over a chair neat the door_.
GILBERTE
Where is Jean?
L?ON
Do not be disturbed, he will be back directly.
GILBERTE [_in astonishment_]
Has he gone out?
L?ON
Yes.
GILBERTE
Gone out? And on this evening, above all others!
L?ON
A sudden and grave circumstance compelled him to go out for an hour.
GILBERTE [_excitedly_]
What is going on? What is it that you are hiding from me? Your story is impossible. Some awful misfortune must have happened.
L?ON AND MARTINEL [_together_]
Oh, no, no!
GILBERTE
Then, what is it? Tell me! Speak!
L?ON
I cannot tell you anything. Be patient for an hour. It is Jean's duty to tell you of the sudden and unexpected call which has summoned him hence at such a time.
GILBERTE
What curious words you use! A sudden and unexpected call? He is an orphan--his uncle is his only relative,--then what? Who? Why? Oh, God, how you frighten me!
L?ON
There are duties of many kinds, my dear; friendship, pity, sympathy can impose many of them. But I must not say any more. Be patient for an hour, I implore you.
GILBERTE [_to_ Martinel]
And you, Uncle? Speak! I implore you! What is he doing? Where has he gone? I feel--oh, I feel the shadow of a terrible misfortune hovering over us; speak, I entreat.
MARTINEL [_with tears in his eyes_]
But I cannot tell you any more, my dear child. I cannot. Like your brother, I promised to say nothing, and I would have done just as Jean has done. Wait for an hour, I beseech you--just an hour.
GILBERTE
And you, too, are upset. It must be a catastrophe.
MARTINEL
No, no! The fact that you are so distressed agitates me, because you know I love you with my whole heart. [_Embraces her_.]
GILBERTE [_to_ L?on]
You have spoken of friendship, of pity, and of sympathy, but if it were any of these reasons you could tell me so; meanwhile, as I look at you two, I feel that here is some unspoken reason, some mystery which appalls me.
L?ON [_resolutely_]
My dear little sister, won't you trust in me?
GILBERTE
Yes, you ought to know all.
L?ON
Will you trust me absolutely?
GILBERTE
Absolutely.
L?ON
I swear to you, on my faith as a gentleman, that I would have done just as Jean has done; that his absolute fidelity to you, his fidelity, which perhaps is even exaggerated by love for you, is the only reason which had led him to forget at this very moment the very thing that he has gone to learn anew.
GILBERTE [_looks_ L?on _straight in the eyes_]
I believe you, L?on, and I thank you. Nevertheless, I tremble yet and I shall tremble until he returns. If you swear to me that my husband was entirely ignorant of the cause which has made him leave me at this supreme moment, I will content myself as well as I can, trusting in you two. [_She stretches both hands to the two men_.]
SCENE XI.
(_The same, with_ M. de Petitpr? _and_ Mme. de Ronchard, _who enters quickly_ C.)
PETITPR?
What is this I hear? Jean Martinel gone out?
MARTINEL
He is coming back very soon, sir.
PETITPR?
But why on earth did he go out on such an evening as this without a word of explanation to his wife? [_Turns to_ Gilberte] You know nothing about it, do you?
GILBERTE [_seated_ L. _of table_]
Father, I know nothing at all about it.
MME. DE RONCHARD
And without a word of explanation to the family! That is indeed a lack of courtesy.
PETITPR? [_to_ Martinel]
And why has he acted in this way, sir?
MARTINEL
Your son knows as much as I do, sir; but neither of us can reveal it to you. Moreover, your daughter has consented to wait until she can learn all about it from her husband on his return.
PETITPR?
My daughter has consented--but I do not consent! Besides, it seems that you alone were forewarned of this sudden departure.
MME. DE RONCHARD [_in agitation to_ Martinel]
It was to you they brought the letter, and you were the one who read it first.
MARTINEL
You are correctly informed, Madame; a letter was delivered here, but I would not shoulder the responsibility of this matter, and I showed the letter to your son, sir [_turns to_ Petitpr?], and asked his advice with the intention of following it.
L?ON
The advice that I gave is exactly what my brother-in-law has done of his own volition, and I esteem him all the more for it.
PETITPR? [_turns to_ L?on]
It is I who should have been consulted, not you. If Jean's action is indeed excusable, his want of courtesy is absolutely unpardonable.
MME. DE RONCHARD
It is scandalous!
