Scene Fourth
The same persons, Marguerite, then Pauline.
The General Ah! It is you, Marguerite. You came near causing the death of my daughter last night by your carelessness. You forgot—
Marguerite
I, General, cause the death of my child!
The General You forgot to take away the vase containing flowers of a strong scent, and she was almost suffocated.
Marguerite
Impossible! I took away the vase before the arrival of M. Godard, and
Madame must have seen that it was not there while we were dressing
Mademoiselle—
Gertrude
You are mistaken. It was there.
Marguerite (aside) She’s a hard one. (Aloud) Does not Madame remember that she wished to put some natural flowers in Mademoiselle’s hair, and that she remarked about the vase being gone?
Gertrude
You are inventing a story. But where did you carry it?
Marguerite
To the foot of the veranda.
Gertrude (to the General)
Did you find it there last night?
The General
No.
Gertrude I took it from the chamber myself last night, and put it where it now stands. (Points to the vase of flowers on the veranda.)
Marguerite
Sir, I swear to you by my eternal salvation—
Gertrude
Do not swear. (Calling.) Pauline!
The General
Pauline!
(Pauline appears.)
Gertrude
Was the vase of flowers in your room last night?
Pauline Yes. Marguerite, my dear old friend, you must have forgotten it.
Marguerite Why don’t you say, Mademoiselle, that some one put it there on purpose to make you ill!
Gertrude
Whom do you mean by some one?
The General You old fool, if your memory failed you, it is unnecessary for you, at any rate, to accuse anybody else.
Pauline (aside to Marguerite) Keep silence! (Aloud) Marguerite, it was there! You forgot it.
Marguerite It is true, sir, I was thinking of the day before yesterday.
The General (aside) She has been in my service for twenty years. Strange that she should be so persistent! (Takes Marguerite aside.) Come! What did you say about the flowers for my daughter’s hair?
Marguerite (while Pauline makes signs to her) I said that, sir—I am so old that my memory is treacherous.
The General But even then, why did you suppose that any one in the house had an evil thought towards—
Pauline
Say no more, father! She has so much affection for me, dear
Marguerite, that she is sometimes distracted by it.
Marguerite (aside)
I am quite sure I took away the flowers.
The General (aside) Why should my wife and my daughter deceive me? An old trooper like me doesn’t permit himself to be caught between two fires, and there is something decidedly crooked—
Gertrude
Marguerite, we will take tea in this room when M. Godard comes down.
Tell Felix to bring in all the newspapers.
Marguerite
Very good, madame.