Between The Acts

After the audience members begin to leave, Giles walks Mrs. Manresa to her car. Near the lily pond, the actors change into their regular clothes, and Mrs. Swithin expresses her desire to thank Miss La Trobe for her work on the pageant. Bart tells her, however, that Miss La Trobe does not want anyone to thank her and that it would be better for Mrs. Swithin to thank the actors. Mrs. Swithin does not see them, however, and she nervously touches the cross she wears on her necklace. Her faith is demanding as it requires her to kneel for a long time each morning. She says that even fish must have faith because they trust humans not to catch them, but Bart does not believe it, challenging her ideas. Eventually, she gives up and decides to keep her vision of beauty, nature, and faith private. Bart holds onto reason and logic, unlike her.

After parting with Mrs. Manresa, William looks for Mrs. Swithin. He finds her, and she is happy to see him, telling him she wants to thank the actors for their performances in the pageant. She then explains that Bart told her she needed to thank the actors and not Miss La Trobe. William goes with her to find the actors, but they see that the actors are leaving. Only Miss La Trobe is left. William decides to thank Mrs. Swithin and presses her hand affectionately, knowing they will likely never see each other again.

Isa listens to the ringing church bells as the service begins. She thinks about seeing William leave, but she realizes that he will be with his companion Mrs. Manresa, who was with Giles. Feeling jealous and betrayed, she continues her search for Rupert Haines. Sad that she can never be with Rupert Haines, she regrets having gone fishing in Scotland and meeting Giles. She then wishes that she could have met Rupert Haines before that trip to Scotland and wishes that her son George was Rupert’s son instead of Giles’s. She spots William heading toward Mrs. Manresa’s car and sees Giles saying goodbye to Mrs. Manresa. Mrs. Manresa and William then leave Pointz Hall.

Meanwhile, Miss La Trobe feels a great sense of accomplishment about the pageant since she has finally revealed her work to the village. However, she concludes that the audience has still not absorbed and comprehended her ideas, and she worries that she has failed. The birds sit in a nearby tree and make music. Miss La Trobe takes her gramophone records and stops near the tree. She feels that all her effort and her emotions have been wasted. She then goes to an inn as she has been fighting with the actor she lives with, and this has driven Miss La Trobe to drink more. She feels that she will one day break some laws in her distress and desperation. One of the villagers pointedly ignores her at the inn, and Miss La Trobe knows that she is now an outcast in the village. She sits down for a drink, thinking about the tree with the birds, and she suddenly feels inspired to create new work.

Back at Pointz Hall, Candish cleans the dining room following dinner and leaves the Olivers and Mrs. Swithin to eat their dessert. Mrs. Swithin wonders what everything means—through time there have been peasants and kings and then, themselves. Bart thinks that Miss La Trobe and her pageant were too ambitious for a village fundraising event and believes that she should have written something easier for the audience to understand, especially considering her financial struggles. Isa recalls the dispersing of the audience and wonders about “the looking-glasses and the voices in the bushes” (108). Mrs. Swithin tells her that Miss La Trobe refused to explain their meaning to Mr. Streatfield and the audience. Then, Giles offers Isa a banana, but she refuses it. Mrs. Swithin expresses gratitude for the mostly good weather. Isa follows her into the big room at Pointz Hall. Mrs. Swithin tells Isa that they raised more money this year than the previous year because it did not rain except for the brief shower. Mrs. Swithin asks Isa if she believes Mr. Streatfield’s assertion that people are essentially the same. Isa says she both agrees and disagrees with the idea. As Isa quotes from the play, Mrs. Swithin again touches the cross on her necklace. Isa thinks again of her husband, whom she loves and hates. She dislikes this conflict, however, and wishes for a different story.

Then, Candish enters the room and gives Bart and Giles the morning newspaper, as well as bills and letters. After Bart reads the newspaper, he gives it to Giles to read. Mrs. Swithin tells Isa that her children are asleep under the paper rose decorations left over from the barn. Then, Mrs. Swithin reads her history book about prehistoric people. After Bart and Mrs. Swithin go to bed, Isa decides that she needs to speak with Giles and address the conflict between them.