Pamela To avow my love for him? Would that be sufficient to save him? Dupre I will answer for that! Pamela Well? Dupre My child! Pamela Well--he is saved. Dupre (earnestly) But--you will be compromised-- Pamela But after all it is for him. Dupre (aside) I never expected it, but I shall not die without having seen with my own eyes an example of beautiful and noble candor, destitute alike of self-interest and designing reserve. (Aloud) Pamela, you are a good and generous girl. Pamela To act this way consoles me for many little miseries of life. Dupre My child, that is not everything! You are true as steel, you are high- spirited. But in order to succeed it is necessary to have assurance-- determination-- Pamela Oh, sir! You shall see! Dupre Do not be over-anxious. Dare to confess everything. Be brave! Imagine that you are before the Court of Assizes, the presiding judge, the public prosecutor, the prisoner at the bar, and me, his advocate; the jury is on one side. The big court-room is filled with people. Do not be alarmed. Pamela You needn't fear for me. Dupre A court officer brings you in; you have given your name and surname! Then the presiding judge asks you "How long have you known the prisoner, Rousseau?"--What would you answer? Pamela The truth!--I met him about a month before his arrest at the Ile d'Amour, Belleville. Dupre Who were with him? Pamela I noticed no one but him. Dupre Did you hear them talk politics? Pamela (in astonishment) Oh, sir! The judges must be aware that politics are matters of indifference at the Ile d'Amour. Dupre Very good, my child! But you must tell them all you know about Jules Rousseau. Pamela Of course. I shall still speak the truth, and repeat my testimony before the police justice. I knew nothing of the conspiracy, and was infinitely surprised when he was arrested in my room; the proof of which is that I feared M. Jules was a thief and afterwards apologized for my suspicion. Dupre You must acknowledge that from the time of your first acquaintance with this young man, he constantly came to see you. You must declare-- Pamela I shall stick to the truth--He never left me alone! He came to see me for love, I received him from friendship, and I resisted him from a sense of duty-- Dupre And at last? Pamela (anxiously) At last? Dupre You are trembling! Take care! Just now you promised me to tell the truth! Pamela (aside) The truth! Oh my God! Dupre I also am interested in this young man; but I recoil from a possible imposture. If he is guilty, my duty bids me defend him, if he is innocent, his cause shall be mine. Yes, without doubt, Pamela, I am about to demand from you a great sacrifice, but he needs it. The visits which Jules made to you were in the evening, and without the knowledge of your parents.