LUCIENNE. My dearest! And you love him so!

THeReSE [_much moved_] Yes--oh! don't make me cry.

LUCIENNE. It might do you good!

THeReSE. You know--[_She breaks down a little_]

LUCIENNE [_tenderly_] Yes--I know that you're good and brave.

THeReSE. I shall have to be.

LUCIENNE. Then you'll break off the engagement?

THeReSE. Yes. I shall never see him again.

LUCIENNE. Never see him again!

THeReSE. I shall write to him. If I saw him I should probably break down. If I write I shall be more likely to be able to make him feel that we must resign ourselves to the inevitable.

LUCIENNE. He'll be horribly unhappy.

THeReSE. So shall I. [_Low and urgently_] Oh, if he only understood me!

If he was able to believe that I can earn my own living and that he could earn his. If he would dare to do without his people's consent!

LUCIENNE. Persuade him to!

THeReSE. It's quite impossible. His people are rich. Only just think what they'd suspect me of. No; I shall tell him all the things his father will tell him. But oh! Lucienne, if he had an answer for them! If he had an answer! [_She cries a little_] But, my poor Rene, he won't make any stand.

LUCIENNE. How you love him!

THeReSE. Oh, yes; I love him. He's rather weak, but he's so loyal and good and [_in a very low voice_] loving.

LUCIENNE. Oh, my dear, I do pity you so.

THeReSE. I am to be pitied, really. [_Pulling herself together_] There's one thing. I shall take advantage of this business to separate from G.o.dpapa and G.o.dmamma.

LUCIENNE. But you have no money--

THeReSE. I've not been any too happy here. You know they're--[_She sees Madame Gueret and whispers to Lucienne_] Go now. I'll tell you all about it to-morrow. [_Louder and gayly_] Well, good-night, my dear. See you to-morrow at the Palais de Glace or at the Sorbonne! Good-night.

LUCIENNE. Good-night, Therese.

_She goes out._

MADAME GUeRET [_speaking through the door_] Yes, she's here. Come in.

[_Gueret and Feliat come in_] Therese, we have something to say to you.

THeReSE. Yes, G.o.dmamma.

MADAME GUeRET. It's about something important; something very serious.

Let us sit down.

GUeRET. You'll have to be brave, Therese.

MADAME GUeRET. We are ruined, and you are ruined too.

THeReSE. Yes.

MADAME GUeRET. Is that all you have to say?

THeReSE. I knew it already.

MADAME GUeRET. You _knew_ it? Who told you?

THeReSE. The lawyer told me himself. I had a long letter from him yesterday. He begs me to forgive him.

MADAME GUeRET. Well, I declare!

THeReSE. I'll show it to you. He's been gambling. To get a bigger fortune for his girls, he says.

MADAME GUeRET. You _knew_ it! And you've had the strength, the--duplicity?

THeReSE [_smiling_] Just as you had yourself, G.o.dmamma. And I'm so much obliged to both of you for saying nothing to me, because I'm sure you wanted me to have my play to-night and enjoy myself; and that was why you tried to keep the news from me.

MADAME GUeRET. And you were able to laugh and to _act_!

THeReSE. I've always tried to keep myself in hand.

MADAME GUeRET. Oh, I know. All the same--And I was so careful about breaking this news to you, and you knew it all the time!

THeReSE. I'm very sorry. But you--

MADAME GUeRET. All right, all right. Well, then, we have nothing to tell. But do you understand that you've not a penny left?

GUeRET. You're to go on living with us, of course.

MADAME GUeRET [_to her husband_] You really might have given her time to ask us. [_To Therese_] We take it that you have asked us, and we answer that we will keep you with us.

GUeRET. We are going to Evreux. My brother-in-law is giving me work in his factory.

MADAME GUeRET. We will keep you with us, but on certain conditions.

THeReSE. Thank you very much, G.o.dmamma, but I mean to stay in Paris.

GUeRET. You don't understand. We are going to live at Evreux.

THeReSE. But _I_ am going to live in Paris.