ld maid, if she wouldn't be glad to have one now? When one
grows old it's better to have had a child in that way than not to have
had one at all. Ask her if I'm not telling the truth. Ask her if she's
happy in her loneliness.

MADEMOISELLE DE MEURIOT. Oh, it's true--it's true! Sometimes--

_She bursts into tears. Therese goes to her and takes her in
her arms._

THERESE. Oh, Mademoiselle, dear Mademoiselle!

MADAME CHANTEUIL [_between her teeth_] Good-bye, Mademoiselle. Good-bye,
Therese.

MADEMOISELLE DE MEURIOT [_to Madame Chanteuil_] Wait, wait. I'm going
with you. I am not going to leave you just now.

_Mademoiselle de Meuriot goes out with Madame Chanteuil.
Therese, left alone, buries her head in her hands and
thinks. Then she takes the two books that Madame Nerisse has
handed her, and with a determined swing sits down and starts
working. After a moment Monsieur Nerisse comes in._

NERISSE. My dear child, I have news for you. Pleasant news, I think.

THERESE [_rather grimly_] Have you?

NERISSE. One little smile, please, or I shall tell you nothing.

THERESE. I assure you smiling is the last thing I feel like.

NERISSE. If you only knew what I've been doing for you, you wouldn't
receive me so unkindly.

THERESE. _You_ can do nothing for me. Will you please leave me alone?

NERISSE. I don't deserve to be spoken to like that, Therese. Listen; we
must come to an understanding. I know you're angry with me still about
what happened last month. I promised you then I would say no more. Have
I kept my word?

THERESE. Yes, you have.

NERISSE. Will you always be angry? Is it quite impossible for us to be
friends? I am constantly giving you proofs of my friendship. I've done
two things for you quite lately. The first was that letter to the editor
you're going to see to-morrow, and the second is what I've done now with
our new backer. It's this. They wanted to sack you or to offer you
humiliating conditions. I said if you didn't stay I wouldn't stay
either. I gave in on other points to get my way about this. I shall have
their final answer to-morrow, and I know I shall succeed if I stick to
my point.

THERESE. But what right had you to do such a thing? We agreed to forget
altogether that you had dared to make love to me. D'you really not
understand how that makes it impossible I should ever accept either
assistance or protection from you?

NERISSE. I have still the right