BELLAC. (_Following her_) I’ll do all in my power—(_He follows her out_) PAUL. (_Who, with_ JEANNE, _comes out from the hiding-place_) Platonic love! Ha! Ha! DUCHESS. (_Aside_) Raymond! JEANNE. The Ego! The process! The _terminus_! Ha! Ha! DUCHESS. (_Leaving her hiding-place; aside_) Naughty children! Just wait! (_Quietly approaching them_) PAUL. Oh, he’s a regular Tartufe,[4] with his double-meanings! (_Imitating_ BELLAC) “My dear Mademoiselle; Love is a double concept”—— [4] The principal character in Moliere’s famous comedy, “Tartufe,” a hypocrite, whose name has become proverbial. JEANNE. (_Imitating_ LUCY) “But the principal factor”—— PAUL. “But, Lucy”—— JEANNE. “But, Bellac”—— PAUL. “But there is the slightest shade of a difference—Let me illustrate”—— JEANNE. “But they are identical.” PAUL. “Identical! You are cruel! It is entirely subjective.” JEANNE. “Oh, Bellac, subjective.” (_The_ DUCHESS _imitates the sound of kisses by clapping her hands_.) PAUL _and_ JEANNE. (_Rising in alarm_) What——? JEANNE. Someone! PAUL. Caught! JEANNE. Someone has been listening! PAUL. (_Trying to take her away_) Come, come! JEANNE. (_As they go out_) Perhaps they heard what we said before! PAUL. “I’ll do all in my power”—! (_They go out left_) DUCHESS. (_Laughing_) Ha! Ha! Those ridiculous children! They’re nice, but they deserve a lesson! I have to laugh! Oh—Lucy—think of it!—She’s all right! Ah, well, now do you see how matters stand! Suzanne—the rendezvous—the letter—— MME. DE CÉRAN. Oh, it was Bellac’s letter to Lucy that Suzanne found! DUCHESS. She thought it was Roger’s letter to Lucy; that is why she was so jealous, so furious! MME. DE CÉRAN. Jealous? You don’t mean to tell me she loves my son? DUCHESS. Do you still want him to marry the other girl? MME. DE CÉRAN. The other girl? Certainly not! But never Suzanne, Aunt, never! DUCHESS. We haven’t come to that yet! Meanwhile, go and take care of your tragic poet, and Revel’s successor! I’ll find your son for you, and see that he gets back his honor! All’s well that ends well! I’m not nervous now, after all this ado about nothing! But now it’s over; let’s go! (_They are about to go out, left, when the door at the right opens._) DUCHESS _and_ MME. DE CÉRAN. What’s this? DUCHESS. Again!? Your Conservatory is thick with them! This is lovely! MME. DE CÉRAN. Who else can it be? DUCHESS. Who? (_Struck with an idea_) Oh! (_To_ MME. DE CÉRAN, _placing her in a corner, left_) Go back to the drawing-room; I’ll tell you later. MME. DE CÉRAN. But, I—— DUCHESS. You can’t leave your guests all evening! MME. DE CÉRAN. (_Trying to see the newcomers_) Who can it be? DUCHESS. (_Still urging her out_) I’ll tell you everything. Quick now, before—— You can’t—— MME. DE CÉRAN. That’s so. I’ll come back for the tea. DUCHESS. Yes, do that! Quick, quick, now! (MME. DE CÉRAN _goes out, left_.)