Part 14 (1/2)

_At the rising of the curtain, the drawing-room is empty. The stage remains thus unoccupied for about a moment. A curtain screen lowered at the left of the spectator, also one equally lowered at the right. A large screen lowered at the back, and concealing, like the other two, a door that can be locked._

SCENE I.

LIONNETTE_, veiled, enters at the left; draws back the screen, stops, looks around her; goes slowly to the door at the back, which she opens and shuts again, after having looked in. Ten o'clock strikes. She goes and looks through the door at the right, then through the gla.s.s between the two rooms over the mantel-piece, and presses the k.n.o.b of the electric bell, which is by the side of the chimney-piece. Silence reigns for a few seconds._ LIONNETTE, _astonished, looks around her_. NOURVADY _appears at the back of the room_.

SCENE II.

LIONNETTE, NOURVADY.

(NOURVADY _stops, after having let fall the screen, and salutes_ LIONNETTE _very respectfully. He is hat in hand._)

LIONNETTE (_troubled_).

Is it you?

NOURVADY.

You rang.

LIONNETTE.

I thought a footman would answer.

NOURVADY.

Your most grateful and humble slave has come.

LIONNETTE (_severely_).

You were waiting for me?

NOURVADY.

Yes.

LIONNETTE.

That is the reason you said yesterday that you would be in this house to-day.

NOURVADY.

Yes.

LIONNETTE.

You were sure that I should come.

NOURVADY (_a little ironically_).

Sure. I only regret that you have had to take the trouble to go and look in your garden for the key that you threw there.