Scene Ninth
The same persons and Godard.
Godard Ladies, I came once before to present my compliments and respects to you, but I found the door closed. General, I wish you good-day. (The General takes up a newspaper and waves his hand in greeting.) Ah! Here is my adversary of yesterday’s game. Have you come to take your revenge, doctor?
Vernon
No, I came to take some tea.
Godard Ah! I see you keep up the custom of the English, Russians and Chinese.
Pauline
Would you prefer some coffee?
Godard No, no; allow me to have some tea; I will, for once, deviate from my every-day custom. Moreover, you have your luncheon at noon, I see, and a cup of coffee with cream would take away my appetite for that meal. And then the English, the Russians and the Chinese are not entirely incorrect in taste.
Vernon
Tea, sir, is an excellent thing.
Godard
Yes, when it is good.
Pauline
This is caravan tea.
Gertrude
Doctor, have you seen the papers? (To Pauline) Go and talk to M. de
Rimonville, my daughter, I, myself, will make tea.
Godard Perhaps Mlle. De Grandchamp likes my conversation no better than my person?
Pauline
You are mistaken, sir.
The General
Godard—
Pauline Should you do me the favor of no longer seeking me in marriage, you would still possess in my eyes qualities of sufficient brilliancy to captivate the young ladies Boudeville, Clinville, Derville, etc.
Godard That is enough, mademoiselle. Ah! How you do ridicule an unfortunate lover, in spite of his income of forty thousand francs! The longer I stay here, the more I regret it. What a lucky fellow M. Ferdinand de Charny is!
Pauline Lucky? Why is he lucky? Poor fellow! Does his good fortune consist in the fact that he is my father’s clerk?
Gertrude
M. de Rimonville—
The General
Godard—
Gertrude
M. de Rimonville—
The General
Godard, my wife is speaking to you.
Gertrude
Do you like much or little sugar?
Godard
A moderate quality.
Gertrude
Not much cream, I suppose?
Godard On the contrary, plenty of cream, countess. (To Pauline) Ah, M. Ferdinand is not then, after all the man who—whom you have distinguished by your favor? I can at least assure you that he is very much to the taste of your stepmother.
Pauline (aside)
How annoying these inquisitive provincials are!
Godard (aside) It is fair that I should amuse myself a little at her expense before I take leave. I must get something out of this visit.
Gertrude M. de Rimonville, if you desire anything solid, there are sandwiches here.
Godard
Thank you, madame.
Gertrude (whispering to Godard)
Your cause is not wholly lost.
Godard
O madame! I have thought a great deal over my rejection by Mlle. de
Grandchamp.
Gertrude Ah! (To the doctor) Doctor, you will take yours as usual, I suppose?
Vernon
If you please, madame.
Godard (to Pauline) Did you say, “poor fellow,” mademoiselle? For M. Ferdinand is not so poor as you think him. He is richer than I am!
Pauline
How do you know that?
Godard I am certain of it, and I will tell you why. This M. Ferdinand, whom you think you know, is an exceedingly crafty fellow—
Pauline (aside)
Can he possibly know his real name?
Gertrude (aside) A few drops of opium in her tea will put her to sleep, and I shall be saved.
Godard (to Pauline) You cannot deny the authority of him who has put me on the track.
Pauline
Oh, sir! Kindly tell—
Godard
It was the prosecuting attorney. I remembered that at the house of the
Boudevilles it was said that your clerk—
Pauline (aside)
He is putting me on the rack.
Gertrude (offering a cup to Pauline)
Here, Pauline.
Vernon (aside) Am I dreaming? I thought I saw her put something into Pauline’s cup.
Pauline (to Godard)
And what did they say?
Godard Ah! Ah! How attentive you are! I should have been exceedingly flattered to think that you put on that air when any one was talking about me, as I am now talking about M. Ferdinand de Charny.
Pauline
What a strange taste this tea has! You find yours good?
Godard You talk about the tea in order to distract my attention from the interest you take in what I am telling you. I see through it all!
Well, come now, I am going to astonish you. You must know that M. Ferdinand is—
Pauline
Is—?
Godard
A millionaire.
Pauline
You are joking, M. Godard.
Godard
On my word of honor, mademoiselle, he possesses a treasure. (Aside)
She is madly in love with him.
Pauline (aside)
How this fool startled me.
(Pauline rises from her seat and Vernon takes the teacup from her hand.)
Vernon
Let me take it, my child.
The General (to his wife)
What ails you, dearest? You seem—
Vernon (who has retained Pauline’s cup and returned his own in its place to Gertrude. Aside) It is laudanum; fortunately the dose is light; but it is very certain that something is about to happen. (To Godard) M. Godard, you are a crafty fox. (Godard takes out his handkerchief as if to blow his nose.) Ah!
Godard
Doctor, I bear no ill-will.
Vernon Listen! Do you think that you could carry off the General to the factory and keep him there for an hour.
Godard
I would like to have that youngster to help me.
Vernon
He is at school until dinner-time.
Godard
Why do you wish me to do this?
Vernon Now I beg of you, for you are a good fellow, to do as I bid you; it is necessary. Do you love Pauline?
Godard I did love her yesterday, but this morning— (Aside) I must find out what he is concealing from me. (To Vernon) It shall be done! I will go on to the veranda and come back again with a message that Ferdinand sends for the General. You may rely upon me. Ah! Here is Ferdinand himself, that is all right!
(Godard goes on the veranda.)
Pauline
’Tis peculiar, how drowsy I feel.
(Pauline lies down on the divan; Ferdinand appears and talks with Godard.)