uined, and you are ruined too.

THERESE. Yes.

MADAME GUERET. Is that all you have to say?

THERESE. I knew it already.

MADAME GUERET. You _knew_ it? Who told you?

THERESE. The lawyer told me himself. I had a long letter from him
yesterday. He begs me to forgive him.

MADAME GUERET. Well, I declare!

THERESE. I'll show it to you. He's been gambling. To get a bigger
fortune for his girls, he says.

MADAME GUERET. You _knew_ it! And you've had the strength,
the--duplicity?

THERESE [_smiling_] Just as you had yourself, godmamma. And I'm so much
obliged to both of you for saying nothing to me, because I'm sure you
wanted me to have my play to-night and enjoy myself; and that was why
you tried to keep the news from me.

MADAME GUERET. And you were able to laugh and to _act_!

THERESE. I've always tried to keep myself in hand.

MADAME GUERET. Oh, I know. All the same--And I was so careful about
breaking this news to you, and you knew it all the time!

THERESE. I'm very sorry. But you--

MADAME GUERET. All right, all right. Well, then, we have nothing to
tell. But do you understand that you've not a penny left?

GUERET. You're to go on living with us, of course.

MADAME GUERET [_to her husband_] You really might have given her time to
ask us. [_To Therese_] We take it that you have asked us, and we answer
that we will keep you with us.

GUERET. We are going to Evreux. My brother-in-law is giving me work in
his factory.

MADAME GUERET. We will keep you with us, but on certain conditions.

THERESE. Thank you very much, godmamma, but I mean to stay in Paris.

GUERET. You don't understand. We are going to live at Evreux.

THERESE. But _I_ am going to live in Paris.

GUERET. Then it is I who do not understand.

THERESE. All the same--[_A silence_]

MADAME GUERET. I can hardly believe that you propose to live in Paris by
yourself.

THERESE [_simply_] I do, godmamma.

FELIAT. Alone!

GUERET. Alone! I repeat, I don't understand.

FELIAT. Nor do I. But no doubt you have reasons to give to your
godfather and godmother. [_He moves to go_]

THERESE. There's no secret about my reasons. All the world may know
them. When I've explained you'll see that it's all right.

MADAME GUERET. I must confess to being extremely curious to hear these
reasons.

THERESE. I do hope my decision won't make you angry with me.

MADAME GUERET. Angry! When have I ever been angry with you?

THERESE [_protesting_] You'