!
    SILVA : Well, if you don’t know, how could you explain it to me?
    BABY DOLL [
turning
]: There’s no reason why I should explain things to you.
    SILVA : Then just relax.
    [
They swing
.]
    As I was saying, that was a lovely remark your husband made.
    BABY DOLL : What remark did he make?
    SILVA : The good neighbor policy. I see what he means by that now.
    BABY DOLL : He was talking about the President’s speech.
    SILVA : I think he was talking about something closer to home.
You do me
a good turn and
I’ll do you
one. That was the way he put it.
    [
Delicately he removes a little piece of lint from her arm
.]
    SILVA : There now!
    BABY DOLL [
nervously
]: Thanks.
    SILVA : There’s a lot of fine cotton lint floating around in the air.
    BABY DOLL : I know there is. It irritates my sinus.
    SILVA : Well, you’re a delicate woman.
    BABY DOLL : Delicate? Me? Oh no. I’m a good-size woman.
    SILVA : There’s a lot of you, but every bit of you is delicate. Choice. Delectable, I might say.
    BABY DOLL : Huh?
    SILVA [
running his finger lightly over her skin
]: You’re fine fibered. And smooth. And soft.
    BABY DOLL : Our conversation is certainly taking a personal turn!
    SILVA : Yes! You make me think of cotton.
    [
Still caressing her arm another moment
.]
    No! No fabric, no kind of cloth, not even satin or silk cloth, or no kind of fiber, not even cotton fiber has the ab-so-lute delicacy of your skin!
    BABY DOLL : Well! Should I say thanks or something?
    SILVA : No, just smile, Mrs. Meighan. You have an attractive smile. Dimples!!
    BABY DOLL : No. . .
    SILVA : Yes, you have! Smile, Mrs. Meighan! Come on! Smile!
    [
Baby Doll averts her face
,
smiles helplessly
.]
    There now. See? You’ve got them!
    [
Delicately, he touches one of the indentations in her cheek
.]
    BABY DOLL : Please don’t touch me. I don’t like to be touched.
    SILVA : Then why do you giggle?
    BABY DOLL : Can’t help it. You make me feel kind of hysterical, Mr. Vacarro. . . Mr. Vacarro. . .
    SILVA : Yes?
    BABY DOLL [
a different attack, more feminine, pleading
]: I hope you don’t think that Archie Lee was mixed up in that fire. I swear to goodness he never left the front porch. I remember itperfectly now. We just set here on the swing