her is a lie--her eyes and her lips, her kisses and
her smiles.

FRANCOIS. He rants a little.

HENRI. Every boy and every old man, every one who excited her and every
one who paid her--every one, I think, who wanted her--has possessed
her, and I have known it!

SEVERINE. Not every one can boast as much.

HENRI. And all the same she loved me, my friends. Can any one of you
understand that? She always came back to me again--from all quarters
back again to me--from the handsome and from the ugly, from the shrewd
and from the foolish, from ragamuffins and from courtiers--always came
back to me.

SEVERINE (to ROLLIN). Now, if only you had an inkling that it is just
this coming back which is really love.

HENRI. What I suffered ... tortures, tortures!

ROLLIN. It is harrowing.

HENRI. And yesterday I married her. We had a dream--nay, I had a dream.
I wanted to get away with her from here. Into solitude, into the
country, into the great peace. We wished to live like other happy
married couples--we dreamt also of having a child---

ROLLIN (softly). Severine.

SEVERINE. Very good!

ALBIN. Francois, that man is speaking the truth.

FRANCOIS. Quite so; the love-story is true, but the real pith is the
murder-story.

HENRI. I was just one day too late.... There was just one man whom she
had forgotten, otherwise--I believe--she wouldn't have wanted any one
else.... But I caught them together ... it is all over with him.

ACTORS. Who?--who? How did it happen? Where does he lie? Are you
pursued? How did it happen? Where is she?

HENRI (with growing excitement). I escorted her ... to the theatre
... today was to be the last time.... I kissed her ... at the door ...
and she went to her dressing-room ... and I went off like a man who has
nothing to fear. But when I had gone a hundred yards, I began
... to have ... within me--do you understand? ... a terrible unrest ...
and it was as though something forced me to turn round ... and I turned
round and went back. But once there I felt ashamed and went away again
... and again I walked a hundred yards away from the theatre ... and
then something gripped me ... again I went back. Her scene was at an
end--she hasn't got much to do, she just stands awhile on the stage
half naked--and then she has finished. I stood in front of her
dressing-room, put my ear to the door, and heard whispers. I could not
make out a word ... the whispering ceased ... I pushed open the door
... (h