The Stepmother, A Drama in Five Acts

Gertrude (aside to Ferdinand)

She shall marry Godard.

The General Poor young man! (To Pauline) He is everything that is good! He inspires me with affection. (He takes Ferdinand aside.) If I were in your place, and at your age, I would have – No, no, what the devil am I saying? – After all she is my daughter!

Ferdinand General, I make an appeal to your honor; swear that you will keep, as the most profound secret, what I am going to confide to you; and this secrecy must extend so far even as to Madame de Grandchamp.

The General (aside)

What is this? He also, like my daughter, seems to distrust my wife.

But, by heaven, I will learn what it means! (Aloud) I consent; you have the word of a man who has never once broken a promise given.

Ferdinand After having forced me to reveal that which I had buried in the recesses of my heart, and after I have been thunderstruck, for that is the only word in which to express it, by the disdain of Mademoiselle Pauline, it is impossible for me to remain here any longer. I shall therefore put my accounts in order; this evening I shall quit this place, and to-morrow will leave France for America, if I can find a ship sailing from Havre.

The General (aside)

It is as well that he should leave, for he will be sure to return. (To

Ferdinand) May I tell this to my daughter?

Ferdinand

Yes, but to no one else.

The General (aside to Pauline) Pauline! My daughter, you have so cruelly humiliated this poor youth, that the factory is on the point of losing its manager; Ferdinand is to leave this evening for America.

Pauline (to the General) He is right, father. He is doing of his own accord, what you doubtless would have advised him to do.

Gertrude (to Ferdinand)

She shall marry Godard.

Ferdinand (to Gertrude)

If I do not punish you for your atrocious conduct, God Himself will!

The General (to Pauline)

America is a long way off and the climate is deadly.

Pauline (to the General)

Many a fortune is made there.

The General (aside) She does not love him. (To Ferdinand) Ferdinand, you must not leave before I have put in your hands sufficient to start you on the road to fortune.

Ferdinand I thank you, General; but what is due me will be sufficient. Moreover, I shall not be missed in your factory, for I have trained Champagne so thoroughly as a foreman, that he is skillful enough to become my successor; and if you will go with me to the factory, you will see —

The General I will gladly accompany you. (Aside) Everything is in such a muddle here, that I must go and look for Vernon. The advice and clear-sightedness of my old friend, the doctor, will be of service in ferreting out what it is that disturbs this household, for there is something or other. Ferdinand, I will follow you. Ladies, we will be soon be back again. (Aside) There is something or other!

(The General follows Ferdinand out.)

SCENE SEVENTH

Gertrude and Pauline.

Pauline (locking the door) Madame, do you consider that a pure love, a love which comprises and enhances all human happiness, which makes us understand that happiness which is divine, – do you consider such a love to be dearer and more precious to us than life?

Gertrude You have been reading the Nouvelle Heloise, my dear. What you say is rather stilted in diction, but it is nevertheless true.

Pauline

Well, madame, you have just caused me to commit suicide.

Gertrude The very act you would have been happy to see me commit; and if you had succeeded in forcing me to it, you would have felt in your heart the joy which fills mine at present.

Pauline According to my father, war between civilized nations has its laws; but the war which you wage against me, madame, is that of savages.

Gertrude

You may do as I do, if you can – but you can do nothing! You shall marry Godard. He is a very good match for you; you will be very happy,

I assure you, for he has fine qualities.

Pauline

And you think that I will quietly let you marry Ferdinand?

Gertrude

After the few words which we have exchanged this evening, why should we now indulge in the language of hypocrisy? I was in love with

Ferdinand, my dear Pauline, when you were but eight years old.

Pauline But now you are more than thirty – and I am still young. Moreover, he hates you, he abhors you! He has told me so, and he wishes to have nothing to do with a woman capable of the black treachery with which you have acted towards my father.

Gertrude

In the eyes of Ferdinand, my love will serve as my vindication.

Pauline

He shares the feelings which I have for you; he despises you, madame.

Gertrude Do you really believe it? Well, if it is so, my dear, I have one more reason for the position I take, for if he refuses to become my husband, to gratify his love, Pauline, you will force me to marry him for the sake of satisfying my revenge. When he came to this house, was he not aware that I was here?

Pauline You probably caught him by some such snare as you have just set for us, and into which both of us have fallen.

Gertrude Now, my child, a single word more will put an end to everything between us. Have you not said a hundred times, a thousand times, in moments when you were all feeling, all soul, that you would make the greatest sacrifices for Ferdinand?

Pauline

Yes, madame.

Gertrude You said you would leave your father, would flee from France; you would give your life, your honor, your salvation for Ferdinand?

Pauline Yes, and if there is anything else that I can offer besides myself – this world and heaven!

Gertrude Let me tell you, then, that all that you have wished to do, I have done! It is enough therefore to assure you that nothing, not even death itself, can arrest my course.

Pauline In saying this, you give me the right to defend myself before my father. (Aside) O Ferdinand! Our love, (Gertrude takes a seat on the sofa during the soliloquy of Pauline) as she has said, is greater than life. (To Gertrude) Madame, you must repair all the evil that you have done to me; the sole difficulties which lie in the way of my marriage with Ferdinand, you must overcome. Yes, you who have complete control over my father, you must make him forego his hatred of the son of General Marcandal.

Gertrude

And do you really mean that?

Pauline

Yes, madame.

Gertrude

And what means do you possess formidable enough to compel me to do so?

Pauline

Are we not carrying on a warfare of savages?

Gertrude Say rather, of women, which is even more terrible! Savages torment the body alone; while we direct our arrows against the heart, the self-love, the pride, the soul of those whom we attack in the very midst of their happiness.

Pauline That is truly said. It is the whole woman-nature that I attack. Therefore, my dear and truly honored stepmother, you must eliminate by to-morrow, and not later, all the obstacles that stand between me and Ferdinand; or you may be sure my father shall learn from me the whole course of your conduct, both before and after your marriage.

Gertrude Ah! That is the way you are going to do it! Poor child! He will never believe you.

Pauline Oh, I know the domination you exercise over my father; but I have proofs.

Gertrude

Proofs! Proofs!

Pauline I went to Ferdinand's house – I am very inquisitive – and I found there your letters, madame; I took from among them those which would convince even the blindness of my father, for they will prove to him —

Gertrude

What will they prove?

Pauline

Everything!

Gertrude But this will be, unhappy child, both theft and murder! For think of his age.

Pauline And have not you accomplished the murder of my happiness? Have you not forced me to deny, both to my father and to Ferdinand, my love, my glory, my life?

Gertrude (aside)

This is a mere trick; she knows nothing. (Aloud) This is a clever stratagem, but I never wrote a single line. What you say is not true.

It is impossible. Where are the letters?

Pauline

They are in my possession.

Gertrude

In your room?

Pauline

They are where you can never reach them.

Gertrude (aside) Madness with its wildest dreams spins through my brain! My fingers itch for murder. It is in such moments as this that men kill each other! How gladly would I kill her! My God! Do not forsake me! Leave me my reason! (Aloud) Wait a moment.

Pauline (aside) My thanks to you, Ferdinand! I see how much you love me; I have been able to pay back to her all the wrongs she did us a short time ago – and – she shall save us from all we feared!

Gertrude (aside) She must have them about her, – but how can I be sure of that? Ah! (Aloud) Pauline! If you have had those letters for long, you must have known that I was in love with Ferdinand. You can only lately have received them.

Pauline

They came into my hands this morning.

Gertrude

You have not read them all?

Pauline

Enough to find out that they would ruin you.

Gertrude Pauline, life is just beginning for you. (A knock is heard.) Ferdinand is the first man, young, well educated and distinguished, for he is distinguished, by whom you have been attracted; but there are many others in the world such as he is. Ferdinand has been in a certain sense under the same roof with you, and you have seen him every day; the first impulses of your heart have therefore directed you to him. I understand this, and it is quite natural. Had I been in your place I should doubtless have experienced the same feelings. But, my dear, you know not the ways either of the world or of society. And if, like so many other women, you have been deceiving yourself – for we women, ah, how often are we thus deceived! – you still can make another choice. But for me the deed has been done, I have no other choice to make. Ferdinand is all I have, for I have passed my thirtieth year, and I have sacrificed to him what I should have kept unsullied – the honor of an aged man. The field is clear for you, you may yet love some other man more ardently than you can love to-day – this is my experience. Pauline, child, give him up, and you will learn what a devoted slave you will have in me! You will have more than a mother, more than a friend, you will have the unstinted help of a soul that is lost! Oh! listen to me! (She kneels, and raises her hands to Pauline's corsage.) Behold me at your feet, acknowledging you my rival! Is this sufficient humiliation for me? Oh, if you only knew what this costs a woman to undergo! Relent! Relent, and save me. (A loud knocking is heard, she takes advantage of Pauline's confusion to feel for the letters.) Give back my life to me! (Aside) She has them!

Pauline

Oh, leave me, madame! Will you force me to call for some one?

(Pauline pushes Gertrude away, and proceeds to open the door.)

Gertrude (aside) I was not deceived, she has them about her; but I must not leave them with her one single hour.

SCENE EIGHTH

The same persons, the General and Vernon.

The General

You two, locked in together! Why did you call out, Pauline?

Vernon

How pale you are, my child! Let me feel your pulse.

The General (to Gertrude)

And you also seem to be very much excited.

Gertrude There was a joke between us and we were indulging in a laugh; weren't we, Pauline? You were laughing, my pet?

Pauline

Yes, papa. Dear mamma and I were in a gale of laughter.

Vernon (in a low voice to Pauline)

That's a pretty big lie!

The General

Didn't you hear us knocking?

Pauline

We heard quite plainly, papa; but we didn't know it was you.

The General (in a low voice to Vernon)

They seem to be leagued against me. (Aloud) But what was it all about?

Gertrude Dear husband, you always want to know everything! We were speaking for the moment about the tenants, about some acquaintance of ours. But let me go and ring for tea.

The General

But tell me all about it?

Gertrude Why this is sheer tyranny! To tell the truth, we locked ourselves in so that no one would disturb us. Is that plain enough?

Vernon

I should think it quite plain.

Gertrude (whispering to the General) I wished to worm her secrets out of your daughter, for it is evident that she has some secrets! And you come interrupting us, while I am working in your service – for Pauline is not my daughter; you arrive, as if you were charging a hostile squadron, and interrupt us, at the very moment I was going to learn something.

The General

Madame the Countess of Grandchamp, ever since the arrival of Godard —

Gertrude

Ah! yes, Godard. Well! he is still here.

The General Do not ridicule my words! Ever since yesterday nothing has gone as usual! By God! I'd like to know —

Gertrude Sir, this oath is the first I have ever heard from you. Felix, bring in the tea. (To the General) You are tired, it seems, of twelve years of happiness?

The General I am not, and never will be a tyrant. A little time ago I came unexpectedly upon you and Ferdinand engaged in conversation, and I felt I was in the way. Again, I come home and you are locked in with my daughter, and my appearance seemed to put you out. And to cap all, last night —

Vernon Come, General, you can quarrel with Madame as much as you like, but not before other people. (Godard is heard approaching.) I hear Godard. (Whispers to the General) Is this keeping your promise to me? In treating with women – I am bound as a doctor to admit it – you must leave them to betray themselves; while at the same time you watch them carefully; otherwise your violence draws forth their tears, and when once the hydraulic machinery begins to play, they drown a man as if they had the strength of a triple Hercules!

SCENE NINTH

The same persons and Godard.

Godard Ladies, I came once before to present my compliments and respects to you, but I found the door closed. General, I wish you good-day. (The General takes up a newspaper and waves his hand in greeting.) Ah! Here is my adversary of yesterday's game. Have you come to take your revenge, doctor?

Vernon

No, I came to take some tea.

Godard

Ah! I see you keep up the custom of the English, Russians and Chinese.

Pauline

Would you prefer some coffee?

Godard No, no; allow me to have some tea; I will, for once, deviate from my every-day custom. Moreover, you have your luncheon at noon, I see, and a cup of coffee with cream would take away my appetite for that meal. And then the English, the Russians and the Chinese are not entirely incorrect in taste.

Vernon

Tea, sir, is an excellent thing.

Godard

Yes, when it is good.

Pauline

This is caravan tea.

Gertrude

Doctor, have you seen the papers? (To Pauline) Go and talk to M. de

Rimonville, my daughter, I, myself, will make tea.

Godard Perhaps Mlle. De Grandchamp likes my conversation no better than my person?

Pauline

You are mistaken, sir.

The General

Godard —

Pauline Should you do me the favor of no longer seeking me in marriage, you would still possess in my eyes qualities of sufficient brilliancy to captivate the young ladies Boudeville, Clinville, Derville, etc.

Godard That is enough, mademoiselle. Ah! How you do ridicule an unfortunate lover, in spite of his income of forty thousand francs! The longer I stay here, the more I regret it. What a lucky fellow M. Ferdinand de Charny is!

Pauline Lucky? Why is he lucky? Poor fellow! Does his good fortune consist in the fact that he is my father's clerk?

Gertrude

M. de Rimonville —

The General

Godard —

Gertrude

M. de Rimonville —

The General

Godard, my wife is speaking to you.

Gertrude

Do you like much or little sugar?

Godard

A moderate quality.

Gertrude

Not much cream, I suppose?

Godard On the contrary, plenty of cream, countess. (To Pauline) Ah, M. Ferdinand is not then, after all the man who – whom you have distinguished by your favor? I can at least assure you that he is very much to the taste of your stepmother.

Pauline (aside)

How annoying these inquisitive provincials are!

Godard (aside) It is fair that I should amuse myself a little at her expense before I take leave. I must get something out of this visit.

Gertrude M. de Rimonville, if you desire anything solid, there are sandwiches here.

Godard

Thank you, madame.

Gertrude (whispering to Godard)

Your cause is not wholly lost.

Godard

O madame! I have thought a great deal over my rejection by Mlle. de

Grandchamp.

Gertrude

Ah! (To the doctor) Doctor, you will take yours as usual, I suppose?

Vernon

If you please, madame.

Godard (to Pauline) Did you say, "poor fellow," mademoiselle? For M. Ferdinand is not so poor as you think him. He is richer than I am!

Pauline

How do you know that?

Godard I am certain of it, and I will tell you why. This M. Ferdinand, whom you think you know, is an exceedingly crafty fellow —

Pauline (aside)

Can he possibly know his real name?

Gertrude (aside) A few drops of opium in her tea will put her to sleep, and I shall be saved.

Godard (to Pauline)

You cannot deny the authority of him who has put me on the track.

Pauline

Oh, sir! Kindly tell —

Godard

It was the prosecuting attorney. I remembered that at the house of the

Boudevilles it was said that your clerk —

Pauline (aside)

He is putting me on the rack.

Gertrude (offering a cup to Pauline)

Here, Pauline.

Vernon (aside)

Am I dreaming? I thought I saw her put something into Pauline's cup.

Pauline (to Godard)

And what did they say?

Godard Ah! Ah! How attentive you are! I should have been exceedingly flattered to think that you put on that air when any one was talking about me, as I am now talking about M. Ferdinand de Charny.

Pauline

What a strange taste this tea has! You find yours good?

Godard

You talk about the tea in order to distract my attention from the interest you take in what I am telling you. I see through it all!

Well, come now, I am going to astonish you. You must know that M.

Ferdinand is —

Pauline

Is – ?

Godard

A millionaire.

Pauline

You are joking, M. Godard.

Godard

On my word of honor, mademoiselle, he possesses a treasure. (Aside)

She is madly in love with him.

Pauline (aside)

How this fool startled me.

(Pauline rises from her seat and Vernon takes the teacup from her hand.)

Vernon

Let me take it, my child.

The General (to his wife)

What ails you, dearest? You seem —

Vernon (who has retained Pauline's cup and returned his own in its place to Gertrude. Aside) It is laudanum; fortunately the dose is light; but it is very certain that something is about to happen. (To Godard) M. Godard, you are a crafty fox. (Godard takes out his handkerchief as if to blow his nose.) Ah!

Godard

Doctor, I bear no ill-will.

Vernon Listen! Do you think that you could carry off the General to the factory and keep him there for an hour.

Godard

I would like to have that youngster to help me.

Vernon

He is at school until dinner-time.

Godard

Why do you wish me to do this?

Vernon Now I beg of you, for you are a good fellow, to do as I bid you; it is necessary. Do you love Pauline?

Godard I did love her yesterday, but this morning – (Aside) I must find out what he is concealing from me. (To Vernon) It shall be done! I will go on to the veranda and come back again with a message that Ferdinand sends for the General. You may rely upon me. Ah! Here is Ferdinand himself, that is all right!

(Godard goes on the veranda.)

Pauline

'Tis peculiar, how drowsy I feel.

(Pauline lies down on the divan; Ferdinand appears and talks with

Godard.)

SCENE TENTH

The same persons and Ferdinand.

Ferdinand General, it will be necessary for you to come to the office and the factory in order to verify my accounts.

The General

That is only just to you.

Pauline (drowsily)

Ferdinand!

Godard Ah, General, I'll take advantage of this occasion to visit your establishment with you, for I have never seen it.

The General

Very good, come along, Godard.

Godard

De Rimonville.

Gertrude (aside)

If they go away, fortune will favor me indeed.

Vernon (who has overheard her, aside)

Fortune, in this case, is represented by me —

SCENE ELEVENTH

Gertrude, Vernon, Pauline, and later Marguerite.

Gertrude

Doctor, would you like another cup of tea?

Vernon Thank you, but I am so deep in the election returns that I have not yet finished my first cup.

Gertrude (pointing to Pauline)

Poor child, you see she is sleeping?

Vernon

How is this? She is sleeping?

Gertrude It is no wonder. Imagine, doctor, she did not go to sleep until three o'clock in this morning. We were greatly disturbed last night.

Vernon

Let me assist you to carry her to her room.

Gertrude

It is not necessary. Marguerite, help me put this poor child to bed.

She will be more comfortable there.

(Marguerite comes forward and assists Gertrude to carry Pauline away.)

SCENE TWELFTH

Vernon, Felix (who enters at this juncture) and Marguerite later.

Vernon

Felix!

Felix

Is there anything I can do for you, sir?

Vernon

Is there a closet anywhere here in which I can lock up something?

Felix (pointing to the closet)

Here is a place, sir.

Vernon

Good! Felix, don't say a word of this to a single soul. (Aside) He will be sure to remember it. (Aloud) I am playing a trick on the

General, and the trick will fail if you say anything.

Felix

I will be as dumb as a fish.

(The doctor takes from him the key of the closet.)

Vernon And now leave me alone with your mistress, who is coming back here, and be on the watch that no one interrupts us for a moment.

Felix (going out)

Marguerite was right; there is something in the wind, that's certain.

Marguerite (returning)

There is nothing the matter. Mademoiselle is sleeping quietly.

(Exit Marguerite.)

SCENE THIRTEENTH

Vernon (alone) What can have set by the ears two women who have hitherto lived in peace? All doctors, little though they be philosophers, can tell. The poor General, who all his life has had no other idea excepting that of escaping the common lot! Yet I see no one here likely to cause him jealousy, but myself and Ferdinand. It is not probable that I am the man; but Ferdinand – Yet I have so far noticed nothing – I hear her coming! Now for the tug-of-war!

SCENE FOURTEENTH

Vernon and Gertrude.

Gertrude (aside)

I have them! – I am going to burn them in my chamber. (She meets

Vernon.) Ah!

Vernon

Madame, I have sent everybody away.

Gertrude

May I ask you why?

Vernon

In order that we may have our explanation without witnesses.

Gertrude Explanation! By what right do you – you, the parasite of the house, pretend to have an explanation with the Comtesse de Grandchamp?

Vernon I, a parasite? Madame! I have an income of ten thousand francs, besides my pension; I have the rank of general, and my fortune will be bequeathed to the children of my old friend! A parasite indeed! You forget that I am not only here as a friend but as a doctor, and – you poured certain drops of laudanum into Pauline's tea.

Gertrude

I?

Vernon

I saw you do it, and I have the cup.

Gertrude

You have the cup? Why, I washed it myself!

Vernon

Yes, you washed mine, which I gave you in exchange for that of

Pauline! I was not reading the newspaper, I was watching you.

Gertrude

Oh! sir, how unworthy of you!

Vernon You must confess that what I did then is of great service to you, for if you had by the effect of that draught brought Pauline to the brink of the grave, you would have been very glad of my services.