SOPHIE. A lady called to see, madam, and I told her you were engaged. LOUISE. What did she want? Did she say? SOPHIE. She said she would come back. She insisted on speaking with you. LOUISE. Do you know the lady? SOPHIE. Yes ... no. That is, I don't know. I believe I've seen her before. LOUISE. Didn't she say what her errand was? SOPHIE. No, madam, but she said she would come back soon. LOUISE. When she comes, show her into the drawing room. SOPHIE. Yes, madam. LOUISE. Have everything ready at once. SOPHIE. Yes, madam. [_She goes out._] LOUISE. You will excuse me. I must change my clothes. I shall put my old ones on. You see, I kept them. Then I must write to him. I must tell him why I am going away. [_She goes out by the side door._] VENNEMA. I feel as if I have never been as happy as this before. VAN ELST. It will help your wife to get well. She hasn't been very well these last few weeks. VENNEMA. Yes, I know it will do her heaps of good. I am quite happy. VAN ELST. Don't excite your wife unnecessarily to-night. Any shock may be too much for her. VENNEMA. Yes, we will postpone our rejoicing until to-morrow. You must come to-morrow, but alone. Bring your wife Sunday evening. The process of acclamation will be slow, of course. There is a train about six, I believe. VAN ELST. Yes, at five forty-five. We have an hour yet. VENNEMA. The sooner the better. She must have a change at first. I thought it mightn't be a bad idea if we paid my brother a visit at Frezier. It might do her a lot of good. Yes, I think what she needs is a change of scene. VAN ELST. If I were you I would stay home the first week. VENNEMA. We'll attend to that later. It is terrible when you think of the condition she was in when we arrived. VAN ELST. The maid said that it happened quite often, too. VENNEMA. What do you think he will do when he learns that she is gone? VAN ELST. If he is anything of a man, if he is a man of honor, then he will stay away. If not, there is the law. But I believe it can be arranged although she loves him very much. VENNEMA. Let's not speak of it any more. She will change slowly, and so the past will be forgotten. SOPHIE [_enters with a traveling bag_]. Oh, isn't Madam here? VENNEMA. She will be back very shortly. SOPHIE. Here's the bag. Everything is ready. [_Puts Louise's things on the table._] LOUISE [_enters very simply dressed with a letter in her hand_]. Here I am. [_To Sophie._] Have you packed everything? SOPHIE. Yes, everything is ready. LOUISE. Help me then. [_Sophie helps Louise with her coat._] LOUISE. Mail this letter for me. [_The bell rings downstairs._] Go and see who it is. I am not at home to anybody now. SOPHIE. It may be the lady who was here before. LOUISE. Heavens, I had almost forgotten her. If it's the lady-- SOPHIE. Yes? LOUISE. See who it is. SOPHIE [_going_]. Yes, madam. VENNEMA. What is it, Louise? What does the lady wish?