The Children's Hour

Scene One begins in Mrs. Tilford’s living room, where Agatha, Mrs. Tilford’s maid, enters, interrogating Mary, who follows her in. Mary is disheveled, having traveled part of the way through the woods. Mary tells Agatha that she is home because she is sick. Mary whines as Agatha questions her skeptically, suggesting that if she is ill, she won’t want dinner. Agatha exits, and Mary practices looking sick in the mirror.

Mrs. Tilford enters with Agatha. She comforts her crying granddaughter, who complains that she was homesick. Mary confesses that she left the school without permission and begs Mrs. Tilford not to send her back. Desperately, Mary cries, “I can’t go back! I can’t! They’ll kill me!” (33). Mrs. Tilford, who is preparing to call the school, pauses. She asks why Mary would say such a thing. Mary tells her grandmother that she fainted at school. Mrs. Tilford becomes concerned until Mary admits that her cousin, Joe, gave her a clean bill of health. Mrs. Tilford tells Mary that she can stay for dinner, but then she will be driven back. Mary tries to convince her grandmother to let her stay, but Mrs. Tilford insists. Dramatically, Mary tells her that she is scared to go back, claiming, “They’ll do dreadful things to me” (36).