Woman on Her Own, False Gods and The Red Robe Part 4

LUCIENNE. Alfred de Musset.

FeLIAT. Ah, yes; to be sure, Alfred de Musset. I read him when I was young. You often find his works lying about in pretty bindings.

RENe. Uncle, Uncle; I beg your pardon, but don't speak so loud. We can hardly hear what they're saying on the stage.

FeLIAT [_very politely_] Sorry, I'm sure.

RENe [_to Lucienne_] You. _Now._

LUCIENNE [_speaking through the guichet_] "My lord, these cries are useless. It grows late. If you wish to sup--you must spin." [_turning to the others_] There! Now I must go over the rest with Ulric.

_She runs out, with a little wave of adieu to Feliat._

RENe [_to Madame Gueret_] The trumpets, Madame. Don't forget.

MADAME GUeRET. No, no. Don't worry.

_Rene goes out._

FeLIAT. You blow trumpets?

MADAME GUeRET. Yes; on the piano.

FeLIAT. I don't know what to do with myself. I don't want to be in the way. I'm not accustomed to being behind the scenes.

MADAME GUeRET. Nor am I.

_Therese comes in in the Kalekairi dress, followed by Rene._

THeReSE. It's time for me now.

FeLIAT [_to Madame Gueret_] She really looks like a professional actress.

RENe [_to Therese_] Now!

THeReSE [_speaking through the little window_] "My lady says, as you will not spin, you cannot sup. She thinks you are not hungry, and I wish you good-night." [_She closes the little window and says gayly_]

Good-evening, Monsieur Feliat.

RENe. Now then, come along. You go on in one minute.

THeReSE [_to Feliat_] I'll come back soon.

_She goes out._

RENe [_to Madame Gueret_] Now, Madame, _you_, Quick, Madame!

MADAME GUeRET. Yes, yes. All right.

_She plays a flourish of trumpets on the piano._

RENe. Splendid!

MADAME GUeRET. Ouf! It's over. At last we can have peace! If she's such a fool as to refuse both these men--

GUeRET [_interrupting_] She won't refuse, you may be sure.

MADAME GUeRET [_continuing_]--we shall have to keep her with us. But I shall insist upon certain conditions.

GUeRET. What conditions?

MADAME GUeRET. I won't have any scandals at Evreux.

GUeRET. There won't be any scandals.

MADAME GUeRET. No; because she'll have to behave very differently, I can tell you. She'll have to leave all these fine airs of independence behind her in Paris.

GUeRET. What airs?

MADAME GUeRET. Well, for instance, getting letters and answering them without any sort of supervision! [_To her brother_] She manages in such a way that I don't even see the envelopes! [_To her husband_] I object very much, too, to her student ways.

GUeRET. She goes to cla.s.ses and lectures with her girl friends.

MADAME GUeRET. Well, she won't go to any more. And she will have to give up going out alone.

GUeRET. She's of age.

MADAME GUeRET. A properly brought up young lady is never of age.

FeLIAT. Perfectly true.

MADAME GUeRET. And there must be a change in her way of dressing.

GUeRET. There will. She'll have to dress simply, for she won't have a rap.

MADAME GUeRET. That has nothing to do with it. I shall make her understand that she will have to behave like the other girls in good society.

FeLIAT. Of course.

MADAME GUeRET. I shall also put a veto on certain books she reads. [_To her brother_] It's really dreadful, Etienne. You've no idea! One day I found a shocking book upon her table--a horror! What do you suppose she said when I remonstrated? That that disgraceful book was necessary in preparing for her examination. And the worst of it is, it was true. She showed me the syllabus.

FeLIAT. I'm afraid they're bringing up our girls in a way that'll make unhappy women of them.

MADAME GUeRET. Don't let's talk about it; you'll start on politics, and then you and Henri will begin to argue. All the same I mean to be very good to her. As soon as she knows what's happened her poor little pretensions will come tumbling about her ears. I won't leave her in uncertainty, and even before she asks I'll tell her she may stay with us; but I shall tell her, too, what I expect from her in return.

GUeRET. Wouldn't it be better--

MADAME GUeRET. My dear, I shall go my own way. See what we're suffering now in consequence of going _yours_. Here's Madame Nerisse. Then the play is over. [_To her husband_] You must go and look after the people at the supper table. I'll join you in a minute.

GUeRET. All right.