LUCIE. Annette made the mistake of trusting entirely to the man she loved, who had promised to marry her. He took advantage of the child’s innocent love. She has been seduced. [_In a low voice_] Understand me, Julien, she’s going to have a baby in six months. BRIGNAC. Annette! LUCIE. Annette. BRIGNAC. It’s impossible. It’s— LUCIE. She is certain of it. She told me about it herself. BRIGNAC [_after a silence_] Who is it? LUCIE. Jacques Bernin. BRIGNAC [_furious_] Jacques Bernin! Well, _this_ is a nice piece of work! She goes it, this little sister of yours, with her innocent airs! LUCIE. Don’t accuse her. Don’t. BRIGNAC. I really cannot compliment her! I’m nicely repaid for all I’ve done for her, and you may thank her from me for her gratitude. LUCIE. Oh, don’t be angry. BRIGNAC. Well, if you are able to hear news like this perfectly calmly, you are certainly endowed with unusual self-control. LUCIE. It was the child’s innocence that made the thing possible. BRIGNAC. I daresay. Go and tell that to the Châteauneuf people! Besides, if she was so innocent, why didn’t you look after her better? LUCIE. But it was _you_ who were always urging her to go to the Bernins. BRIGNAC. In another minute it’s going to be all my fault! I was glad she should go to their house because I thought old Bernin might be useful to us. How should I know that the girl couldn’t behave herself? LUCIE [_indignantly_] Oh, hush! I tell you Annette is the victim of this wretch. If you are going to do nothing but insult her, we had better stop discussing the matter. BRIGNAC. I’m in a nice fix now! There’s nothing left for us but to pack our trunks and be off. I’m done for, ruined! smashed! LUCIE. You exaggerate. BRIGNAC. I exaggerate! I tell you if she was caught red-handed _stealing_, the wreck wouldn’t be more complete. I even think that would have been better. I should be less definitely compromized, and less disqualified. LUCIE. You can abuse her by and by: the business now is to save her. The Bernins have gone away this evening; find them to-morrow; and, if you speak to them as you ought, they’ll understand that their son _must_ marry Annette. BRIGNAC. But Jacques Bernin is engaged. LUCIE. He must break it off, that’s all. BRIGNAC. He won’t break it off, because it means lots and lots of money, and because he is the most ferocious little fortune-hunter I ever met. Yes, he is; I know him, I see him at the club. I’ve heard him holding forth about women and money; his opinions are edifying. By the way, has Annette any letters from him connecting him with this business? LUCIE. No. BRIGNAC. He’s not such a fool as to compromize himself. He’ll deny everything. LUCIE. You must threaten them with a scandal. BRIGNAC. We should be the first to suffer from that. LUCIE. But we must do something. We must bring an action. BRIGNAC. There is no affiliation law in France. LUCIE. You refuse to go and see what can be done with the Bernins?