RENE. Yes, that's for you. Wait. [_He goes to the door at the back, listens, and returns_] Come. Turn this way so as to make it sound as if you were at a distance. Now then. _Madame Gueret accompanies Lucienne on the piano._ LUCIENNE [_sings_] Beau chevalier qui partez pour la guerre, Qu'allez vous faire Si loin d'ici? Voyez-vous pas que la nuit est profonde Et que le monde N'est que souci. MADAME GUERET [_civilly_] You have a delightful voice, Mademoiselle Lucienne. _Lucienne places her music on the piano with a smile to Madame Gueret._ RENE [_to Lucienne, drawing her to the partition window and showing her where a pane has been removed_] And your little window! Have you seen your little window? It was not there at the dress rehearsal. You lift it like this. It's supposed to be an opening in the wall. It ought to have been different; we were obliged to take out a pane. May I show her, Madame Gueret? MADAME GUERET [_resigned_] Yes, yes, of course. RENE. You lift it like this; and to speak you'll lean forward, won't you, so that they may see you? LUCIENNE. I will, yes. RENE. Don't touch it now. [_To Madame Gueret_] You won't forget the bell, will you, Madame? There's plenty of time--ten minutes at least. I'll let you know. Mademoiselle Lucienne, now, time to go on. LUCIENNE. Yes, yes. [_She goes out_] MADAME GUERET [_with a sigh_] To have a play being acted in the circumstances we're in--it's beyond everything! I cannot think how I came to allow it. GUERET. You see they'd been rehearsing for a week. And Therese-- MADAME GUERET. And I not only allowed it, but I'm almost taking part in it. GUERET. We couldn't put off all these people at twenty-four hours' notice. And it's our last party. It's really a farewell party. Besides, we should have had to tell Therese everything. MADAME GUERET. Well, you asked me to keep it all from her until to-morrow--though it concerns her as much as it does us. [_Monsieur Feliat comes in, a man of sixty, correct without being elegant_] Here's my brother. FELIAT. I've something to tell you. Shall we be interrupted? MADAME GUERET. Yes, constantly. FELIAT. Let's go into another room. MADAME GUERET. I can't. And all the rooms are full of people. GUERET. Marguerite has been good enough to help here by taking the place of Madame Chain, who's ill. MADAME GUERET [_angrily_] Yes, I've got to do the noises heard off! At my age! [_A sigh_] Tell us, Etienne, what is it? GUERET. We can wait until the play is over. MADAME GUERET. So like you! You don't care a bit about what my brother has to tell us. Who'd ever believe this is all your fault! [_To her brother_] What is it? FELIAT. I have seen the lawyer. Your goddaughter will have to sign this power of attorney so that it may get to Lyons to-morrow morning. GUERET [_who has glanced at the paper_] But we can't get her to sign that without telling her all about it.