uis, who, in a milkman's smock much smudged with
colors, is painting a piece of brocade which he has draped about his
wife.

She is sitting on the throne, not interested in the painting, and
appealing to him very anxiously about another matter.

MRS DUBEDAT. Promise.

LOUIS [putting on a touch of paint with notable skill and care and
answering quite perfunctorily] I promise, my darling.

MRS DUBEDAT. When you want money, you will always come to me.

LOUIS. But it's so sordid, dearest. I hate money. I cant keep always
bothering you for money, money, money. Thats what drives me sometimes to
ask other people, though I hate doing it.

MRS DUBEDAT. It is far better to ask me, dear. It gives people a wrong
idea of you.

LOUIS. But I want to spare your little fortune, and raise money on my
own work. Dont be unhappy, love: I can easily earn enough to pay it all
back. I shall have a one-man-show next season; and then there will be no
more money troubles. [Putting down his palette] There! I mustnt do any
more on that until it's bone-dry; so you may come down.

MRS DUBEDAT [throwing off the drapery as she steps down, and revealing a
plain frock of tussore silk] But you have promised, remember, seriously
and faithfully, never to borrow again until you have first asked me.

LOUIS. Seriously and faithfully. [Embracing her] Ah, my love, how right
you are! how much it means to me to have you by me to guard me against
living too much in the skies. On my solemn oath, from this moment forth
I will never borrow another penny.

MRS DUBEDAT [delighted] Ah, thats right. Does his wicked worrying wife
torment him and drag him down from the clouds. [She kisses him]. And
now, dear, wont you finish those drawings for Maclean?

LOUIS. Oh, they dont matter. Ive got nearly all the money from him in
advance.

MRS DUBEDAT. But, dearest, that is just the reason why you should finish
them. He asked me the other day whether you really intended to finish
them.

LOUIS. Confound his impudence! What the devil does he take me for? Now
that just destroys all my interest in the beastly job. Ive a good mind
to throw up the commission, and pay him back his money.

MRS DUBEDAT. We cant afford that, dear. You had better finish the
drawings and have done with them. I think it is a mistake to accept
money in advance.

LOUIS. But how are we to live?

MRS DUBEDAT. Well, Louis, it is getting hard enough as it is, now that
they are all refusing to pay