e me. He
wanted me to swear never to see you again--never. Of course I wouldn't.
When I refused to give in he said it was through worldly wisdom. He
said: "If he wasn't going to inherit my money, you wouldn't hang on to
him like this." He dared to say that to me, Rene--your father whom I
have always wanted to respect and love. He thought that of me. And then
I swore to him, and I've sworn to myself, that I'll never marry you,
never, without his consent. I cannot be suspected of _that_. You
understand, don't you? The poorer I am the prouder I ought to be. [_She
bursts into tears_] My dear--my dear! How unhappy I am! How dreadfully
unhappy I am!

RENE. My darling! [_He kisses her_]

THERESE. Don't, Rene! I couldn't help telling you. But you understand,
my dearest, that we've got to wait until he knows me better.

RENE [_forcibly_] No. We will _not_ wait.

THERESE. I'll never break my word.

RENE. What d'you want us to wait for? A change of opinion that'll
probably never come. And our youth will go, we shall have spoilt our
lives. You want to send me back to Paris all alone and unhappy, to spend
long silent evenings thinking about you and suffering from not being
with you, while you, here, will be suffering in the same way, in the
same loneliness. And we love each other, and it absolutely depends only
on ourselves whether we shall change our double unhappiness for a double
joy. [_Changing his tone_] I can't stand it, Therese. I've loved you for
two years, and all this last year I've toiled and slaved to win you.
[_Low and ardently_] I want you.

THERESE. Oh, hush, hush!

RENE. I want you. You're the one woman I've loved in my life. My love
for you _is_ my life. I can't give up my life. Listen: I have to be in
Paris this evening; are you going to let me leave you broken-hearted?

THERESE. Do you think that I'm not broken-hearted?

RENE. I shan't suffer any the less because I know that you're suffering
too.

THERESE. It doesn't depend upon us.

RENE. It depends entirely upon us. Look here, if people refuse to let us
marry, our love for each other is strong enough to do without marriage.
Therese, come with me!

THERESE. Oh, Rene, Rene! What are you asking me to do?

RENE. Have you faith in me? Look at me. Do you think I'm sincere? Do you
think I'm an honest man? Do you think that, if people refuse to let us
go through a ridiculous ceremony together, our union will be any the
less durable? Is it the ceremony t