Part 21 (1/2)

JOHN.

And people already know it?

RICHARD.

Nothing; nothing at all. The Commissary has forbidden all communication with the newspapers, and it is neither you, nor Mr. Nourvady, nor we--is it not so, gentlemen? who would reveal the least circ.u.mstance in that sad affair. The servants of the house in the Champs Elysees know what took place, but they are ignorant of the name of the lady. The scandal will be great enough at the time of the law proceedings. It is useless to initiate the public beforehand.

JOHN.

Ah! Well, you can see the affair is very simple. The Countess and I were separated, or had a separation of property; now we have a separation of the body, and we shall see each other no more; that is the whole of it.

THE LADY'S MAID (_entering_).

The Countess de Hun sends me to say to Mr. Richard, that when he has finished speaking to the Count she will be glad to see him....

JOHN (_to the Lady's Maid_).

Say to the Countess that Mr. Richard will be with her in a few minutes.

(_The Lady's Maid goes away._) Ah! she has audacity. When a woman has once taken up the part of infamy and dishonour it is dreadful. (_To Richard._) Tell her especially that she has nothing to fear, nothing to hope from me, of whom she will hear nothing more till we meet before the tribunal that will try our case. Good bye, my dear Mr. Richard; you are her lawyer and her friend; you ought, naturally and legally, to act in her cause. I shall think no less of you for all you will be called upon to say against me. Gentlemen, we can retire; give me a few minutes more.

(_All three go away._)

SCENE III.

RICHARD, afterwards LIONNETTE.

RICHARD _is about to take up his hat. At the moment that he is thinking of entering_ LIONNETTE'S _apartment, she appears_.

LIONNETTE.

I prefer to receive you here, my dear Mr. Richard, as we shall be left alone and uninterrupted. My room, and my private reception-room, are in disorder; they are packing my trunks--the servants are there, and we could not talk privately. The reason I called you just now was, that the Count might be aware that I was here, and that I was in a hurry to see you. Have you been kind enough to do what I asked you?

RICHARD.

Yes.

LIONNETTE.

Then I have nothing more to tell you?

RICHARD.

No. All that is then quite true?

LIONNETTE.

Nothing on earth can be truer.

RICHARD.