I said to them. And the work will
not be the same.

THERESE. My work will not be the same?

MADAME NERISSE. No; you will be obliged to work at night.

THERESE. At night?

MADAME NERISSE. Yes.

THERESE. But then I shall be free all day.

MADAME NERISSE. No, you won't. In the daytime you will have to take
charge of the business part of the paper, and in the evening too your
work will not be purely literary, but more of an administrative
character.

THERESE. It appears to me that I'm asked to accept a smaller salary and
to do double work for it.

MADAME NERISSE. I am conveying to you the offers of the new Directors;
if they don't suit you, you have only to refuse them.

THERESE. Of course I refuse them, and you may say to the people who have
made them that they must be shameful sweaters to dare to offer women
salaries that leave them no choice between starvation and degradation.

MADAME NERISSE. Those are strong words, my dear, and you seem to forget
very quickly--

THERESE [_softening_] Yes. Oh, I beg your pardon. But think for a
minute, Madame, and you'll forgive me for being angry. I hardly know
what I'm saying. [_Madame Nerisse half turns away_] Listen, oh listen!
Forget what I said just now; I'll explain to you. I accept the reduction
of salary. I'll manage. I'll get my expenses down. Only I can't consent
to give up all my time. You know I have some work in hand; you know I
have a big undertaking to which I've given all my life. I've told you
about it, you know about that. You know I can only stand my loneliness
and everything because of the hope I have about this. If people take all
my time, it's the same as if they killed me. I beg you, I implore you,
get them to leave me my evenings free.

MADAME NERISSE. It can't be done.

THERESE [_pulling herself together_] Very well, that's settled. I will
go at the end of the month; that's to say to-morrow.

MADAME NERISSE. Take a little time to consider it.

THERESE. I have considered it. They propose that I should commit
suicide. I say no!

MADAME NERISSE. I'm sorry, truly sorry. [_She rings. While she waits for
the bell to be answered, she looks searchingly at Therese, who does not
notice it. To the page boy who comes in_] Go and call me a taxi, but
first say to Monsieur Nerisse--

BOY. Monsieur Nerisse has just gone out, Madame.

MADAME NERISSE. Are you quite sure?

BOY. I called him a taxi.

MADAME NERISSE. Very well, you can go. [_To Therese_]