hands of it. When your draft is ready show it to me. [_He shuts the
door. Therese, when she hears his voice, has gathered up her papers and
is making for the door on the right. He calls her back_] Mademoiselle!

THERESE. Monsieur!

NERISSE. Listen. I have something to say to you. [_Therese returns_] Did
Madame Nerisse give you the letter of introduction I wrote for you?

THERESE. Yes, Monsieur. Please forgive me for not having thanked you
before.

NERISSE. It's nothing.

THERESE. Indeed it's a great deal.

NERISSE. Nothing.

THERESE. Yes, I'm sure to be received quite differently with that letter
from what I should be without it.

NERISSE. I can give you any number of letters like that. May I?

THERESE [_coldly_] No, thank you.

NERISSE. You won't let me?

THERESE. No.

NERISSE. Why?

THERESE. You know very well why.

NERISSE. You're still angry with me. You do yourself harm by the way you
treat me, you do indeed. Listen, this is the sort of thing. Moranville,
the editor of the review I was talking about, is going to meet me at my
restaurant after dinner. I know he wants just such stories as you write.
But Moranville reads only the manuscripts of people he knows--he has a
craze about it. Well, I hardly dare propose to you a thing which
nevertheless is perfectly natural among colleagues, to come and dine
with me first and meet him after. I hardly like--[_Therese draws herself
up_] You see, I'm right. You don't trust me.

THERESE. On the contrary, I'll go gladly. Madame Nerisse will be with
you of course?

NERISSE [_annoyed_] Madame Nerisse! Nonsense! Do you suppose I drag her
everywhere I go? Say no more about it. Whatever I say will only make you
suspicious. [_With a sigh_] All this misunderstanding and suspicion is
horrible to me. How stupid the world is! There are times when I feel
disgusted with everything, myself included! I'm getting old. I'm a
failure. I'm losing my time and wasting my life over this ridiculous
paper, which will never be anything but an obscure rag. I shall have
done for myself soon.

THERESE [_awkwardly, for something to say_] Don't say that.

NERISSE. Yes, I shall. I might have a chance of saving myself yet if I
took things energetically and got free of the whole thing. But I should
have to be quick about it. [_A silence. Therese does not know what to
say and does not dare to leave the room_] I'm so low--so unhappy!

THERESE. So unhappy?

NERISSE. Yes. [_Another silenc