The General
Do not ridicule my words!  Ever since yesterday nothing has gone as
usual!  By God!  I’d like to know—­

Gertrude Sir, this oath is the first I have ever heard from you.  Felix, bring in the tea. (To the General) You are tired, it seems, of twelve years of happiness?

The General I am not, and never will be a tyrant.  A little time ago I came unexpectedly upon you and Ferdinand engaged in conversation, and I felt I was in the way.  Again, I come home and you are locked in with my daughter, and my appearance seemed to put you out.  And to cap all, last night—­

Vernon Come, General, you can quarrel with Madame as much as you like, but not before other people. (Godard is heard approaching.) I hear Godard.  (Whispers to the General) Is this keeping your promise to me?  In treating with women—­I am bound as a doctor to admit it—­you must leave them to betray themselves; while at the same time you watch them carefully; otherwise your violence draws forth their tears, and when once the hydraulic machinery begins to play, they drown a man as if they had the strength of a triple Hercules!

Sceneninth

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!