DUPONT [_to himself_] The moral of all this is that that little affair of Angèle’s is costing me an extra five thousand francs and my house at St. Laurent. ACT II _The salon of a house in the country. A July night. At the back through glass doors you see the garden brilliantly lighted by the moon. As you look out you have two doors on your right-hand side, and to your left, in a cross-wall, the door of the bedroom, inside which part of the bed is visible. The fireplace is to your right. When the curtain rises Antonin, Courthezon and Caroline are on the stage; Caroline is doing up a parcel._ ANTONIN. That’s settled, then, M. Courthezon. I’ll write to the Bordeaux people about your invention this evening. COURTHEZON. I am greatly obliged to you, M. Antonin. You’ll write this evening without fail, won’t you? M. Smith is leaving tomorrow. ANTONIN. Without fail. COURTHEZON. Shall I post the letter for you on my way through the town? ANTONIN. Well—it’s rather a difficult letter to write. It’ll take a little time. Lignol, whom you met at dinner out in the garden, has to go back tonight. He’ll take it. COURTHEZON. It’s very good of you. ANTONIN. And now let’s go and have our coffee. COURTHEZON. Not for me, thanks. I’m afraid I ought to go by the 8.9 train. I shall be taking some china for Mdlle. Caroline and the drawings. ANTONIN. As you please. Good-bye, then. COURTHEZON. Good-bye, M. Antonin. Thank you again. [_Antonin goes out_]. CAROLINE. I shall not keep you a moment. The parcel is just ready. COURTHEZON. There is no hurry, mademoiselle. I can take the next train. It’s of no importance. Indeed I prefer it. It carries third-class passengers. The fact is I didn’t want to go back to the others. M. and Madame. Mairaut, M. Lignol, all those people frighten me. Besides, I’m so happy just now I can think of nothing else. CAROLINE. M. Antonin is going to do something about your invention? COURTHEZON. Yes. I have begun negotiations with a business house at Bordeaux. M. Antonin knows the heads of the firm, and he has been kind enough to say he will write to them about me. But M. Smith goes away to-morrow. That was why I was so anxious the letter should go tonight. CAROLINE [_giving him the parcel which she has just finished_] It’s very kind of you to take charge of this. I have put the china in it and the drawings they asked for. You will make my apologies to the firm, won’t you? I have not been very well. COURTHEZON. Not well? CAROLINE. Nothing serious. But the doctor said a little country air would be good for me, so Julie and her husband asked me here. They have been very kind. I have been with them a week, and I’m feeling ever so much better. COURTHEZON. They would hardly have left you in your lodgings with no one to look after you. [_Pause_]. What a strange idea it was of yours to go off and live by yourself like that! CAROLINE. I thought it better. After Julie’s marriage I preferred it.