(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.
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