The Stepmother, A Drama in Five Acts Part 13

Young girls are foolish, they have no ambition but in their love, and they would fain rule over the past as they rule over the future of their beloved! But you hate her! And in that word, you give me more proof of love than you have given me for the two years that we have loved. If only you knew with what cruelty this stepmother has put me on the rack, by her questions! But I will be avenged!

Ferdinand You must be very careful! She is a very dangerous woman! She rules your father. She is a woman who will fight to the death!

Pauline To the death! That is as I wish it!

Ferdinand Be prudent, dear Pauline! We are going to act in harmony, are we not?

Well, my love, the prosecuting attorney is of opinion that if we would triumph over the difficulties that prevent our union, we must have fort.i.tude enough to part for some time.

Pauline Oh! Give me two days and I will win over my father!

Ferdinand But you do not know Madame de Grandchamp. She has gone too far to leave off without ruining you, and to do that she will go to any lengths. But I will not go away without giving you what may prove most effective weapons against her.

Pauline Oh, give them, give them to me!

Ferdinand Not yet. And you must promise me not to make use of them, unless your life is in danger; for what I am doing is certainly a breach of confidence. But it is for your sake I do it.

Pauline Tell me what it is?

Ferdinand To-morrow I shall put into your hands the letters which she wrote to me, some of them before, some of them after her marriage. Pauline, do not read them! Swear this to me, in the name of our love, in the name of our happiness! It will be sufficient, should it ever become absolutely necessary, that she knows that they are in your possession; at that moment you will see her trembling and groveling at your feet, for all her machinations then are foiled. But do not use them excepting as a last resort, and keep them well concealed.

Pauline What a terrible duel it will be!

Ferdinand Terrible! But, Pauline be courageous, as you have so far been, in keeping the secret of our love; do not acknowledge it, until you find it no longer possible to deny it.

Pauline Oh, why did your father betray the Emperor? If fathers knew how their children would be punished for the sins of their parents, there would be none but good men!

Ferdinand Perhaps this sad interview will prove the last moment of happiness we shall have!

Pauline (aside) I will rejoin him, if he leaves me--(Aloud) See, I no longer weep, I am full of courage! But tell me, will your friend know the place where you are hiding?

Ferdinand Eugene will be our confidential friend.

Pauline And the letters?

Ferdinand To-morrow! To-morrow! But where will you conceal them?

Pauline I shall keep them about me.

Ferdinand Good! Farewell!

Pauline Oh no, not yet!

Ferdinand A moment more may ruin us.

Pauline Or unite us for life. Come, let me show you out, I shall not rest until I see you in the garden. Come!

Ferdinand Let me take one more glance at this maiden chamber, in which you will think of me--where all things speak of you.

(Scene curtain.)

SCENE ELEVENTH

(The drawing-room before described.)

Pauline on the veranda; Gertrude at the door of the room.

Gertrude She is seeing him out! He has been deceiving me! So has she! (Taking Pauline by the hand, she leads her to the front of the stage.) Will you dare tell me, now, mademoiselle, that you do not love him?

Pauline Madame, I am deceiving no one.

Gertrude You are deceiving your father.

Pauline And you, madame?

Gertrude So both of you are against me--Oh, I shall--

Pauline You shall do nothing, either against me or against him.

Gertrude Do not compel me to show my power! You must be obedient to your father, and--he is obedient to me.

Pauline We shall see!

Gertrude (aside) Her coolness makes my blood boil. My brain reels! (Aloud) Do you know that I would rather die than live without him?

Pauline And so would I, madame. But I am free. I have not sworn as you have to be faithful to a husband--And your husband is my father!

Gertrude (kneeling before Pauline) What have I done to you? I have loved you, I have educated you, I have been a good mother to you.

Pauline Be a faithful wife, and I will say no more.

Gertrude Nay! Speak! Say all you like--Ah! the struggle has begun.

SCENE TWELFTH

The same persons and the General.

The General How is this? What is going on here?

Gertrude (to Pauline) You must feign sickness. Come lie down. (She makes her lie down.) I happened, my dear, to hear moans. Our dear child was calling for help; she was almost suffocated by the flowers in her bedroom.