HOURTIN. You must make him realize that the responsibility of having a child, great as it always is, becomes terrible when, so far from its being born into normal circumstances, it runs the risk of going into the world worse equipped than usual. To give birth to a child doomed to unhappiness or likely to be an invalid or incapable of growing up is like crippling someone. It is as much a crime as robbery or murder. Children ought to be deliberately and soberly brought into the world by parents healthy enough to give them health and of sufficient means to ensure their complete development. You must forgive me. When I get on this subject I hardly know how to stop. But really there is so much unavoidable misery and distress that we ought not to add to the sum of general suffering for which there is no remedy. _Enter Madeleine. She wears an opera cloak and a mantilla over her evening dress. During the following scene Josephine helps her off with her things._ MADELEINE. How do you do, Dr. Hourtin? I’m so glad to find you still here. I’ve only just been able to get away from the party. I had to go. There’s nothing serious the matter with the children, I hope? HOURTIN. Nothing serious. With the care of a mother like theirs, I have every confidence. Now I was just going. Good bye. MADELEINE. Good bye. Thank you. LUCIE. I’m extremely grateful to you, Dr. Hourtin. HOURTIN. Don’t mention it. Good bye, good bye. [_He goes out_]. LUCIE. Oh, Madeleine! MADELEINE. What is it? LUCIE. Do you know why the children are ill? Because of Julien’s intemperance. MADELEINE. My poor darling! But you knew that before. Our doctor said so; and when they went to Paris with me, the man there said the same. LUCIE. I tried to make myself believe it wasn’t true. MADELEINE. And Annette? LUCIE. Has anything fresh happened? MADELEINE. Yes; the Bernins have announced Jacques’ engagement to his cousin. They want to put an end to the business. People were talking of the engagement this evening. LUCIE. Ah! And they’re still going away this evening. MADELEINE. At ten o’clock. How does she take it? LUCIE. She is in her room, waiting as though she expected something. She said just now she knew the Bernins would not go this evening. What can she hope? MADELEINE. We must tell her about the engagement. She mustn’t be left to hear of it from strangers. LUCIE. No, no. MADELEINE. And your husband? LUCIE. He’s working in there. There’s to be a political meeting, a smoking concert or something, after the dinner at the Prefecture to-night. He heard at the last moment that he was expected to speak, on the budget of the Department, I think. I don’t know exactly. Anyway, he’s there. MADELEINE. Fetch Annette, then. LUCIE. Yes. [_She goes out. A short silence. Then she calls outside_] Madeleine! Madeleine! MADELEINE [_running to the door_] What is it? LUCIE [_returning_] She isn’t there. MADELEINE. Where is she?