MME. DE LOUDAN. In that gown? Are you not afraid of the seductive charm of this spring evening, my dear? LUCY. Oh, I shan’t be cold! MME. DE LOUDAN. You are a true daughter of the Land of Fogs! I am very much afraid of the night air! (MADAME DE LOUDAN _goes out with_ MADAME ARRIÉGO, _left_. _As_ LUCY _starts to follow_ MADAME DE CÉRAN _into the garden, she is intercepted by_ FRANCOIS.) FRANCOIS. I still can’t find the pink paper, Mademoiselle. SUZANNE. (_Picking up a pink paper which she has knocked off the table, while putting her notebooks on it. Aside_) A pink paper! (_She looks at the paper_) LUCY. Ah, yes, the letter we were looking for this morning! SUZANNE. (_Aside, quickly hiding the letter behind her back_) That you were looking for this morning! LUCY. (_As she is leaving the room_) Never mind looking for it now. (_She goes out into the garden_; FRANCOIS _follows her_) SUZANNE. (_Looking at_ LUCY _as_ ROGER _enters_) The letter this morning! (_Enter the_ DUCHESS.) DUCHESS. How’s this? You’re not ready yet? Nor you? What are you doing here? (SUZANNE _looks at_ ROGER _without answering_.) ROGER. (_To the_ DUCHESS) Ah, these are the notebooks! Give them to me, Suzanne. (_He goes to her, she hands them to him, looking at him in silence_) What’s the matter with her? DUCHESS. Let me look at those notebooks! (ROGER _goes to the_ DUCHESS, _who is seated left_. SUZANNE, _to the right of the table, tries without being seen to open the paper which she holds in her left hand_.) ROGER. (_Looking at_ SUZANNE—_astonished_) That’s strange! DUCHESS. (_To_ ROGER, _drawing him toward her_) Come here, closer—my eyes are bad—— ROGER. (_Lowering the notebooks, as he steals a glance at_ SUZANNE. _Suddenly he seizes the_ DUCHESS _by the arm, and whispers_) Aunt! DUCHESS. (_To_ ROGER, _aside_) What’s the matter now? ROGER. Look! But don’t turn your head! She’s trying to read something! A letter, you see! She’s trying to hide it, don’t you see? DUCHESS. Yes! SUZANNE. (_Who has opened the letter; reading_) “I shall arrive Thursday.” (_Astonished_) From Roger! The one Lucy got this morning! (_She looks at the letter_) But why is it written that way, without any signature? (_Continues reading_) “This evening at ten; in the conservatory. Say you have a headache.” Ah! DUCHESS. What can it be? (_Calling_) Suzanne! SUZANNE. (_Surprised; puts the letter behind her back, and goes toward the_ DUCHESS) Yes, Aunt? DUCHESS. What are you reading there? SUZANNE. I, Aunt? Nothing. DUCHESS. I thought that—come here! SUZANNE. (_Slipping the letter under the books on the table, as she goes toward the_ DUCHESS) Yes, Aunt? DUCHESS. (_Aside_) This is curious! SUZANNE. (_Near the_ DUCHESS) What is it, Aunt? DUCHESS. Get my mantle for me. SUZANNE. (_Hesitating_) But—— DUCHESS. You don’t care to? SUZANNE. Oh, certainly, Aunt!