RENE. But I can't give you up. THERESE. I've lost every penny, Rene dear. RENE. But I don't love you any the less for that. I can't give you up, Therese. I _can't_ give you up. I love you, I love you. THERESE. Oh, Rene, don't! I need all my courage to face this. Help me. Don't you see, your people will never consent now. RENE. My uncle told me so. But I'll see them. I'll persuade them. I'll explain to them. THERESE. You know very well they never really liked me, and that they'll be glad of this opportunity of breaking it off. RENE. I don't know what to do. But I _cannot_ give you up. What would become of me without you? You're everything to me, everything. And suddenly--because of this dreadful thing--I must give up my whole life's happiness. THERESE. Your people are quite right, Rene. RENE. And you, _you_ say that! _He hides his face in his hands. A silence._ THERESE [_gently removing his hands_] Look at me, Rene. You're crying. Oh, my dear love! RENE [_taking her in his arms_] I love you, I love you! THERESE. And I love you. Oh, please don't cry any more! [_She kisses him_] Rene, dear, don't cry any more! You break my heart. I can't bear it, I'm forgetting all I ought to say to you. [_Breaking down_] Oh, how dreadful this is! [_They cry together. Then she draws herself away from him, saying_] This is madness. RENE. Ah, stay, Therese. THERESE. No. We mustn't do this; we must be brave. Oh, why did you come here? I was going to write to you. We're quite helpless against this dreadful misfortune. RENE. I don't know what to do! But I _can't_ give you up. THERESE [_to herself_] I must do the right thing. [_To him_] Rene, stop crying. Listen to me. RENE. I love you. THERESE. Yes; there's our love. But besides that there's life, and life is cruel and too strong for our love. There is your future, my dearest. RENE. My future is to love you. My future is nothing if I lose you. [_He buries his face in his hands_] THERESE. You can't marry a girl without any money. That's a dreadful fact, like a stone wall. We shall only break ourselves to pieces if we dash ourselves against it. Listen, oh, please listen to me. Don't you hear what I'm saying? Rene--dear. RENE. I'm listening. THERESE. I give you your freedom without any bitterness or hardness. RENE. I don't want it! THERESE. Now listen. You mustn't sacrifice your whole life for a love affair, no matter how great the love is. RENE. It's by losing you I shall sacrifice my life. THERESE. Try and be brave; control yourself. Let us face this quietly. Suppose we do without your people's consent. What will become of us? Try to look the thing in the face. How should we live? Rene, it's horrible to bring our love down to the level of these miserable realities, but facts are facts. You know very well that if you marry me without your father and mother's consent, they won't give you any money. Isn't that so? RENE. Oh! father is hard.