The Stepmother, A Drama in Five Acts Part 10

Napoleon Good-night, my good friend! Good-night, Pauline! Good-night M. G.o.dard.

G.o.dard De Rimonville.

Napoleon Have I been good?

(Gertrude kisses Napoleon.)

The General I have the king.

Vernon And I, the queen.

Ferdinand (to G.o.dard) Monsieur, we are partners.

Gertrude (seeing Marguerite) Be sure to say your prayers, and don't provoke Marguerite. Now, go to bed, dear heart.

Napoleon Yes, dear heart! What is love made of?

(Exit Napoleon.)

SCENE FIFTH

The same persons, except Napoleon.

The General When that child begins to ask questions, he is an amusing youngster.

Gertrude It is often very embarra.s.sing to answer him. (To Pauline) Come, Pauline, let us go and finish our work.

Vernon It is your lead, General.

The General Mine? You ought to get married, and we could visit at your house, as you visit here, and you would have all the happiness of a family.

Don't forget, G.o.dard, that there is no one in the department happier than I am.

Vernon When a man reaches sixty-seven without reaching happiness, it is impossible to catch up. I shall die a bachelor.

(The two women set to work at the same piece of embroidery.)

Gertrude (seated with Pauline at the front of the stage) How is this, my child! G.o.dard tells me that you received his advances very coldly; yet he is a very good match for you.

Pauline My father, madame, has given me leave to choose a husband for myself.

Gertrude Do you know what G.o.dard will say? He will say that you refused him because you had already made your choice.

Pauline If it were true, you and my father would know it. What reason have I for not giving you my confidence?

Gertrude I cannot say, and I do not blame you. You see in matters of love women keep their secret with heroic constancy, sometimes in the midst of the most cruel torments.

Pauline (aside, picking up the scissors, which she had let drop) Ferdinand was wise in telling me to distrust her--she is so insinuating!

Gertrude Perhaps you have in your heart a love like that. If such a misfortune has befallen you, you may rely on my help--I love you, remember! I can win your father's consent; he has confidence in me, and I can sway both his mind and affections. Therefore, dear child, you may open your heart to me.

Pauline You can read my heart, madame, for I am concealing nothing from you.

The General Vernon, what in the name of everything are you doing?

(Faint murmurs are heard among the card players; Pauline casts a look at them.)

Gertrude (aside) The question point-blank does not do with her. (Aloud) How happy you make me! For this provincial joker, G.o.dard, avers that you almost fainted when he prompted Napoleon to declare that Ferdinand had broken his leg. Ferdinand is a pleasant young fellow, our intimate friend for some four years; what is more natural than your attachment for the youth, whose birth and talents are both in his favor?

Pauline He is my father's clerk.

Gertrude Thank G.o.d, you are not in love with him; I was a little anxious for the moment, for, my dear child, he is a married man.

Pauline What! He is married? Why then does he make a secret of it? (Aside) Married? That would be outrageous. I will ask him this evening. I will give him the signal on which we agreed to meet.

Gertrude (aside) Not a line of her face changed! G.o.dard is wrong, or this child is more self-possessed than I am. (Aloud) What is the matter with you, my pet?

Pauline Oh! nothing.

Gertrude (touching Pauline's neck) Why, you are quite hot! Do you feel so? (Aside) She loves him, that is plain. But the question is, does he love her? I suffer the torments of the d.a.m.ned!

Pauline I have been working too closely at this frame! And what, pray, is the matter with you?

Gertrude Nothing. But you asked me why Ferdinand kept his marriage secret.

Pauline Ah! yes!

Gertrude (rising, aside) If she is in love, she has a will of iron. But where can they have met? I never leave her in the daytime, and Champagne sees him all the time at the factory. No! it is absurd. If she does love him, it is without his knowledge, and she is like all other young girls, who begin to love a man in secret. But if they have come to an understanding, I have given her such a start that she will be sure to communicate with him about it, if only through her eyes. I will keep them both well in sight.

G.o.dard We have had wonderful luck, M. Ferdinand!

(Ferdinand leaves off playing and goes towards Gertrude.)

Pauline (aside) I did not know that it was possible to suffer so much and yet live on.

Ferdinand (to Gertrude) Madame, won't you take my place in the game?

Gertrude Pauline, will you go instead? (Aside) I can't tell him that he loves Pauline, that would suggest what may be a new idea to him. What shall I do? (to Ferdinand) She has confessed all.

Ferdinand Confessed what?

Gertrude Why, all!

Ferdinand I don't understand. Do you refer to Mlle. de Grandchamp?

Gertrude Yes.