I have, for I have passed my thirtieth year, and I have sacrificed to him what I should have kept unsullied—­the honor of an aged man.  The field is clear for you, you may yet love some other man more ardently than you can love to-day—­this is my experience.  Pauline, child, give him up, and you will learn what a devoted slave you will have in me!  You will have more than a mother, more than a friend, you will have the unstinted help of a soul that is lost!  Oh! listen to me! (She kneels, and raises her hands to Pauline’s corsage.) Behold me at your feet, acknowledging you my rival!  Is this sufficient humiliation for me?  Oh, if you only knew what this costs a woman to undergo!  Relent!  Relent, and save me. (A loud knocking is heard, she takes advantage of Pauline’s confusion to feel for the letters.) Give back my life to me! (Aside) She has them!

Pauline
Oh, leave me, madame!  Will you force me to call for some one?

(Pauline pushes Gertrude away, and proceeds to open the door.)

Gertrude (aside)
I was not deceived, she has them about her; but I must not leave them
with her one single hour.

Sceneeighth

The same persons, the General and Vernon.

The General
You two, locked in together!  Why did you call out, Pauline?

Vernon
How pale you are, my child!  Let me feel your pulse.

The General (to Gertrude)
And you also seem to be very much excited.

Gertrude
There was a joke between us and we were indulging in a laugh; weren’t
we, Pauline?  You were laughing, my pet?

Pauline
Yes, papa.  Dear mamma and I were in a gale of laughter.

Vernon (in a low voice to Pauline)
That’s a pretty big lie!

The General
Didn’t you hear us knocking?

Pauline
We heard quite plainly, papa; but we didn’t know it was you.

The General (in a low voice to Vernon)
They seem to be leagued against me. (Aloud) But what was it all about?

Gertrude Dear husband, you always want to know everything!  We were speaking for the moment about the tenants, about some acquaintance of ours.  But let me go and ring for tea.

The General
But tell me all about it?

Gertrude
Why this is sheer tyranny!  To tell the truth, we locked ourselves in
so that no one would disturb us.  Is that plain enough?

Vernon
I should think it quite plain.

Gertrude (whispering to the General) I wished to worm her secrets out of your daughter, for it is evident that she has some secrets!  And you come interrupting us, while I am working in your service—­for Pauline is not my daughter; you arrive, as if you were charging a hostile squadron, and interrupt us, at the very moment I was going to learn something.

The General
Madame the Countess of Grandchamp, ever since the arrival of Godard—­

Gertrude
Ah! yes, Godard.  Well! he is still here.