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      She goes out.

      Madame Guéret [speaking through the door] Yes, she's here. Come in. [Guéret and Féliat come in] Thérèse, we have something to say to you.

      Thérèse. Yes, godmamma.

      Madame Guéret. It's about something important; something very serious. Let us sit down.

      Guéret. You'll have to be brave, Thérèse.

      Madame Guéret. We are ruined, and you are ruined too.

      Thérèse. Yes.

      Madame Guéret. Is that all you have to say?

      Thérèse. I knew it already.

      Madame Guéret. You knew it? Who told you?

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

      Madame Guéret. Well, I declare!

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

      Madame Guéret. You knew it! And you've had the strength, the—duplicity?

      Thérèse [smiling] Just as you had yourself, godmamma. 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 Guéret. And you were able to laugh and to act!

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

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

      Thérèse. I'm very sorry. But you—

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

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

      Madame Guéret [to her husband] You really might have given her time to ask us. [To Thérèse] We take it that you have asked us, and we answer that we will keep you with us.

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

      Madame Guéret. We will keep you with us, but on certain conditions.

      Thérèse. Thank you very much, godmamma, but I mean to stay in Paris.

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

      Thérèse. But I am going to live in Paris.

      Guéret. Then it is I who do not understand.

      Thérèse. All the same—[A silence]

      Madame Guéret. I can hardly believe that you propose to live in Paris by yourself.

      Thérèse [simply] I do, godmamma.

      Féliat. Alone!

      Guéret. Alone! I repeat, I don't understand.

      Féliat. Nor do I. But no doubt you have reasons to give to your godfather and godmother. [He moves to go]

      Thérèse. There's no secret about my reasons. All the world may know them. When I've explained you'll see that it's all right.

      Madame Guéret. I must confess to being extremely curious to hear these reasons.

      Thérèse. I do hope my decision won't make you angry with me.

      Madame Guéret. Angry! When have I ever been angry with you?

      Thérèse [protesting] You've both been—you've all three been—most good and kind to me, and I shall always remember it and be grateful. You may be sure I shan't love you any the less because I shall live in Paris and you at Evreux. And I do beg of you to feel the same to me. I shall never forget what I owe to you. Father was only your friend; we're not related in any way: but you took me in, and for four years you've treated me as if I was your daughter. From my very heart I'm grateful to you.

      Guéret [affectionately] You don't owe us much, you know. For two years you were a boarder at the Lycée Maintenon, and we saw nothing of you but your letters. You've only actually lived with us for two years, and you've been like sunshine in the house.

      Madame Guéret. Yes, indeed.

      Thérèse. I've thought this carefully over. I'm twenty-three. I won't be a burden to you any longer.

      Guéret. Is that because you are too proud and independent?

      Thérèse. If I thought I could really be of use to you, I would stay with you. If I could help you to face your troubles, I would stay with you. But I can't, and I mean to shift for myself.

      Madame Guéret. And you think you can "shift for yourself," as you call it, all alone?

      Thérèse. Yes, godmamma.

      Madame Guéret. A young girl, all alone, in Paris! The thing is inconceivable.

      Guéret. But, my poor child, how do you propose to live?

      Thérèse. I'll work.

      Madame Guéret. You don't mean that seriously?

      Thérèse. Yes, godmamma.

      Guéret. You think you have only to ask for work and it will fall from the skies!

      Thérèse. I have a few dollars in my purse which will keep me until I have found something.

      Féliat. Your purse will be empty before you've made a cent.

      Thérèse. I'm sure it won't.

      Guéret. Now, my dear, you're tired, and nervous, and upset. You can't look at things calmly. We can talk about this again to-morrow.

      Thérèse. Yes, godpapa. But I shan't have changed my mind.

      Madame Guéret. I know you have a strong will of your own.

      Féliat. Let us talk sensibly and reasonably. You propose to live all alone in Paris. Good. Where will you live?

      Thérèse. I shall hire a little flat—or a room somewhere.

      Madame Guéret. Like a workgirl.

      Thérèse. Like a workgirl. There's nothing to be ashamed of in that.

      Féliat. And you are going to earn your own living. How?

      Thérèse. I shall work. There's nothing to be ashamed of in that, either.

      Guéret. I see. But a properly brought up young lady doesn't work for her living if she can possibly avoid it.

      Madame Guéret. And above all, a properly brought up young lady doesn't live all alone.

      Thérèse. All the same—

      Madame Guéret. You are perfectly free. There's no doubt about that. We have no power to prevent you from doing exactly as you choose.

      Guéret. But your father left you in my care.

      Thérèse. Please, godmamma, don't be hard upon me. I feel you think I'm ungrateful, though you don't say so. I know that often and often I shall long for your kindness and for the home where you've given me a place. I've shocked you. Do please forgive me. I'm made like that, and made differently from you. I don't say you're not right; I only say I'm different. Certain ideas have come to me from being educated at the Lycée and from all these books I've read. I think I'm able to earn my own living, and so I look upon it as my bounden duty not to trespass upon your charity. It's a question of personal dignity. Don't you think that I'm right, godfather? [With a change of tone] Besides, if I did go to Evreux with you, what should I do there?

      Guéret. It's pretty easy to guess.

      Madame Guéret. Yes, indeed.

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