Jean was charged with excluding all those who were not in the tableaux. Albert was included in those not admitted, and he certainly would have held it against the Duke, had he still been Director; but Jean explained to him that Maurice had taken this means of making the rehearsal go more quickly. Genevieve, who was also excluded, kept the Count company, and tried to distract him; but he was in a very despondent humour. When he saw the Duke arrive so late, he said, somewhat crossly, "He is delaying the rehearsal." "Oh! no," said Genevieve, "he does not come on until the second group, and there is no need for him to appear in costume." When Andromeda was extended upon her rock the Duke took his position. They were alone in their wooden frame. "Won't you trust yourself to me?" he breathed. "I love you with all my soul." "My life is yours," she replied. The scene had turned very quickly, the curtain, had fallen. Maurice came up and helped the Duke to unfasten the girl. She was radiant. He was transformed. Maurice guessed that they had spoken together, but he asked nothing. The second tableau was given immediately. Paris was not in costume. He held the apple to the glorious Aphrodite, the picture turned, the rehearsal was over for Esperance. The Duke still had to take part in two other scenes. When Esperance was dressed she followed Maurice's advice to go join Genevieve and Albert. "What a relief," he exclaimed at sight of her, "I began to think it would never be over." "Yet we did not lose any time." "Oh, no! but now it will go more slowly. The Countess de Morgueil will have to make several repetitions of her tableau of the enchantress Melusina." It was the little de Marset who had spoken. Esperance started. For a long time it had been rumoured that the very pretty Countess de Morgueil, widowed two years ago, was violently infatuated with the Duke de Morlay, who was said not to be indifferent to her affection. Afraid apparently that his meaning had not been plain, Marset insisted, "she is always circling about the Duke." "But does he care for her?" asked a young woman with a hard face, who was just going to give herself a dose of morphine, and who was never seen without a cigarette between her lips. "Who knows?" queried Marset, with a knowing air. Esperance had grown very pale. Albert was controlling himself with difficulty. He observed Genevieve's constraint, and the trouble of his fiancée. "Shall we walk a little?"