RENe. Ah, stay, Therese.

THeReSE. No. We mustn't do this; we must be brave. Oh, why did you come here? I was going to write to you. We're quite helpless against this dreadful misfortune.

RENe. I don't know what to do! But I _can't_ give you up.

THeReSE [_to herself_] I must do the right thing. [_To him_] Rene, stop crying. Listen to me.

RENe. I love you.

THeReSE. Yes; there's our love. But besides that there's life, and life is cruel and too strong for our love. There is your future, my dearest.

RENe. My future is to love you. My future is nothing if I lose you. [_He buries his face in his hands_]

THeReSE. You can't marry a girl without any money. That's a dreadful fact, like a stone wall. We shall only break ourselves to pieces if we dash ourselves against it. Listen, oh, please listen to me. Don't you hear what I'm saying? Rene--dear.

RENe. I'm listening.

THeReSE. I give you your freedom without any bitterness or hardness.

RENe. I don't want it!

THeReSE. Now listen. You mustn't sacrifice your whole life for a love affair, no matter how great the love is.

RENe. It's by losing you I shall sacrifice my life.

THeReSE. Try and be brave; control yourself. Let us face this quietly.

Suppose we do without your people's consent. What will become of us? Try to look the thing in the face. How should we live? Rene, it's horrible to bring our love down to the level of these miserable realities, but facts are facts. You know very well that if you marry me without your father and mother's consent, they won't give you any money. Isn't that so?

RENe. Oh! father is hard.

THeReSE. He's quite right, my dear, quite right. If I was your sister, I should advise you not to give up the position you have been brought up in and the profession you've been educated for.

RENe. But I love you.

THeReSE [_moved_] And I love you. Well, we've got to forget one another.

RENe. That's impossible.

THeReSE. We must be wise enough to--[_She stops, her voice breaks_]

RENe. Oh! how unhappy I am.

THeReSE [_controlling herself_] Don't let yourself go. We're not in dreamland. If you keep on saying "I am unhappy," you'll be unhappy.

RENe. I love you so. Oh, Therese, how I love you!

THeReSE [_softly_] You'll forget me.

RENe. Never.

THeReSE. Yes. You'll remember me in a way, of course. But you're young.

Very soon you'll be able to live, to laugh, to love, to work.

RENe. My dearest! I don't know what to say. I can't talk of it. I only know one thing--I can't let you go.

THeReSE. But we should be miserable, Rene.

RENe. Miserable _together_!

THeReSE. Think, dear, think. It will be years before you can earn your own living, won't it?

RENe. But I--

THeReSE. Now you know you've tried already. Only last year you wanted to leave home and be independent, and you had to go back because you were starving. Isn't that true?

RENe. It's dreadful, dreadful! [_He is overcome, terrified_]

THeReSE. So we must look at life as it is, practically, mustn't we? We have to have lodging and furniture and clothes. How are we to manage?

RENe. It's dreadful!

THeReSE. How would you bear to see me going about in rags? [_He is silent. She waits, looking at him, hoping for a word of strength or courage. It does not come. She draws herself up slowly, her face hardening_] You can't face that, can you? Tell me. Can you face that?

RENe. No.

THeReSE [_humiliated by his want of courage and infected by his weakness_] So you see, I'm right.

RENe [_sobbing_] Oh! Oh!

THeReSE [_setting her teeth_] Oh, can you do nothing but cry?

RENe. What a useless creature I am.

THeReSE. There, now, you see you're better!

RENe. I'm ashamed of being so good-for-nothing.

THeReSE [_hopeless_] You're just like all the others. Now, don't be miserable. I'm not angry with you; you are doing what I told you we must do, and you agree. Go, Rene. Say good-bye. Good-bye, Rene.

RENe. Therese!

THeReSE [_her nerves on edge_] Everything we can say is useless, and it'll only torture and humiliate us. We must end this--now--at once.

RENe. I shall always love you, Therese.

THeReSE. Yes--exactly--now go.

RENe. Oh, my G.o.d!