I pretend not to know because I’m afraid of forcing him to choose between her and me. That’s my life, Annette. Many women whom you think happy live like that. ANNETTE. Poor Madeleine! LUCIE. And I. One of my little girls is an invalid, the other is ailing. Perhaps she’ll die. CATHERINE. Two of mine died of want. MADELEINE. I don’t want to have another child for fear that my husband would leave me altogether. A divorce, if I got one, would leave me a kind of half-widow and make my girl an orphan. CATHERINE. If I had any more, it would only mean taking away food from those who haven’t enough as it is. LUCIE. I’m guilty enough already. Two children of suffering owe their existence to me. MADELEINE. Think of my torture! I adore my husband: when he comes back I long to feel myself in his arms and I dread the consequences. CATHERINE. Mine will leave me if I have another. And then what would become of me, all alone with all my children? LUCIE. Your children who are grown up will support you, Catherine. CATHERINE. Those who are grown up! Grown up! I’ve just been hearing about them. Edmond is in hospital, ruined for life by going into what they call ‘a dangerous trade’ because he couldn’t get work in any other. There are too many workmen. My daughter, she’s on the streets. [_Sobbing_] Oh, it’s too much! There’s too much misery in the world! MADELEINE. Yes, there’s too much misery! ANNETTE. And I thought I was the most miserable! LUCIE. There’s too much unhappiness! CATHERINE. The children of poor folk are unhappy, all of them, all. ANNETTE. The child of an unmarried woman, too, is born only to suffering. LUCIE. Children who are born sickly or ill ought not to be born at all. CATHERINE. You see, Annette, we must bear it. God’s given us eyes; it’s to cry with. ANNETTE. To cry with! _The four women cry silently. Catherine is in Madeleine’s arms. Lucie has her head on Annette’s lap._ CATHERINE [_making ready to leave_] Please to forgive me. MADELEINE. We have the same troubles. ANNETTE. Yes; we have the same troubles. CATHERINE. Yes; whether one’s rich or poor, when one’s a woman— _Annette kisses Catherine. Catherine goes out._ MADELEINE. I must go, too. Your husband will be coming back. LUCIE [_to herself, terrified_] My husband coming back—coming back! ANNETTE. I won’t see him. Madeleine, you’re alone; take me with you! MADELEINE. Yes. You can come tomorrow, Lucie. We’ll talk then. LUCIE. Yes. [_Suddenly_] Here he is. Go out that way. _She pushes them out through Annette’s room. After a moment Brignac comes in, flushed and happy._ BRIGNAC. What, still up! Aha, my dear, I’m going to be elected! Absolutely certain, I tell you. Here, I’ve brought you a bunch of roses. LUCIE [_without listening_] Thank you. So you’re going to turn Annette out? BRIGNAC. I’m not turning her out. I simply ask her to go somewhere else. LUCIE. I shall go with her. BRIGNAC. You’re going to leave me? LUCIE. Yes.