Smaragda's Lover by Walter J. Turner — Read

Teddy Meyer's drawing room. Walls of jade green, two old gold brocaded settees, green carpet on polished floors, double folding doors jade green with old gold moulding, peacock blue lamp with shade behind left settee. Folding doors are opened to extent of showing one panel each showing the end of a grand piano (black) on low platform against row of windows. The peacock-blue curtains are not drawn. White marble fireplace on left and on the mantelpiece a fine reproduction reduced in size, of the Hermaphrodite in the Munich Glyptothek. This is reflected in a beautiful old mirror. There is nothing else on the mantelpiece. It is evening, through the windows the evening star is seen shining above the top branches of a tree at the end of the garden below.

The room is empty, a few moments after the Curtain has risen. The back part of the room behind the folding doors darkens. The light from the windows is blotted out but the Evening Star seems to move slowly down stage until it reaches the gap between the folding doors. A voice speaks: I am no guest within this house to-night, But like the Evening star I am shut out With the trees sighing and the cries of birds, Bright paths of comets and the noiseless humming Earth moves upon its axis.