Martha There's always been something wrong. Always, just as long as I can remember. But I never knew what it was until all this happened.
Karen Stop it Martha! Stop this crazy talk!
Martha You're afraid of hearing it, but I'm more afraid that you.
Karen I won't listen to you!
Martha No! You've got to know. I've got to tell you. I can't keep it to myself any longer. I'm guilty!
Karen You're guilty of nothing!
Martha I've been telling myself that since the night I heard the child say it. I lie in bed night after night praying that it isn't true. But I know about it now. It's there. I don't know how, I don't know why. But I did love you! I do love you! I resented your plans to marry. Maybe because I wanted you. Maybe I've wanted you all these years. I couldn't call it by name before, but maybe it's been there since I first knew you.
Karen But it's not the truth, not a word of it is true! We've never thought of each other that way.
Martha No, of course you didn't. But who's to say I didn't. I'd never felt that way about anybody before you. I've never loved a man. I never knew why before, maybe it's that.
Karen You're tired and worn out.
Martha It's funny. It's all mixed up. There's something in you, and you don't know anything about it because you don't know it's there. And then suddenly, one night a little girl gets bored and tells a lie, and there, for the first time, you see it. Then you say to yourself, did she see it? Did she sense it?
Karen But you know it could have been any lie. She was looking for anything to...
Martha But why this lie? She found the lie with the ounce of truth. Don't you see? I can't stand to have you touch me! I can't stand to have you look at me! Oh, it's all my fault. I have ruined your life and I have ruined my own. I swear I didn't know it! I didn't mean it! Oh, I feel so damn sick and dirty I can't stand it anymore!
Karen All this isn't true. You've never said it; we'll forget it by tomorrow.
Martha Tomorrow? That's a funny word. Karen, we would have had to invent a new language, as children do, without words like tomorrow.