The Stepmother, A Drama in Five Acts

Gertrude Do not you men die for your outraged honor, for a word, for a gesture? Well, there are women who die for their love, that is, when their love is a treasure which has become their all, which is their very life! And I am one of those women. Since you have been under this roof, Ferdinand, I have feared a catastrophe every moment. Yes. And I always carry about me something which will enable me to quit this life, the very moment that misfortune falls on us. See! (She shows him a phial.) Now you know that life that I have lived!

Ferdinand

Ah! you weep!

Gertrude I swore that I would keep back these tears, but they are strangling me! For you – While you speak to me with that cold politeness which is your last insult, – your last insult to a love which you repudiate! – you show not the least sympathy towards me! You would like to see me dead, for then you would be unhampered by me. But, Ferdinand, you do not know me! I am willing to confess everything to the General, whom I would not deceive. This lying fills me with disgust! I shall take my child, I shall come to your house, we will flee together. But no more of Pauline!

Ferdinand

If you did this, I would kill myself.

Gertrude And I, too, would kill myself! Then we should be united in death, and you would never be hers!

Ferdinand (aside)

What an infernal creature!

Gertrude And there is this consideration. What would you do if the barrier which separates you from Pauline were never broken down?

Ferdinand

Pauline will be able to maintain her own independence.

Gertrude

But if her father should marry her to some one else?

Ferdinand

It would be my death.

Gertrude People die of love in romance. In real life they console themselves with some one else, and a man only does his duty by being true to her with whom he has plighted troth.

The General (outside)

Gertrude! Gertrude!

Gertrude I hear the general calling. (The General appears.) You will then finish your business as quickly as you can, M. Ferdinand, and return promptly; I shall wait for you here.

(Exit Ferdinand.)

SCENE THIRD

The General, Gertrude, then Pauline.

The General This is rather early in the morning for you to be holding a conference with Ferdinand! What were you discussing? The factory?

Gertrude What were we discussing? I will tell you; for you are exactly like your son; when once you begin to ask questions, you must have a direct answer. I had an impression that Ferdinand had something to do with Pauline's refusal to marry Godard.

The General

When I come to think of it, you were perhaps right.

Gertrude I got M. Ferdinand to come here for the purpose of clearing up my suspicions, and you interrupted us at the very moment when I seemed likely to gain some information.

(Pauline pushes the door ajar unseen.)

The General

But if my daughter is in love with M. Ferdinand —

Pauline (aside)

I must listen.

The General I do not see why, when I questioned her yesterday in a paternal manner and with absolute kindness, she should have concealed it from me, for I left her perfectly free, and her feeling for him would be absolutely natural.

Gertrude She probably misunderstood you or you questioned her before she had made up her mind. The heart of a young girl, as you ought to know, is full of contradictions.

The General And why should there not be something between them? This young man toils with the courage of a lion, he is the soul of honor, he is probably of good family.

Pauline (aside)

I understand the situation now.

(Pauline withdraws.)

The General He will give us information on this point. He is above all things trustworthy; but you ought to know his family, for it was you who discovered this treasure for us.

Gertrude

I proposed him to you on the recommendation of old Madame Morin.

The General

But she is dead!

Gertrude (aside)

It is very lucky that I quoted her then! (Aloud) She told me that his mother was Madame de Charny to whom he is devoted; she lives in

Brittany and belongs to the Charnys, an old family of that country.

The General The Charnys. Then if he is in love with Pauline, and Pauline with him, I, for my part, would prefer him to Godard in spite of Godard's fortune. Ferdinand understands the business of the factory, he could buy the whole establishment with the dowry of Pauline. That would be understood. All he has to do is to tell us where he comes from, who he is, and who his father was. But we will see his mother.

Gertrude

Madame Charny?