ell me quickly. You
have settled everything with my father, have you not?

Minard
Your father has shown great confidence in me. He has revealed to me
his situation; he has told me--

Julie
Go on, please go on--

Mercadet
I have told him that we are ruined--

Julie
And this avowal has not changed your plans--your love--has it,
Adolphe?

Minard (ardently)
My love! (Mercadet, without being noticed, seizes his hand.) I should
be deceiving you--mademoiselle--(speaking with great effort)--if I
were to say that my intentions are unaltered.

Julie
Oh! It is impossible! Can it be you who speak to me in this strain?

Mme. Mercadet
Julie--

Minard (rousing himself)
There are some men to whom poverty adds energy; men capable of daily
self-sacrifice, of hourly toil; men who think themselves sufficiently
recompensed by a smile from a companion that they love--(checking
himself). I, mademoiselle am not one of these. The thought of poverty
dismays me. I--I could not endure the sight of your unhappiness.

Julie (bursting into tears and flinging herself into the arms of her
mother)
Oh! Mother! Mother! Mother!

Mme. Mercadet
My daughter--my poor Julie!

Minard (in a low voice to Mercadet)
Is this sufficient, sir?

Julie (without looking at Minard)
I should have had courage for both of us. I should always have greeted
you with a smile, I should have toiled without regret, and happiness
would always have reigned in our home. You could never have meant
this, Adolphe. You do not mean it.

Minard (in a low voice)
Let me go--let me leave the house, sir.

Mercadet
Come, then. (He retires to the back of the stage.)

Minard
Good-bye--Julie. A love that would have flung you into poverty is a
thoughtless love. I have preferred to show the love that sacrifices
itself to your happiness--

Julie
No, I trust you no longer. (In a low voice to her mother) My only
happiness would have been to be his.

Justin (announcing visitors)
M. de la Brive! M. de Mericourt!

Mercadet
Take your daughter away, madame. M. Minard, follow me. (To Justin) Ask
them to wait here for a while. (To Minard) I am well satisfied with
you.

(Mme. Mercadet and Julie, Mercadet and Minard go out in opposite
directions, while Justin admits Mericourt and De la Brive.)

SCENE FOURTH

De la Brive and Mericourt.

Justin
M. Mercadet begs that the gentlemen will wait for him here. (Exit.)

Mericourt
At last,