SCENE FIRST
(The stage represents the room of Pamela.)
Pamela, Giraud and Madame Giraud.
(Pamela is standing near her mother, who is knitting; Giraud is at
work at a table on the left.)
Mme. Giraud
The fact of the matter is this, my poor daughter; I do not mean to
reproach you, but you are the cause of all our trouble.
Giraud
No doubt about it! We came to Paris because in the country tailoring
is no sort of a business, and we had some ambition for you, our
Pamela, such a sweet, pretty little thing as you were. We said to each
other: "We will go into service; I will work at my trade; we will give
a good position to our child; and as she will be good, industrious and
pretty, we can take care of our old age by marrying her well."
Pamela
O father!
Mme. Giraud
Half of our plans were already carried out.
Giraud
Yes, certainly. We had a good position; you made as fine flowers as
any gardener could grow; and Joseph Binet, your neighbor, was to be
the husband of our choice.
Mme. Giraud
Instead of all this, the scandal which has arisen in the house has
caused the landlord to dismiss us; the talk of the neighborhood was
incessant, for the young man was arrested in your room.
Pamela
And yet I have been guilty of nothing!
Giraud
Come, now, we know that well enough! Do you think if it were otherwise
that we would stay near you? And that I would embrace you? After all,
Pamela, there is nothing like a father and a mother! And when the
whole world is against you, if a girl can look into her parents' face
without a blush it is enough.
SCENE SECOND
The same persons and Joseph Binet.
Mme. Giraud
Well, well! Here is Joseph Binet.
Pamela
M. Binet, what are you doing here? But for your want of common-sense,
M. Jules would not have been found here.
Joseph
I am come to tell you about him.
Pamela
What! Really? Well, let us hear, Joseph.
Joseph
Ah! you won't send me away now, will you? I have seen his lawyer, and
I have offered him all that I possess if he would get him off!
Pamela
Do you mean it?
Joseph
Yes. Would you be satisfied if he was merely transported?
Pamela
Ah! you are a good fellow, Joseph, and I see that you love me! Let us
be friends.
Joseph (aside)
I have good hopes that we shall be.
(A knock at the door is heard.)
SCENE THIRD
The preceding, M. de Verby and Madame du Brocard.
Mme. Giraud (opening the door)
There are some people here!
Giraud
A lady and a gentleman.
Joseph
What did you say?
(Pamela rises from her seat and takes a step toward M. de Verby, who
bows to her.)
Mme. du Brocard
Is this Mlle. Pamela Giraud?
Pamela
It is, madame.
De Verby
Forgive us, mademoiselle, for presenting ourselves without previous
announcement--
Pamela
There is no harm done. May I know the object of this visit?
Mme. du Brocard
And you, good people, are her father and mother?
Mme. Giraud
Yes, madame.
Joseph
She calls them good people--she must be one of the swells.
Pamela
Will you please be seated.
(Mme. Giraud offers them seats.)
Joseph (to Giraud)
My eye! The gentleman has on the ribbon of the Legion of Honor! He
belongs to high society.
Giraud (looking at De Verby)
By my faith, that's true!
Mme. du Brocard
I am the aunt of M. Jules Rousseau.
Pamela
You, madame? Then this gentleman must be his father?
Mme. du Brocard
He is merely a friend of the family. We are come, mademoiselle, to ask
a favor of you. (Looking at Binet with embarrassment.) Your brother?
Giraud
No, madame, just a neighbor of ours.
Mme. du Brocard (to Pamela)
Send him away.
Joseph (aside)
Send him away, indeed. I'd like to know what right she has--
(Pamela makes a sign to Joseph.)
Giraud (to Joseph)
My friend, you had better leave us. It seems this is a private matter.
Joseph
Very well. (Exit.)
SCENE FOURTH
The same persons excepting Binet.
Mme. du Brocard (to Pamela)
You are acquainted with my nephew. I do not intend to reproach you.
Your parents alone have the right.
Mme. Giraud
But, thank God, they have no reason.
Giraud
It is your nephew who has caused all this talk about her, but she is
blameless!
De Verby (interrupting him)
But suppose that we wish her to be guilty?
Pamela
What do you mean, sir?
Giraud and Mme. Giraud
To think of it!
Mme. du Brocard (seizing De Verby's meaning)
Yes, suppose, to save the life of a poor young man--
De Verby
It were necessary to declare that M. Jules Rousseau spent nearly the
whole night of the twenty-fourth of August here with you?
Pamela
Ah! sir!
De Verby (to Giraud and his wife)
Yes, suppose it were necessary to testify against your daughter, by
alleging this?
Mme. Giraud
I would never say such a thing.
Giraud
What! Insult my child! Sir, I have had all possible troubles. I was
once a tailor, now I am reduced to nothing. I am a porter! But I have
remained a father. My daughter is our sole treasure, the glory of our
old age, and you ask us to dishonor her?
Mme. du Brocard
Pray listen to me, sir.
Giraud
No, madame, I will listen to nothing. My daughter is the hope of my
gray hairs.
Pamela
Calm yourself, father, I implore you.
Mme. Giraud
Keep quite, Giraud! Do let this lady and gentleman speak!
Mme. du Brocard
A family in deep affliction implores you to save them.
Pamela (aside)
Poor Jules!
De Verby (in a low voice to Pamela)
His fate is in your hands.
Mme. Giraud
We are respectable people and know what it is for parents, for a
mother, to be in despair. But what you ask is out of the question.
(Pamela puts a handkerchief to her eyes.)
Giraud
We must stop this! You see the girl is in tears.
Mme. Giraud
She has done nothing but weep for several days.
Giraud
I know my daughter; she would be capable of going and making the
declaration they ask, in spite of us.
Mme. Giraud
Yes,--for you must see, she loves him, she loves your nephew! And to
save his life--Well! Well! I would have done as much in her place.
Mme. du Brocard
Have compassion on us!
De Verby
Grant this request of ours--
Mme. du Brocard (to Pamela)
If it is true that you love Jules--
Mme. Giraud (leading Giraud up to Pamela)
Did you hear that? Well! Listen to me. She is in love with this youth.
It is quite certain that he also is in love with her. If she should
make a sacrifice like that, as a return, he ought to marry her.
Pamela (with vehemence)
Never! (Aside) These people would not wish it, not they.
De Verby (to Mme. du Brocard)
They are consulting about it.
Mme. du Brocard (in a low voice to De Verby)
It will be absolutely necessary for us to make a sacrifice. We must
appeal to their interest. It is the only plan!
De Verby
In venturing to ask of you so great a sacrifice, we are quite aware of
the claims that you will have on our gratitude. The family of Jules,
who might have blamed you on account of your relations with him, are,
on the contrary, anxious to discharge the obligations which bind them
to you.
Mme. Giraud
Ah! Did I not tell you so?
Pamela
Can it be possible that Jules--
De Verby
I am authorized to make a promise to you.
Pamela (with emotion)
Oh!
De Verby
Tell me, how much do you ask for the sacrifice required of you?
Pamela (in consternation)
What do you mean? How much--I ask--for saving Jules? What do you take
me for?
Mme. du Brocard
Ah! Mademoiselle!
De Verby
You misunderstand me.
Pamela
No, it is you who misunderstand us! You are come here, to the house of
poor people, and you are quite unaware of what you ask from them. You,
madame, ought to know that whatever be the rank or the education of a
woman, her honor is her sole treasure! And that which you in your own
families guard with so much care, with so much reverence, you actually
believe that people here, living in an attic, would be willing to
sell! And you have said to yourselves: "Let us offer them money! We
need just now the sacrifice of a working-girl's honor!"
Giraud
That is excellent! I recognize my own blood there.
Mme. du Brocard
My dear child, do not be offended! Money is money, after all.
De Verby (addressing Giraud)
Undoubtedly! And six thousand francs for a solid annual income as a
price of--a--
Pamela
As the price of a lie! For I must out with it. But thank God I haven't
yet lost my self-respect! Good-bye, sir.
(Pamela makes a low bow to Mme. du Brocard, then goes into her bed-
chamber.)
De Verby
What is to be done?
Mme. du Brocard
I am quite nonplussed.
Giraud
I quite admit that an income of six thousand francs is no trifle, but
our daughter has a high spirit, you see; she takes after me--
Mme. Giraud
And she will never yield.
SCENE FIFTH
The same persons, Joseph Binet, Dupre and Mme. Rousseau.
Joseph
This way, sir. This way, madame. (Dupre and Mme. Rousseau enter.)
These are the father and mother of Pamela Giraud!
Dupre (to De Verby)
I am very sorry, sir, that you have got here before me!
Mme. Rousseau
My sister has doubtless told you, madame, the sacrifice which we
expect your daughter to make for us. Only an angel would make it.
Joseph
What sacrifice?
Mme. Giraud
It is no business of yours.
De Verby
We have just had an interview with Mlle. Pamela--
Mme. du Brocard
She has refused!
Mme. Rousseau
Oh, heavens!
Dupre
Refused what?
Mme. du Brocard
An income of six thousand francs.
Dupre
I could have wagered on it. To think of offering money!
Mme. du Brocard
But it was the only way--
Dupre
To spoil everything. (To Mme. Giraud) Madame, kindly tell your
daughter that the counsel of M. Jules Rousseau is here and desires to
see her.
Mme. Giraud
Oh, as for that you will gain nothing.
Giraud
Either from her or from us.
Joseph
But what is it they want?
Giraud
Hold your tongue.
Mme. du Brocard (to Mme. Giraud)
Madame, offer her--
Dupre
Now, Mme. du Brocard, I must beg you-- (To Mme. Giraud) It is in the
name of the mother of Jules that I ask of you permission to see your
daughter.
Mme. Giraud
It will be of no use at all, sir! And to think that they point-blank
offered her money when the young man a little time before had spoken
of marrying her!
Mme. Rousseau (with excitement)
Well, why not?
Mme. Giraud (with vehemence)
How was that, madame?
Dupre (seizing the hand of Mme. Giraud)
Come, come! Bring me your daughter.
(Exit Mme. Giraud.)
De Verby and Mme. du Brocard
You have then made up your mind?
Dupre
It is not I, but madame who has made up her mind.
De Verby (questioning Mme. du Brocard)
What has she promised?
Dupre (seeing that Joseph is listening)
Be silent, general; stay for a moment, I beg you, with these ladies.
Here she comes. Now leave us alone, if you please.
(Pamela is brought in by her mother. She makes a curtsey to Mme.
Rousseau, who gazes at her with emotion; then Dupre leads all but
Pamela into the other room; Joseph remains behind.)
Joseph (aside)
I wonder what they mean. They all talk of a sacrifice! And old Giraud
won't say a word to me! Well, I can bide my time. I promised the
advocate that I would give him my fourteen hundred francs, but before
I do so, I would like to see how he acts with regard to me.
Dupre (going up to Joseph)
Joseph Binet, you must leave the room.
Joseph
And not hear what you say about me?
Dupre
You must go away.
Joseph (aside)
It is evident that they are concealing something from me. (To Dupre) I
have prepared her mind; she is much taken with the idea of
transportation. Stick to that point.
Dupre
All right! But you must leave the room.
Joseph (aside)
Leave the room! Oh, indeed! Not I.
(Joseph makes as if he had withdrawn, but, quietly returning, hides
himself in a closet.)
Dupre (to Pamela)
You have consented to see me, and I thank you for it. I know exactly
what has recently taken place here, and I am not going to address you
in the same way as you have been recently addressed.
Pamela
Your very presence assures me of that, sir.
Dupre
You are in love with this fine young man, this Joseph?
Pamela
I am aware, sir, that advocates are like confessors!
Dupre
My child, they have to be just as safe confidants. You may tell me
everything without reserve.
Pamela
Well, sir, I did love him; that is to say, I thought I loved him, and
I would very willingly have become his wife. I thought that with his
energy Joseph would have made a good business, and that we could lead
together a life of toil. When prosperity came, we would have taken
with us my father and my mother; it was all very clear--it would have
been a united family!
Dupre (aside)
The appearance of this young girl is in her favor! Let us see whether
she is sincere or not. (Aloud) What are you thinking about?
Pamela
I was thinking about these past days, which seemed to me so happy in
comparison with the present. A fortnight ago my head was turned by the
sight of M. Jules; I fell in love with him, as young girls do fall in
love, as I have seen other young girls fall in love with young men--
with a love which would endure everything for those they loved! I used
to say to myself: shall I ever be like that? Well, at this moment I do
not know anything that I would not endure for M. Jules. A few moments
ago they offered me money,--they, from whom I expected such nobleness,
such greatness; and I was disgusted! Money! I have plenty of it, sir!
I have twenty thousand francs! They are here, they are yours! That is
to say, they are his! I have kept them to use in my efforts to save
him, for I have betrayed him, because I doubted him, while he was so
confident, so sure of me--and I was so distrustful of him!
Dupre
And he gave you twenty thousand francs?
Pamela
Ah, sir! He entrusted them with me. Here they are. I shall return them
to his family, if he dies; but he shall not die! Tell me? Is it not
so? You ought to know.
Dupre
My dear child, bear in mind that your whole life, perhaps your
happiness, depend upon the truthfulness of your answers. Answer me as
if you stood in the presence of God.
Pamela
I will.
Dupre
You have never loved any one before?
Pamela
Never!
Dupre
You seem to be afraid! Come, I am terrifying you. You are not giving
me your confidence.
Pamela
Oh, yes I am, sir; I swear I am! Since we have been in Paris, I have
never left my mother, and I have thought of nothing but my work and my
duty. I was alarmed and thrown into confusion a few moments ago, sir,
but you inspire me with confidence, and I can tell you everything.
Well, I acknowledge it,--I am in love with Jules; he is the only one I
love, and I would follow him to the end of the world! You told me to
speak as in the presence of God.
Dupre
Well, it is to your heart that I am going to appeal. Do for me what
you have refused to do for others. Tell me the truth! You alone have
the power to save him before the face of justice! You love him,
Pamela; I understand what it would cost you to--
Pamela
To avow my love for him? Would that be sufficient to save him?
Dupre
I will answer for that!
Pamela
Well?
Dupre
My child!
Pamela
Well--he is saved.
Dupre (earnestly)
But--you will be compromised--
Pamela
But after all it is for him.
Dupre (aside)
I never expected it, but I shall not die without having seen with my
own eyes an example of beautiful and noble candor, destitute alike of
self-interest and designing reserve. (Aloud) Pamela, you are a good
and generous girl.
Pamela
To act this way consoles me for many little miseries of life.
Dupre
My child, that is not everything! You are true as steel, you are high-
spirited. But in order to succeed it is necessary to have assurance--
determination--
Pamela
Oh, sir! You shall see!
Dupre
Do not be over-anxious. Dare to confess everything. Be brave! Imagine
that you are before the Court of Assizes, the presiding judge, the
public prosecutor, the prisoner at the bar, and me, his advocate; the
jury is on one side. The big court-room is filled with people. Do not
be alarmed.
Pamela
You needn't fear for me.
Dupre
A court officer brings you in; you have given your name and surname!
Then the presiding judge asks you "How long have you known the
prisoner, Rousseau?"--What would you answer?
Pamela
The truth!--I met him about a month before his arrest at the Ile
d'Amour, Belleville.
Dupre
Who were with him?
Pamela
I noticed no one but him.
Dupre
Did you hear them talk politics?
Pamela (in astonishment)
Oh, sir! The judges must be aware that politics are matters of
indifference at the Ile d'Amour.
Dupre
Very good, my child! But you must tell them all you know about Jules
Rousseau.
Pamela
Of course. I shall still speak the truth, and repeat my testimony
before the police justice. I knew nothing of the conspiracy, and was
infinitely surprised when he was arrested in my room; the proof of
which is that I feared M. Jules was a thief and afterwards apologized
for my suspicion.
Dupre
You must acknowledge that from the time of your first acquaintance
with this young man, he constantly came to see you. You must declare--
Pamela
I shall stick to the truth--He never left me alone! He came to see me
for love, I received him from friendship, and I resisted him from a
sense of duty--
Dupre
And at last?
Pamela (anxiously)
At last?
Dupre
You are trembling! Take care! Just now you promised me to tell the
truth!
Pamela (aside)
The truth! Oh my God!
Dupre
I also am interested in this young man; but I recoil from a possible
imposture. If he is guilty, my duty bids me defend him, if he is
innocent, his cause shall be mine. Yes, without doubt, Pamela, I am
about to demand from you a great sacrifice, but he needs it. The
visits which Jules made to you were in the evening, and without the
knowledge of your parents.
Pamela
Why no! never!
Dupre
How is this? For in that case there would be no hope for him.
Pamela (aside)
No hope for him! Then either he or I must be ruined. (Aloud) Sir, do
not be alarmed; I felt a little fear because the real danger was not
before my eyes. But when I shall stand before the judges!--when once I
shall see him, see Jules--and feel that his safety depends upon me--
Dupre
That is good, very good. But what is most necessary to be made known
is that on the evening of the twenty-fourth, he came here. If that is
once understood, I shall be successful in saving him; otherwise, I can
answer for nothing. He is lost!
Pamela (murmuring, greatly agitated)
Lost!--Jules lost!--No, no, no!--Better that my own good name be lost!
(Aloud) Yes, he came here on the twenty-fourth. (Aside) God forgive
me! (Aloud) It was my saint's day--my name is Louise Pamela--and he
was kind enough to bring me a bouquet, without the knowledge of my
father or mother; he came in the evening, late. Ah! you need have no
fear, sir--you see I shall tell all. (Aside) And all is a lie!
Dupre
He will be saved! (Rousseau appears) Ah! sir! (running to the door of
the room) Come all of you and thank your deliverer!
SCENE SIXTH
Rousseau, De Verby, Madame du Brocard, Giraud, Madame Giraud, Dupre,
and later Joseph Binet.
All
Does she consent?
Rousseau
You have saved my son. I shall never forget it.
Mme. du Brocard
You have put us under eternal obligations, my child.
Rousseau
My fortune shall be at your disposal.
Dupre
I will not say anything to you, my child! We shall meet again!
Joseph (coming out of the closet)
One moment! One moment! I have heard everything--and do you believe
that I am going to put up with that? I was here in concealment all the
time. And do you think I am going to let Pamela, whom I have loved and
have wished to make my wife, say all that? (To Dupre) This is the way
you are going to earn my fourteen hundred francs, eh! Well, I shall go
to court myself and testify that the whole thing is a lie.
All
Great heaven!
Dupre
You miserable wretch!
De Verby
If you say a single word--
Joseph
Oh, I am not afraid!
De Verby (to Rousseau and Mme. du Brocard)
He shall never go to court! If necessary, I will have him shadowed,
and I will put men on the watch to prevent him from entering.
Joseph
I'd just like to see you try it!
(Enter a sheriff's officer, who goes up to Dupre.)
Dupre
What do you want?
The sheriff's officer
I am the court officer of the Assizes--Mlle. Pamela Giraud! (Pamela
comes forward.) In virtue of discretionary authority of the presiding
judge, you are summoned to appear before him to-morrow at ten o'clock.
Joseph (to De Verby)
I will go also.
The officer
The porter has told me that you have here a gentleman called Joseph
Binet.
Joseph
Here I am!
The officer
Please take your summons.
Joseph
I told you that I would go!
(The officer withdraws; every one is alarmed at the threats of Binet.
Dupre tries to speak to him and reason with him, but he steals away.)
Curtain to the Third Act.