JULIA. [Presto tempo] You have never travelled, Christine—­you must get out and have a look at the world.  You cannot imagine what fun it is to travel on a train—­constantly new people—­new countries—–­ and then we get to Hamburg and take in the Zoological Gardens in passing—­that’s what you like—­and then we go to the theatres and to the opera—­and when we get to Munich, there, you know, we have a lot of museums, where they keep Rubens and Raphael and all those big painters, you know—­Haven’t you heard of Munich, where King Louis used to live—­the king, you know, that went mad—­And then we’ll have a look at his castle—­he has still some castles that are furnished just as in a fairy tale—­and from there it isn’t very far to Switzerland—­and the Alps, you know—­just think of the Alps, with snow on top of them in the middle of the summer—­and there you have orange trees and laurels that are green all the year around—­

[JEAN is seen in the right wing, sharpening his razor on a strop which he holds between his teeth and his left hand; he listens to the talk with a pleased mien and nods approval now and then.]

JULIA. [Tempo prestissimo] And then we get a hotel—­and I sit in the office, while Jean is outside receiving tourists—­and goes out marketing—­and writes letters—­That’s a life for you—­Then the train whistles, and the ’bus drives up, and it rings upstairs, and it rings in the restaurant—­and then I make out the bills—­and I am going to salt them, too—­You can never imagine how timid tourists are when they come to pay their bills!  And you—­you will sit like a queen in the kitchen.  Of course, you are not going to stand at the stove yourself.  And you’ll have to dress neatly and nicely in order to show yourself to people—­and with your looks—­yes, I am not flattering you—­you’ll catch a husband some fine day—­some rich Englishman, you know—–­for those fellows are so easy [slowing down] to catch—­and then we grow rich—­and we build us a villa at Lake Como—­of course, it is raining a little in that place now and then—–­ but [limply] the sun must be shining sometimes—­although it looks dark—­and—­then—­or else we can go home again—­and come back—­here—–­ or some other place—­

CHRISTINE.  Tell me, Miss Julia, do you believe in all that yourself?

JULIA. [Crushed] Do I believe in it myself?

CHRISTINE.  Yes.

JULIA. [Exhausted] I don’t know:  I believe no longer in anything. [She sinks down on the bench and drops her head between her arms on the table] Nothing!  Nothing at all!

CHRISTINE. [Turns to the right, where JEAN is standing] So you were going to run away!

JEAN. [Abashed, puts the razor on the table] Run away?  Well, that’s putting it rather strong.  You have heard what the young lady proposes, and though she is tired out now by being up all night, it’s a proposition that can be put through all right.

CHRISTINE.  Now you tell me:  did you mean me to act as cook for that one there—?