DUPONT [_mollified, becoming tenderly reproachful and coming to sit by her_] My dear child, why didn’t you say so at once? CAROLINE. You gave me no time. DUPONT. How much is gone? CAROLINE. Fifteen thousand francs. DUPONT. Um. That is a large sum. But the sixteen thousand that remain? CAROLINE. I meant to ask your advice about that. DUPONT [_rising_] Ah, well, my dear, I have been thinking this over. Let’s consider what openings there are for capital. Suppose you invest it? Gilt edged securities bring in two and a half per cent. If you take something rather more speculative, you may get four. Then there are the big industrial companies. But with them, too, there are risks to be faced. Foreign competition is more and more threatening. The struggles between labor and capital are reaching an acute phase. CAROLINE. M. Antonin Mairaut has been to see me. DUPONT. The scoundrel! I’ll bet he wanted you to invest the money in his bank. CAROLINE. He did suggest it. DUPONT. You see. I guessed as much. You sent him about his business, I hope? CAROLINE. I said I would think about it. DUPONT. That’s right. But what a fright you gave me. To invest your money in a bank. Nothing could be more risky. Well, as we were saying. No public companies, no industrials, no shares in banks. What remains? CAROLINE. I don’t know. DUPONT. There remains commercial enterprize, trade. But do you know anyone engaged in trade who will let you put capital into his business? CAROLINE. I think not. DUPONT. We must put our heads together. I confess I can think of no one. Madame Grandjean? CAROLINE. Father! Madame Grandjean is divorced. You know quite well I refused even to accept employment from her. DUPONT. That is true. More fool you, by the way. Still—M. Darbout? CAROLINE. He is a Protestant. DUPONT. Well, then, I don’t see. There is no one, in fact. CAROLINE. But you, father. If you would do it. DUPONT. If I would do what? Manage it for you? CAROLINE. Yes. DUPONT. It is a great responsibility. I don’t know whether—What interest would you expect? CAROLINE. Whatever you thought right, father. DUPONT. Well, I will speak to your mother about it. [_As if suddenly making up his mind_] No: I won’t. I’ll do it. No one shall say I hesitated to do all I could for my daughter. Kiss me, my dear. I’ll do it. CAROLINE. Thank you, father. DUPONT. And you would still rather not tell me what you are doing with the other fifteen thousand. CAROLINE. Please, father.