The Essential Guy de Maupassant Collection. Guy de Maupassant
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me?
MUSOTTE
Indeed I know you! Am I not your wife? Kiss me, darling. Kiss me, my little one.
JEAN [_takes her in his arms, weeping and repeating_]
Musotte! Musotte! [Musotte _rises upon her couch, and with a gesture to_ Jean _points to the cradle, toward which he goes, nodding "Yes, yes," with his head. When_ Jean _reaches the cradle,_ Musotte, _who has raised herself upon her hands, falls lifeless upon the long steamer-chair._ Jean, _frightened, calls out_] Pellerin! Pellerin!
SCENE V.
(_The same:_ Pellerin, Mme. Flache, _and_ La Babin, _enter quickly_ R.)
PELLERIN [_who has gone swiftly to_ Musotte, _feels her pulse and listens at the heart_]
Her heart is not beating! Give me a mirror, Madame Flache.
JEAN
My God! [Mme. Flache _gives a hand-mirror to_ Pellerin, _who holds it before the lips of_ Musotte, _Pause_.]
PELLERIN [_in a low voice_]
She is dead!
JEAN [_takes the dead woman's hand and kisses it fondly, his voice choked with emotion_]
Farewell, my dear little Musotte! To think that a moment ago you were speaking to me--a moment ago you were looking at me, you saw me, and now--all is over!
PELLERIN [_goes to_ Jean _and takes him by the shoulder_]
Now, you must go at once. Go! You have nothing more to do here. Your duty is over.
JEAN [_rises_]
I go. Farewell, poor little Musotte!
PELLERIN
I will take care of everything this evening. But the child, do you wish me to find an asylum for him?
JEAN
Oh, no, I will take him. I have sworn it to that poor, dead darling. Come and join me immediately at my house, and bring him with you. Then I shall have another service to request of you. But how about Musotte, who is going to remain with her?
MME. FLACHE
I, Monsieur. Have no anxiety; I am acquainted with all that must be done.
JEAN
Thank you, Madame. [_Approaches the bed; closes_ Musotte's _eyes and kisses her fondly and for a long time upon her forehead_.] Farewell, Musotte, forever! [_Goes softly to the cradle, removes the veil, kisses the child and speaks to it in a firm voice which at the same time is full of tears_.] I shall see you again directly, my little Jean!
[_Exit quickly_].
ACT III.
SCENE I.
(_Same setting as in_ Act I.)
(Monsieur de Petitpr?, Mme. de Ronchard, M. Martinel, _and_ L?on.)
MME. DE RONCHARD [_walks about in an agitated manner_]
Seven minutes to midnight! It is nearly two hours since Jean left us!
LEON [_seated_ L.]
But, my dear Aunt, just allow a half hour in the carriage for going and a half hour for returning, and there remains just one hour for the business he had to attend to.
MME. DE RONCHARD
Was it so very long, then--the business that called him hence?
LEON
Yes, my dear Aunt; and now, why worry yourself by counting the minutes? Your agitation will change nothing in the end, and will not hasten Jean's return by a single second, or make the hands of the clock move more quickly.
MME. DE RONCHARD
How can you ask me not to worry when my mind is full of anxiety, when my heart is beating, and I feel the tears rising into my eyes?
L?ON
But, my dear Aunt, you know very well you do not feel as badly as that.
MME. DE RONCHARD
Oh, you irritate me!
MARTINEL [_seated near the table_]
Don't torment yourself, Madame. True, the situation is a rather delicate one, but it need not disquiet you or frighten us, if we know how to bring to its consideration at this moment coolness and reason.
L?ON
Just so, my dear Aunt, Monsieur Martinel speaks truly.
MME. DE RONCHARD [_crosses_ R.]
You ought to be beaten, you two! You know everything, and won't tell anything. How annoying men are! There is never any means of making them tell a secret.
MARTINEL
Jean will come presently and will tell you everything. Have a little patience.
PETITPR?
Yes; let us be calm. Let us talk of other things, or be silent, if we can.
MME. DE RONCHARD
Be silent! That is about, the most difficult thing--
A SERVANT [_enters_ R.]
A gentleman wishes to see M. Martinel.
MARTINEL [_rises_.]
Pardon me for a moment. [_To the servant._] Very well, I am coming. [_Exit_ R.]
SCENE II.
MME. DE RONCHARD [_approaches servant quickly_]
Baptiste, Baptiste! Who is asking for M. Martinel?
SERVANT
I do not know, Madame. It was the hall porter who came upstairs.
MME. DE RONCHARD
Well, run now and look without showing yourself, and come back and tell us at once.
PETITPR? [_who has risen at the entrance of the servant_]
No, I will permit no spying; let us wait. We shall not have to wait long now. [_To the servant._] You may go. [_Exit servant._]
MME. DE RONCHARD [_to_ Petitpr?]
I do not understand you at all. You are absolutely calm. One would think that your daughter's happiness was nothing to you. For myself, I am profoundly agitated.
PETITPR?
That will do no good. [_Sits near the table_ R.] Let us talk--talk reasonably, now that we are a family party and Monsieur Martinel is absent.
MME. DE RONCHARD [_Sits_ R.]
If that man would only go back to Havre!
L?ON [_Sits_ L. _of table_]
That would not change anything even if he could go back to Havre.
PETITPR?
For my part, I think--
MME. DE RONCHARD [_interrupts_]
Do you wish to hear my opinion? Well, I think that they are preparing us for some unpleasant surprise; that they wish to entrap us, as one might say.
PETITPR?
But why? In whose interest? Jean Martinel is an honest man, and he loves my child. L?on, whose judgment I admire, although he is my son--
LEON
Thank you, father!
PETITPR?
L?on bears Jean as much affection as