I am not, and never will be a tyrant. A little time ago I came
unexpectedly upon you and Ferdinand engaged in conversation, and I
felt I was in the way. Again, I come home and you are locked in with
my daughter, and my appearance seemed to put you out. And to cap all,
last night--

Vernon
Come, General, you can quarrel with Madame as much as you like, but
not before other people. (Godard is heard approaching.) I hear Godard.
(Whispers to the General) Is this keeping your promise to me? In
treating with women--I am bound as a doctor to admit it--you must
leave them to betray themselves; while at the same time you watch them
carefully; otherwise your violence draws forth their tears, and when
once the hydraulic machinery begins to play, they drown a man as if
they had the strength of a triple Hercules!

SCENE NINTH

The same persons and Godard.

Godard
Ladies, I came once before to present my compliments and respects to
you, but I found the door closed. General, I wish you good-day. (The
General takes up a newspaper and waves his hand in greeting.) Ah! Here
is my adversary of yesterday's game. Have you come to take your
revenge, doctor?

Vernon
No, I came to take some tea.

Godard
Ah! I see you keep up the custom of the English, Russians and Chinese.

Pauline
Would you prefer some coffee?

Godard
No, no; allow me to have some tea; I will, for once, deviate from my
every-day custom. Moreover, you have your luncheon at noon, I see, and
a cup of coffee with cream would take away my appetite for that meal.
And then the English, the Russians and the Chinese are not entirely
incorrect in taste.

Vernon
Tea, sir, is an excellent thing.

Godard
Yes, when it is good.

Pauline
This is caravan tea.

Gertrude
Doctor, have you seen the papers? (To Pauline) Go and talk to M. de
Rimonville, my daughter, I, myself, will make tea.

Godard
Perhaps Mlle. De Grandchamp likes my conversation no better than my
person?

Pauline
You are mistaken, sir.

The General
Godard--

Pauline
Should you do me the favor of no longer seeking me in marriage, you
would still possess in my eyes qualities of sufficient brilliancy to
captivate the young ladies Boudeville, Clinville, Derville, etc.

Godard
That is enough, mademoiselle. Ah! How you do ridicule an unfortunate
lover, in spite of his income of forty thousand francs! The longer I
stay here, the more I regret it. What a lucky fel