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the time of the grand _f?te_?
MME. FLACHE
A little. But reason comes when one is young no longer, and I have nothing to complain of. My business is very prosperous.
DR. PELLERIN
You are making money, then? They tell me that you are giving dainty little dinners.
MME. FLACHE
I believe you, and I have a particularly good _chef_. Won't you give me the pleasure of entertaining you at dinner one of these days, my dear Doctor?
DR. PELLERIN
Very willingly, my dear.
MME. FLACHE
Shall I have any other physicians, or do you prefer to come alone?
DR. PELLERIN
Alone, if you please. I am not fond of a third party. [_The bell rings._]
MUSOTTE [_awakens_]
Ah, some one rang, run and see. [_Exit_ Mme. Flache. _A short silence._]
A VOICE [_without_]
Madame Henriette L?v?que?
MUSOTTE [_emitting an anguished cry_]
Ah, it is he! There he is! [_Makes an effort to rise. Enter_ Jean Martinel.] Jean! Jean! At last! [_Springs up and stretches her arms to him._]
SCENE III.
(_The same,--with_ Jean Martinel.)
JEAN [_comes rapidly forward, kneels near the long steamer-chair, and kisses_ Musotte's _hands_]
My poor little Musotte! [_They begin to weep and dry their eyes; then they remain silent and motionless. At last_ Jean _rises and holds up his hand to_ Dr. Pellerin.]
PELLERIN
Did I do well?
JEAN
You did indeed, and I thank you.
PELLERIN [_introduces them_]
Madame Flache, the midwife--the nurse--[_indicates the cradle with a grave gesture_] and there!
JEAN [_approaches the cradle and lifts the little curtain, takes up the child and kisses it on the mouth; then lays it down again_]
He is a splendid boy!
DR. PELLERIN
A very pretty child.
MME. FLACHE
A superb morsel--one of my prettiest.
JEAN [_in a low voice_]
And Musotte, how is she?
MUSOTTE [_who has heard him_]
I,--I am almost lost. I know surely that all is over. [_To_ Jean.] Take that little chair, dear, and seat yourself near me, and let us talk as long as I am able to speak. I have so many things to say to you, for we shall never be together any more. I am so glad to see you again that nothing else now seems of any importance.
JEAN [_approaching her_] Don't agitate yourself. Don't get excited.
MUSOTTE
How can I help being agitated at seeing you again?
JEAN [_sits on the low chair, takes_ Musotte's _hand_]
My poor Musotte, I cannot tell you what a shock it was to me when I learned just now that you were so ill.
MUSOTTE
And on this day of all days! It must have shocked you greatly.
JEAN
What! Do you know of it then?
MUSOTTE
Yes, since I felt so ill, I kept myself informed about you every day, in order that I might not pass away without having seen you and spoken to you again, for I have so much to say to you. [_At a sign from_ Jean, Mme. Flache, Pellerin, _and_ La Babin _exit_ R.]
SCENE IV.
(Musotte _and_ Jean.)
MUSOTTE
Then you received the letter?
JEAN
Yes.
MUSOTTE
And you came immediately?
JEAN
Certainly.
MUSOTTE
Thanks--ah! thanks. I hesitated a long time before warning you--hesitated even this morning, but I heard the midwife talking with the nurse and learned that to-morrow perhaps it might be too late, so I sent Doctor Pellerin to call you immediately.
JEAN
Why didn't you call me sooner?
MUSOTTE
I never thought that my illness would become so serious. I did not wish to trouble your life.
JEAN [_points to the cradle_]
But that child! How is it that I was not told of this sooner?
MUSOTTE
You would never have known it, if his birth had not killed me. I would have spared you this pain--this cloud upon your life. When you left me, you gave me enough to live upon. Everything was over between us; and besides, at any other moment than this, would you believe me if I said to you: "This is your child?"
JEAN
Yes, I have never doubted you.
MUSOTTE
You are as good as ever, my Jean. No, no, I am not lying to you; he is yours, that little one there. I swear it to you on my deathbed; I swear it to you before God!
JEAN
I have already told you that I believed you. I have always believed you.
MUSOTTE
Listen, this is all that has happened. As soon as you left me, I became very ill. I suffered so much that I thought I was going to die. The doctor ordered a change of air. You remember, it was in the spring. I went to Saint-Malo--to that old relative, of whom I have often talked to you.
JEAN
Yes, yes.
MUSOTTE
It was in Saint-Malo, after some days, that I realized that you had left me a pledge of your affection. My first desire was to tell you everything, for I knew that you were an honest man--that you would have recognized this child, perhaps even have given up your marriage; but I would not have had you do that. All was over; was it not?--and it was better that it should be so. I knew that I could never be your wife [_smiles_], Musotte, me, Madame Martinel--oh, no!
JEAN
My poor, dear girl. How brutal and hard we men are, without thinking of it and without wishing to be so!
MUSOTTE
Don't say that. I was not made for you. I was only a little model; and you, you were a rising artist, and I never thought that you would belong to me forever. [Jean _sheds tears_.] No, no, don't cry; you have nothing to reproach yourself with. You have always been so good to me. It is only God who has been cruel to me.
JEAN
Musotte!
MUSOTTE
Let me go on. I remained at Saint-Malo without revealing my condition. Then I came back to Paris, and here some months afterward the little