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World of Fashion - John Oxenford · The Importance of Being Earnest

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  Speaker 1: Act one of the World of Fashion by John Oxenford.
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  Speaker 2: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 2: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 2: visit LibriVox dot org. Dramatis Personae Duke Dnio read by
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  Speaker 2: Larry Wilson.
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  Speaker 3: Count de Vieux Chateau read by algiepag Adolph read by
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  Speaker 3: Scottie Smith.
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  Speaker 1: Monsieur dupot Collect.
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  Speaker 4: Read Buy Great Girdono.
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  Speaker 5: Countess de View Chateau read by Kelly Tega.
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  Speaker 6: Isabella read by Jen Broda.
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  Speaker 7: Marie read by.
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  Speaker 2: Marchioness Debella Rosa and my Agnes Robert Baer, Madame du.
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  Speaker 1: Bois read by Life Is Better Dream Lizette read Haulkins Rose.
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  Speaker 8: Read by Akol.
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  Speaker 1: Stage Directions read by James Hendrick. Act one seen a
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  Speaker 1: saloon of an old chateau in Brittany. Door in center flat,
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  Speaker 1: two side doors, a window overlooking the grounds. Count and
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  Speaker 1: Countess discovered.
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  Speaker 3: Count reading inform you that your name is no longer
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  Speaker 3: seen in our prospectors than our shares raise eight percent.
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  Speaker 3: Of course, of course, these brenches of the exchange may
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  Speaker 3: boast that they are rulers of the age, but to
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  Speaker 3: give a value to their project. There is nothing like
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  Speaker 3: the name of one of us. The old nobility.
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  Speaker 1: Turns over papers, reading your business papers, of course, as usual.
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  Speaker 5: Business, business, business. The idea of a view Shateau having
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  Speaker 5: anything to do with business it seemed so very odd. Indeed,
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  Speaker 5: till within the last few months it was the pride
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  Speaker 5: of the view Shateau that they had done nothing for
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  Speaker 5: the last one hundred and fifty years. Therefore, when I
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  Speaker 5: see you, the head of the house, corresponding with a
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  Speaker 5: number of vulgar persons about railroads and drainage, and goodness
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  Speaker 5: knows what I confess, I can scarcely understand.
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  Speaker 3: Sister, I think you can understand when a gentleman expends
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  Speaker 3: every year considerably more than his income is likely to
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  Speaker 3: get into difficulty.
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  Speaker 5: Certain I am sufficiently imbued with what you call the
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  Speaker 5: spirit of the age to comprehend that.
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  Speaker 3: Good then there you have precisely my condition. My income
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  Speaker 3: is small and the charges upon it are heavy. So
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  Speaker 3: if I can't diminish the latter, it is positively necessary
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  Speaker 3: that I should increase the former by all honest means
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  Speaker 3: within my power.
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  Speaker 5: But after all, what are those heavy charges? Perhaps it
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  Speaker 5: might be possible to lighten them.
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  Speaker 3: In the first place, there is my hopeful son Adolf,
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  Speaker 3: who came home yesterday Marni after spending goodness knows for
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  Speaker 3: what in Paris an extravagant jacket apes. To be sure,
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  Speaker 3: the young fellow says, it is all alfled that if
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  Speaker 3: it allowed him to get his own living at.
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  Speaker 5: The bar, which of course we could not. Of your
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  Speaker 5: chateau at the head of a board of directors is
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  Speaker 5: bad enough, But of you chateau what the profession is. Oh.
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  Speaker 3: Then comes your favorite niece isabel who stops with us
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  Speaker 3: every autumn, true.
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  Speaker 5: Through the great kindness of her guardian, who scarcely likes
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  Speaker 5: to trust the precious charge out of his own hands.
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  Speaker 3: However, I pass over Isabelle. Her fortune is large, and
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  Speaker 3: as you often observe, she and that scapegrace are off.
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  Speaker 3: Would make a very pretty couple. But now comes the
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  Speaker 3: third encumbrance, the necessity of which is less evident.
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  Speaker 5: You allude to Marie, but you surely do not forget that,
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  Speaker 5: although she is wholly without means, she belongs to the
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  Speaker 5: eldest branch of our family, which became extinct on the
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  Speaker 5: death of my brother the Duke.
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  Speaker 3: I have every respect for a duke's daughter. But still
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  Speaker 3: Marie belongs to the category poor relations.
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  Speaker 5: Neverdless, she is so amiable, so obliging. She makes everybody love.
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  Speaker 3: Her, no doubt, some a little too much.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps, Enter Isabella right door, Oh aunt, that dear Marie all.
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  Speaker 3: Rise ah, here is one of her oddn't admirers at
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  Speaker 3: any rate? Well, what of your wonderful cousin done? Now?
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  Speaker 6: Oh? Never was there such a good heart, and never
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  Speaker 6: were there such nimble fingers. You know those fairies in
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  Speaker 6: the story books who help poor people by doing as
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  Speaker 6: much work and as single night as anybody else could
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  Speaker 6: do in a week. Well Marie must be one of them.
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  Speaker 5: You know.
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  Speaker 6: We all laughed yesterday when she told us that she
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  Speaker 6: would get three full dresses ready for the ball tonight.
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  Speaker 6: Well they are nearly done. Did you ever hear anything
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  Speaker 6: so wonderful? But you don't look.
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  Speaker 1: Please, Countess left.
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  Speaker 5: Ah, Yes, I am delighted coolly.
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  Speaker 6: Now, my dear aunt and uncle, I don't care a
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  Speaker 6: bit what either of you say, but you both look
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  Speaker 6: exceedingly grumpy. You know it's the truth, and you need
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  Speaker 6: not frown. I'm a spoiled child, and I know the
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  Speaker 6: frown is not meant for me, but for poor Marie.
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  Speaker 6: I have noticed how you have changed towards her of
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  Speaker 6: late Isabelle.
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  Speaker 5: Isabelle, you talk too falt.
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  Speaker 6: I know I'm in the right, and that we ought
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  Speaker 6: to be very much obliged to Marie, who made you
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  Speaker 6: that pretty cap that becomes you so much, Marie, who
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  Speaker 6: embroidered that waistcoat, uncle, which you put on when you
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  Speaker 6: choose to appear in the good old fashion of Brittany. Marie,
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  Speaker 6: who is at the present moment working her fingers off
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  Speaker 6: to get our dresses ready for the evening. Marie. Yes,
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  Speaker 6: and I'll go across and see what progress she makes,
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  Speaker 6: hoping and trusting that, like a dutiful aunt and uncle,
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  Speaker 6: you will show no frowns or cross looks when we
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  Speaker 6: meet again.
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  Speaker 1: Runs off center to write.
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  Speaker 5: Er charming little creature.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, as you say, she and my aerov would make
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  Speaker 3: an excellent match. But today I feel more convinced than
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  Speaker 3: ever that an insuperable obstacle stands in the way of
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  Speaker 3: our wishes.
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  Speaker 1: What obstacle, our evil genius?
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  Speaker 3: Marie, did you not observe that when Adolfs came here
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  Speaker 3: yesterday he seems more anxious about Marie than about me,
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  Speaker 3: or you or anybody else. Did you not notice how
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  Speaker 3: his eyes wandered about till she entered the room, And
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  Speaker 3: when she did enter the room, did not you see
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  Speaker 3: how they sparkled? And in addition to her own fascinations,
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  Speaker 3: which is no favorite of mine, I confess, and not trifling,
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  Speaker 3: she has a herald in every quarter to proclaim her
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  Speaker 3: ten times more charming than she actually is. There is
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  Speaker 3: little Isabel, always talking as she does now about her
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  Speaker 3: dear cousin's virtues and talents. There is our stuttering friend,
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  Speaker 3: Monsieur Baptiste de pont Celais, who remost eloquent in her praise,
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  Speaker 3: if nature allowed him to be eloquent at all.
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  Speaker 5: Ah, now you mention Monsieur Ponquelt. I have often thought
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  Speaker 5: he would make a good husband for Marie.
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  Speaker 3: Why they are both a very ancient family, and both
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  Speaker 3: confoundedly pa But the worthy gentleman will never command words
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  Speaker 3: enough to pop the question. No, just come into my
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  Speaker 3: study and read over with me a number of letters
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  Speaker 3: I have written on the subject of Marie to our
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  Speaker 3: several relations now assembled at the Chateau Plemel. You perfectly
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  Speaker 3: see the foss in my arguments she is an encumbrance.
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  Speaker 5: That I do not care so much. But you have
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  Speaker 5: convinced me that she is dangerous.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, we we must get rid of Marie.
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  Speaker 1: Exian right, Just as they leave, the pont collect enters
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  Speaker 1: awkwardly left pont collect stammering.
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  Speaker 4: No, no, nobody here, so so so much, the better
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  Speaker 4: I can indulge in my own melancholy reflections. Indeed, my
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  Speaker 4: gift of speech is so limited that I'm not fit
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  Speaker 4: to talk to anybody but myself. Ah isabel Isabelle. How
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  Speaker 4: could I pour out my soul before thee if my
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  Speaker 4: tongue were not so heavy and my purse were not
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  Speaker 4: so light?
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  Speaker 1: And for Marie center from right, holding a ball dress, Marie.
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  Speaker 7: Left, Look, Aunt, this will do nicely, will it not? Oh?
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  Speaker 7: I beg pardons the ponteleect. I took you for my aunt.
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  Speaker 1: Pod collect right, you pay me a very eight Come.
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  Speaker 7: Yes, I know I do. Ah. Though my aunt is
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  Speaker 7: no longer young, there are few can rival her in
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  Speaker 7: the aristocratic style of beauty.
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  Speaker 4: That's very true. The upstarts of the present day may
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  Speaker 4: outshahine Us in other respects, but there's a sort of
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  Speaker 4: air that belongs exclusively to us of the old stock.
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  Speaker 1: Marie is going, but don't go away.
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  Speaker 4: You're You're about the only person in the world I'm
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  Speaker 4: not afraid to talk to.
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  Speaker 7: Very well, then I must stop.
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  Speaker 1: Here, sits down and works.
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  Speaker 7: Only you must promise to let me work while we talk.
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  Speaker 1: Put collect right?
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  Speaker 4: Oh, certainly, how your fingers do move? It's a pleasure
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  Speaker 4: to see you. You're the very industry us Marie left.
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  Speaker 7: I can't afford to be otherwise, my dear Monsieur de pontelect.
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  Speaker 7: Only yesterday, you know, we received an invitation to go
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  Speaker 7: to the great ball tonight at the Chateau Plurmel, where
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  Speaker 7: all our relations are assembled. Well, Aunt said we had
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  Speaker 7: no dresses and could not go, whereupon poor little Isabelle's
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  Speaker 7: merry face became unusually long, and my cousin Adolph's excellent
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  Speaker 7: temper became unpleasantly ruffled, until I said, never mind, leave
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  Speaker 7: all to me, and I promise you such dresses as
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  Speaker 7: shall be the envy of the whole.
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  Speaker 4: Room, and you to make them all. You promised too much.
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  Speaker 7: Not in the least on stresses done already. Now I'm
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  Speaker 7: getting on famously with Isabelle's which, of course is the most.
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  Speaker 9: Important anderfol So, oh my, much work done in such
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  Speaker 9: a short time, with such delicate fingers.
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  Speaker 4: I assure you I mean to pay a compliment when
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  Speaker 4: I say I can compare you to nothing but a spider.
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  Speaker 7: Extremely flattering. But you might compare me to something much
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  Speaker 7: more terrible. You might compare me to a professional dressmaker.
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  Speaker 4: I don't understand. I have often seen a fine lady
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  Speaker 4: frightened by a spider, but I never heard of the
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  Speaker 4: terror excited by a dressmaker, my dear friend.
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  Speaker 7: By what I hear from the Parisian ladies who come
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  Speaker 7: down into our wild paths, I learned that a dressmaker
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  Speaker 7: is the most awful tyrant in the world. At her will,
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  Speaker 7: the deputy's wife of the province can outshine the acknowledged
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  Speaker 7: leader of fashion. The supremacy of the ballroom is a
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  Speaker 7: gift in her hands. By sending home a dress late,
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  Speaker 7: she can keep the stoutest French heart in a twitter.
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  Speaker 7: And the bell who tyrannizes over husband or lover is
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  Speaker 7: the humble slave of her dressmaker.
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  Speaker 4: Ha ha ha, no doubt, But you'll have no time
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  Speaker 4: to make a dress for yourself.
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  Speaker 7: Oh, anything will do for me.
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  Speaker 4: Ah that that's always the way you think of everyone
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  Speaker 4: but yourself, And.
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  Speaker 7: So I ought, how often have others thought of me?
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  Speaker 7: Left and orphan without a place of refuge in the world?
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  Speaker 7: Where should I have been without the kindness of my
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  Speaker 7: aunt and my uncle?
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  Speaker 4: True they are very kind, though they don't always look, So.
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  Speaker 7: What matter for looks or words when balanced against good deeds?
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  Speaker 7: Here I live their adopted child, and I'm as happy
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  Speaker 7: as the day is long. I love the very walls
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  Speaker 7: of the chateau.
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  Speaker 4: Oh, no doubt, I should think it easier to love
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  Speaker 4: the walls than that's cold looking uncle and aunt.
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  Speaker 7: Fine, Monsieur du ponte, like you're growing satirical, we'll drop
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  Speaker 7: the subject and talk about your affairs. Have you hit
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  Speaker 7: upon a profession yet?
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  Speaker 5: Oh?
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  Speaker 4: Yes, everything is settled. I'm attached to an embassy, and
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  Speaker 4: the day after tomorrow I start for Copenhagen as secretary
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  Speaker 4: to my good friend, the young doc di'ano. Do you
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  Speaker 4: think I was born to be a diplomatist?
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  Speaker 7: Very likely?
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  Speaker 4: But why why?
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  Speaker 1: Yes?
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  Speaker 4: As someone says, language was given to conceal our thoughts,
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  Speaker 4: stammering must be invaluable for diplomatic purposes.
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  Speaker 7: Admirably observed well, I congratulate you on your appointment, but
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  Speaker 7: I should tell you that your departure will cause much
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  Speaker 7: grief to at least two persons.
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  Speaker 4: Two two persons. What are there two persons in the
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  Speaker 4: world who care anything about me?
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  Speaker 6: Yes.
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  Speaker 7: In the first place, there is myself.
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  Speaker 4: Oh ah, I believe that you and I are such
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  Speaker 4: very old friends.
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  Speaker 7: In the next place, there's my cousin Isabel.
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  Speaker 4: No, no, you can't mean to say that she she'll
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  Speaker 4: miss me.
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  Speaker 7: Of course she will, but don't be in such a flurry,
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  Speaker 7: or you will betray your secret. What do you mean,
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  Speaker 7: I shall find out that you love her as much
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  Speaker 7: as she deserves to be loved.
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  Speaker 4: I do, I do, passionately, desperately, miserably, miserably. Yes, she
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  Speaker 4: is so confoundedly rich that my cases altogether hopeless.
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  Speaker 7: True, her fortune is large. But with your talents and
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  Speaker 7: a fair amount of industry, you may attain a position.
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  Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yes, with my great command of language, I'm
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  Speaker 4: sure to rise. But that's not all. I have a
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  Speaker 4: formidable rival. Whom do you mean, your cousin Adolph?
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  Speaker 1: To be sure, Marie starts and let's work fall.
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  Speaker 4: You've dropped your work, he picks.
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  Speaker 7: It up, thank you, thank you. So you really think
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  Speaker 7: that Adolph is in love with isabel I did.
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  Speaker 4: Not say that. But how pale you look?
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  Speaker 7: I pale? I really don't know.
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  Speaker 4: And now you are talking in my fashion. I say,
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  Speaker 4: Mademoiselle Marie, you found out my secret. I think I
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  Speaker 4: shall soon find out yours.
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  Speaker 1: Marie rises, peace, peace.
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  Speaker 7: I implore you. You have unwittingly touched on a subject
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  Speaker 7: too painful for a jest. You know I owe everything
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  Speaker 7: to my uncle and my aunt. Well, it is absolutely
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  Speaker 7: necessary to their happiness that Adolph should marry a woman
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  Speaker 7: of great fortune. Thus alone can our old family be
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  Speaker 7: restored to its former splendor. And I need not tell
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  Speaker 7: you that to my aunt especially, the dignity of our
• 18:48
  Speaker 7: house is the grand object of life. If therefore I
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  Speaker 7: have unconsciously betrayed any feeling that is opposed to the
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  Speaker 7: wishes of my dear relatives, let it at once be
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  Speaker 7: obliterated from your memory as something that ought to be concealed,
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  Speaker 7: even from myself, much more than from another.
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  Speaker 4: Rely upon my honor, Mademoiselle, My memory shall be as
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  Speaker 4: short as you please. But surely there's Mademoiselle Isabelle walking
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  Speaker 4: with her aunt in the garden. Pardon me if I
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  Speaker 4: joined them. You know my secret, and you must be
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  Speaker 4: aware that when one is going away the day after tomorrow,
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  Speaker 4: moments are precious.
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  Speaker 7: Certainly, certainly, but remember.
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  Speaker 1: You mean forget exit left.
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  Speaker 10: Oh.
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  Speaker 7: I am ashamed of this weakness, this wickedness. Am I
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  Speaker 7: so completely the slave of this fatal passion that it
• 19:53
  Speaker 7: betrays itself in spite.
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: Of me stitching rapidly.
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  Speaker 7: Work, work, work, Marie enter.
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  Speaker 1: Adolf on tiptoe, center from right.
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  Speaker 7: Have not a thought beyond your occupation.
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  Speaker 1: She starts, Adolf, right, you are alone.
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  Speaker 11: That's well. I have something of great importance to tell you.
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  Speaker 7: Well, what is it?
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  Speaker 11: Our brilliant relative, the Marchioness de belle Rose, has just
• 20:20
  Speaker 11: had an interview with my father in his study. Such
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  Speaker 11: a dress, of such a circumference, she seemed to float
• 20:28
  Speaker 11: in a sea of muslin.
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  Speaker 7: Is that the important matter?
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  Speaker 3: Now?
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  Speaker 11: But she came on a weighty mission. She had been
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  Speaker 11: deputed to propose an advantageous marriage for Isabel.
• 20:41
  Speaker 7: And your father listened with pleasure.
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  Speaker 11: On the contrary, he was scarcely civil and giving the
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  Speaker 11: Marchioness to understand that he had nothing to do with
• 20:52
  Speaker 11: any plans concerning Isabel, but left awe to her guardian.
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  Speaker 11: He almost bowed the stately ambassador's out of the room.
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  Speaker 11: Away she floated in her muslin billows with all her
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  Speaker 11: grandeur of offended dignity.
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  Speaker 7: There's nothing so very alarming in all this.
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  Speaker 11: Let me proceed. I was so struck with my father's
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  Speaker 11: manner that I could not help asking him the reason
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  Speaker 11: of his departure from his usual courtesy, when he dryly
• 21:23
  Speaker 11: told me that he and my aunt had other views
• 21:26
  Speaker 11: with respect to Isabella. And these views, and these views, Ah,
• 21:33
  Speaker 11: here comes Isabella herself. Nothing could be more of a tune.
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: Enter Isabella Center, Isabella Center.
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  Speaker 6: Really, aunt has taken me quite by surprise. Ah, cousin Adolph,
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  Speaker 6: the very person I wished to see. I have a
• 21:50
  Speaker 6: great secret to tell.
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: Adolph right, a curious coincidence, so have I.
• 21:57
  Speaker 7: Then I had better retire gets round back to left.
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  Speaker 6: By no means I regard you as a second self.
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  Speaker 11: Unless indeed we shall interrupt you.
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  Speaker 4: Not at all, Not.
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  Speaker 7: At all, I can work away without listening.
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  Speaker 1: Aside, what can all this be about?
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  Speaker 6: Well? Who is to begin?
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: I will aside?
• 22:18
  Speaker 11: It is rather awkward. You are not aware. Perhaps cousin Isabel,
• 22:24
  Speaker 11: how much you have improved with these last few years.
• 22:28
  Speaker 6: I assure you you are quite changed from the awkward
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  Speaker 6: boy you seemed a short time ago? Am I not right?
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: Marie crosses center, Adolph left, and I too.
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  Speaker 7: I have not observed sufficiently to decide on so way
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  Speaker 7: a matter.
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  Speaker 11: With your attractions, Cousin Isabel, you'll be sure to find.
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  Speaker 6: A husband with your advantages. Cousin Adolph, you'll be sure
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  Speaker 6: to find a wife.
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: Marie pausing from work.
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  Speaker 7: My dear cousins, if you go on exchanging compliments in
• 22:58
  Speaker 7: this way, you'll never come to the secret at all.
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  Speaker 11: I have reason to believe that something has been said
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  Speaker 11: to you by my aunt.
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  Speaker 6: Right, and I have reason to believe that something has
• 23:09
  Speaker 6: been told you by my uncle Right.
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  Speaker 11: Well, what do you think of it?
• 23:14
  Speaker 6: Nay, what do you think of it?
• 23:16
  Speaker 11: I think you are one of the most charming creatures
• 23:19
  Speaker 11: in the world. I think that the man who has
• 23:22
  Speaker 11: you for a wife ought to be the envy of
• 23:24
  Speaker 11: his species. And I have told my father that I
• 23:28
  Speaker 11: shall always be charmed to regard you as a beloved sister, Isabella,
• 23:34
  Speaker 11: delighted a.
• 23:35
  Speaker 6: Sister nothing more than you would not have me for
• 23:39
  Speaker 6: a wife.
• 23:40
  Speaker 11: Certainly not, and you would not have me for a husband.
• 23:44
  Speaker 6: Oh, dear, no, I'm so happy.
• 23:47
  Speaker 11: I'm delighted. I can love you so much. Now we
• 23:52
  Speaker 11: have settled not to love each other at all.
• 23:55
  Speaker 7: Oh, they embrace, touching picture of family affection.
• 24:00
  Speaker 6: Now mind will be firm, no flinching, Aunt, I'll say,
• 24:06
  Speaker 6: ask me not to marry a dolph.
• 24:08
  Speaker 11: Father, ask me not to marry Isabelle.
• 24:11
  Speaker 12: So I perish, We perishsh that matter been settled in
• 24:18
  Speaker 12: a manner so flattering to us both.
• 24:21
  Speaker 11: Perhaps you will kindly explain why you reject the hand
• 24:24
  Speaker 11: of so accomplished and elegant a person as myself, Why
• 24:30
  Speaker 11: you prefer somebody else? Guess again, I can't.
• 24:34
  Speaker 6: Perhaps I think the accomplished and elegant person ought to
• 24:37
  Speaker 6: fix his affections on a woman more worthy of him
• 24:40
  Speaker 6: than myself, a woman whom I love better than anyone
• 24:44
  Speaker 6: in the world.
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: Marie aside, good heavens, go on, go on, Marie rises.
• 24:52
  Speaker 7: Isabel the address is finished. We'll go to your room
• 24:55
  Speaker 7: and try it on it once.
• 24:56
  Speaker 11: But look, it is not finished.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: No no care taking up part of dress.
• 25:02
  Speaker 7: But it must be tried on before I can do
• 25:05
  Speaker 7: any more.
• 25:06
  Speaker 6: Very well, very well, what a provoking interruption. Don't run away, Adolf.
• 25:11
  Speaker 6: We'll be back in a minute.
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: Exit with gown right. Marie about to follow, is detained
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: by Adolf. Adolf left. Marie one moment. I conjure you,
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: Marie right.
• 25:26
  Speaker 7: Let go of my hand. Isabella is waiting.
• 25:28
  Speaker 11: She will excuse us. She has discovered the truth. She
• 25:32
  Speaker 11: knows that I would unburthen my heart.
• 25:35
  Speaker 7: Adolf, Adolf, heavens my aunt.
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: Adolf drops her hand. Enter Countess center, Countess center.
• 25:45
  Speaker 5: It seems I intrud.
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: Adolf left, not at all, not at all, Countess left center.
• 25:55
  Speaker 5: Then ry, did you release Marie's hand so suddenly? Or
• 26:01
  Speaker 5: perhaps I ought to first ask why were you holding it?
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: Adolph right center?
• 26:10
  Speaker 11: Well, Shirley, cousins may take hold of each other's hands
• 26:13
  Speaker 11: without incurring any very heavy responsibility.
• 26:18
  Speaker 5: There are exceptions to every rule, as Marie ought to understand.
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: Marie right.
• 26:28
  Speaker 5: I yes, you, a young lady of your descentment, cannot
• 26:34
  Speaker 5: be ignorant of the intentions of myself and your uncle
• 26:40
  Speaker 5: with respect to Adolph and Isabel, intentions which I regret
• 26:47
  Speaker 5: to say, you seem inclined to a thwart.
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: The thwart how getting to write center.
• 26:55
  Speaker 5: Oh, by a thousand arts which are apparently guy, but
• 27:01
  Speaker 5: which are admirably contrive to ensnare the affections of an
• 27:07
  Speaker 5: imprudent young man aunts on You dress more simply than
• 27:13
  Speaker 5: anyone else, But it is possible to endow simplicity with
• 27:20
  Speaker 5: a charm that finery can scarcely attain. You generally retire
• 27:26
  Speaker 5: when a Dolph makes his appearance, but flight is not
• 27:32
  Speaker 5: uncommonly a signal for pursuit. We had just now a case.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: In point Adolph center, Madame.
• 27:43
  Speaker 11: If Marie can bear this, I cannot, Marie right.
• 27:48
  Speaker 7: Silence, silence, I implore you, Countess left No, let him
• 27:55
  Speaker 7: go on.
• 27:56
  Speaker 5: See your work properly completed. As a reward for the
• 28:01
  Speaker 5: care I have taken of you, for the charity charity
• 28:06
  Speaker 5: I have bestowed upon you. Allow me to be affronted
• 28:12
  Speaker 5: by my own nephew.
• 28:14
  Speaker 11: Nay, Madam, pardon me, if my dear.
• 28:18
  Speaker 5: Boy, I can pardon anything to an impetuous youth of
• 28:23
  Speaker 5: whose generous, loving temperament advantage has been basely taken.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: Marie in chair Adolf about to speak, not a.
• 28:34
  Speaker 5: Word, Marie. I leave you to your own meditations. May
• 28:40
  Speaker 5: the voice of your own conscience. Not speak in vain
• 28:46
  Speaker 5: your arm.
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: Adolf exit with Adolf center. Marie throws herself upon sofa
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: and hides her face.
• 28:55
  Speaker 7: Oh, misery, humiliation, misery.
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: Re enter, Isabella right, Isabella left?
• 29:03
  Speaker 6: Why Marie, dear, what is the matter you are weeping?
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: Marie Center?
• 29:09
  Speaker 7: Oh, my aunt loves me no more, respects me no more.
• 29:13
  Speaker 7: She upbraids me with my dependent position. She grudges me
• 29:18
  Speaker 7: the bread I eat, the room.
• 29:20
  Speaker 6: I occupy, Marie, Marie, what.
• 29:23
  Speaker 7: Can I do? What can I do?
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: Rises?
• 29:27
  Speaker 7: If I were the daughter of a laborer, I could
• 29:30
  Speaker 7: toil in the fields. If I were the child of
• 29:33
  Speaker 7: a mechanic, I could work in the factories. If I
• 29:36
  Speaker 7: belonged to the middle class, I could be a governess.
• 29:40
  Speaker 4: But all this.
• 29:41
  Speaker 7: Is forbidden to the daughter of a poor duke, who
• 29:44
  Speaker 7: is not only cursed with the poverty, but oppressed with
• 29:47
  Speaker 7: the nobility of her father. Would I were.
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: Dead, sinks in chair?
• 29:53
  Speaker 6: Left, no recollect There are some who love you.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: Count behind scenes, no, not one.
• 30:01
  Speaker 6: Your aunt and uncle are coming this way.
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: And to count with letters and Countess Center from left,
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: Count Center.
• 30:09
  Speaker 3: I've perceived an answer to every one of my letters
• 30:13
  Speaker 3: oh you hear, Marie, I have a letter directed to you.
• 30:18
  Speaker 3: Retire and read it in your own room, and take
• 30:21
  Speaker 3: it a bell with you.
• 30:22
  Speaker 6: Come, Come, Marie, don't let them see you crying. Have
• 30:25
  Speaker 6: a little more pride than that.
• 30:27
  Speaker 5: Pride did me?
• 30:29
  Speaker 4: Pride in me?
• 30:31
  Speaker 7: Humiliation is the lot of the dependent, and she may
• 30:33
  Speaker 7: not oppose it.
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: Exellant Marie and Isabella right.
• 30:38
  Speaker 3: I don't know that I need trouble you with reading
• 30:40
  Speaker 3: the letters. They all come to the same.
• 30:42
  Speaker 4: Thing, a refusal.
• 30:44
  Speaker 5: Of course, I can't wonder at it.
• 30:48
  Speaker 3: Or reply with wonderful celerity. They are not disposed to
• 30:51
  Speaker 3: give poor Marie a home. The language I own is
• 30:55
  Speaker 3: most affectionate, but their refusal is most unequivocal.
• 31:00
  Speaker 5: Countess left in a world where kindness is so often
• 31:04
  Speaker 5: repaid with ingratitude, such prudent conduct is only to be commended.
• 31:12
  Speaker 5: Would we had acted like the rest.
• 31:15
  Speaker 3: The Countess de Pleurmell herself has enclosed a letter to Madie.
• 31:19
  Speaker 3: You shaw me give it to her.
• 31:21
  Speaker 5: What do you suppose was it purport?
• 31:24
  Speaker 3: I'm sure I can't say. Doubtless it contained some useless civility.
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: Re enter Marie. Right, The Countess sits apart left.
• 31:34
  Speaker 7: Uncle, I have learned by a letter from the Countess
• 31:37
  Speaker 7: the Plurmel, that you wish me no longer to remain
• 31:40
  Speaker 7: an inmate of your house.
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: Count aside faith, the letter was not even pleasant.
• 31:46
  Speaker 3: No, no, that's going a little too.
• 31:48
  Speaker 7: Far, Marie right, pray don't trouble yourself to spare my feelings.
• 31:54
  Speaker 7: The Countess says you have asked her to receive me
• 31:57
  Speaker 7: in her house. This, she stays as a possible, but
• 32:01
  Speaker 7: she adds that a Scotch lady of title resident near
• 32:05
  Speaker 7: Edinburgh is in want of a French companion and offers
• 32:09
  Speaker 7: her interest to obtain me the the situation.
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: Count Center, that's cool at any rate, goes up to
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: table right, Countess left rising.
• 32:21
  Speaker 5: Stop a moment, I can hardly believe my ears. Do
• 32:27
  Speaker 5: you mean to tell me.
• 32:29
  Speaker 13: That Madame de Plumele, one of her own relations, ask you,
• 32:36
  Speaker 13: the sole living representative of the eldest branch.
• 32:40
  Speaker 5: Of our house, to become a humble companion in a
• 32:45
  Speaker 5: strange family.
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: Marie right, even so, aunt, Countess Center.
• 32:52
  Speaker 5: Then I say, Madame de Plueumel ought to be ashamed.
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: Of herself, crosses and back to center.
• 33:02
  Speaker 5: Looky child, I was vexed with you just now and
• 33:06
  Speaker 5: spoke to you angrily, harshly, perhaps too harshly. But it
• 33:11
  Speaker 5: shall never be said of me that I allowed of
• 33:15
  Speaker 5: your shut tau to become a humble companion. No, no child.
• 33:22
  Speaker 5: If any of your relatives offer to receive you as
• 33:25
  Speaker 5: an equal, well and good. But if anything like humiliation
• 33:32
  Speaker 5: is attempted, remember that you can always have a home here,
• 33:37
  Speaker 5: always find a mother in me.
• 33:40
  Speaker 7: Marie right, thank you for these kind words. Aren't a
• 33:45
  Speaker 7: thousand times thank you? They show that, in spite of appearances,
• 33:49
  Speaker 7: your heart is not against me. But as for remaining here, no, Aunt,
• 33:56
  Speaker 7: that is impossible.
• 33:57
  Speaker 3: Oh you've actually this tripped Scotland at table.
• 34:02
  Speaker 5: This situation, which we consider so degrading, is not altogether distasteful.
• 34:10
  Speaker 5: Surely you are of you shall.
• 34:13
  Speaker 7: Tell Aunt, I shall not accept the situation. You may
• 34:17
  Speaker 7: rest assured.
• 34:18
  Speaker 5: Then, in the name of Wonder with whom do you
• 34:22
  Speaker 5: intend to live.
• 34:24
  Speaker 7: I shall live alone, live alone at your age, with
• 34:29
  Speaker 7: your name, without a fortune. I am old enough to
• 34:34
  Speaker 7: take care of myself. I have sufficient pride not to
• 34:38
  Speaker 7: disgrace my name, and I have my mother's diamonds.
• 34:42
  Speaker 5: But the whole scheme is wild, absurd, improper. I forbid
• 34:48
  Speaker 5: you to take any step of the kind.
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: Marie write center.
• 34:54
  Speaker 7: Forbid me, aunt. Do not compel me to say that
• 34:57
  Speaker 7: I am my own mistress.
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: Countess left center, do.
• 35:01
  Speaker 5: Not compel me to say that I forbid you in
• 35:06
  Speaker 5: the name of all that I have done for you.
• 35:10
  Speaker 7: Do say that, and I will answer that gratitude for
• 35:13
  Speaker 7: what you have done is the chief cause of my determination.
• 35:18
  Speaker 7: Mark me, Aunt, At this moment, your old affection for
• 35:22
  Speaker 7: me has revived. You love me now as you loved
• 35:25
  Speaker 7: me years ago. But if I remained here, the feeling
• 35:29
  Speaker 7: would again pass away. You would find me a burden.
• 35:33
  Speaker 7: Your words would again become harsh, and I, yes, I
• 35:39
  Speaker 7: might perchance forget your kindness. Let us part now, Madam,
• 35:44
  Speaker 7: now while the old affection is alive within us. Now
• 35:48
  Speaker 7: when we can shed tears at our.
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: Parting, embrace, Enter Isabella with Adolph and pant collect center.
• 35:57
  Speaker 6: Isabella right, Come, Come in your voices, Marie shall not
• 36:02
  Speaker 6: leave us. I have read that horrid letter. You threw
• 36:06
  Speaker 6: it down open. You know Marie has no right to
• 36:09
  Speaker 6: leave us, has she cousin? Adolph?
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: Adolph right center?
• 36:13
  Speaker 11: She has more than a right. It is her duty.
• 36:17
  Speaker 6: Here's a pretty assistant. A dolph, you don't know what
• 36:20
  Speaker 6: you say.
• 36:21
  Speaker 11: I do perfectly, and I speak as one of the
• 36:24
  Speaker 11: view Chateau. She ought not to accept an asylum where
• 36:28
  Speaker 11: her presence is regarded as a burthen. She ought only
• 36:32
  Speaker 11: to be here as in a word, as my wife.
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: His wife, Isabella goes up and round to write the
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: very well.
• 36:43
  Speaker 3: Said an Adolf. You seem to forget, sir.
• 36:47
  Speaker 11: I forget nothing. I know that I ought not to
• 36:51
  Speaker 11: marry her without your consent, But I know at the
• 36:54
  Speaker 11: same time that your consent ought not to be refused.
• 36:58
  Speaker 4: The capital here here.
• 37:02
  Speaker 11: What possible objection can be raised against her? She is
• 37:06
  Speaker 11: not rich?
• 37:08
  Speaker 4: Well, what of that?
• 37:09
  Speaker 11: She is one of us? And I have always been
• 37:11
  Speaker 11: taught that it is the glory of the nobility that
• 37:14
  Speaker 11: they look not to money but to birth.
• 37:18
  Speaker 3: Oh, of course, of course, there.
• 37:20
  Speaker 5: Is a great deal of sense in your remarks.
• 37:23
  Speaker 11: But still, Madame, allow me to unburthen my heart. As
• 37:28
  Speaker 11: a true view Chateau. You would have me do honor
• 37:32
  Speaker 11: to my name. Well, without Marie I am lost. I
• 37:37
  Speaker 11: know not what may become of me. I may not
• 37:40
  Speaker 11: even avoid disgrace. But with Marie.
• 37:45
  Speaker 7: Peace, peace, I implore.
• 37:46
  Speaker 11: You, no, no, let me speak, if not for your sake,
• 37:50
  Speaker 11: for my own, Marie, I see an abyss of vice
• 37:54
  Speaker 11: and folly yawning at my feet. You only can save me.
• 38:00
  Speaker 3: Well, have you arrived at the end of this eloquent discause.
• 38:04
  Speaker 5: Don't interfere. I beg you. Let Marie settle the whole business.
• 38:10
  Speaker 5: Your son's prospects are in her hands exclusively. You and
• 38:16
  Speaker 5: I are.
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: Nothing, Isabella whispers Marie at back left center.
• 38:23
  Speaker 6: Say you'll have him and settle all at once.
• 38:27
  Speaker 11: Speak, Murray speak, I implore you.
• 38:30
  Speaker 7: You know not what obstacle.
• 38:33
  Speaker 11: There can be none. Oh speak, speak and relieve me
• 38:37
  Speaker 11: from this dreadful suspense.
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: Marie with an effort, I will Adolf.
• 38:44
  Speaker 7: I have well considered your generous offer. I consult the
• 38:48
  Speaker 7: dictates of my conscience. I listen to the voice of duty,
• 38:53
  Speaker 7: and I deliberately refuse it.
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: Isabella crosses at back to right.
• 39:00
  Speaker 11: Oh, talk not of duty. Consult your heart. Let that
• 39:05
  Speaker 11: plead my cause.
• 39:07
  Speaker 7: Suppose that heart is no longer mine.
• 39:10
  Speaker 11: It is not. It is not another's.
• 39:13
  Speaker 7: I'm forced to say it is.
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: Horror covers his face. Ponte collec aside.
• 39:20
  Speaker 4: She's making him believe the most bare faced falsehood that
• 39:27
  Speaker 4: ever was uttered. But she's a great creature.
• 39:33
  Speaker 6: Farewell to all, but Marie, Marie, where are you going?
• 39:38
  Speaker 7: Question me no more? That shall remain a secret forever.
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: Tableaux the act drop falls. End of Act I, Act
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: two The World of Fashion by John Oxenford. This is
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: Act two two years are supposed to have elapsed. Scene
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: boudoir in the house of Madame de Bellarosa, furnished in
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: an exquisite style. Door in center, flat side doors and
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: two windows at side. Sofa table covered with books. Addolf
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: discovered lounging on sofa add off center.
• 40:49
  Speaker 11: Of course, the superb Martioness is not visible at this hour,
• 40:53
  Speaker 11: but I may be fortunate enough to get a message,
• 40:56
  Speaker 11: and at all events, I have left my card.
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: Enter Liz right.
• 41:01
  Speaker 14: My lady desires me to say, sir that she will
• 41:04
  Speaker 14: be happy to receive the count and Countess debu chateau.
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: At three o'clock.
• 41:09
  Speaker 14: She recollects them perfectly.
• 41:12
  Speaker 11: We are flattered.
• 41:13
  Speaker 14: She saw them in Brittany about two years ago. She
• 41:16
  Speaker 14: would have answered in writing, but the preparation for her
• 41:19
  Speaker 14: ball absorbs all her attention.
• 41:22
  Speaker 11: Naturally enough, it will be a grand affair, they.
• 41:25
  Speaker 14: Say, indeed, it will all the world, and his wife
• 41:29
  Speaker 14: will be here, the ambassador from.
• 41:32
  Speaker 11: Pegu all over guilt and jewels. Well, then I'll return
• 41:38
  Speaker 11: with my father and aunt.
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: As he is going. Enter punt Collect and the Duke Center.
• 41:44
  Speaker 11: Left, Ah, the Duc d'Anjou, and you, my old friend,
• 41:49
  Speaker 11: Ponte Collect, whom I have not seen for these hundred years.
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: Punt Collect right.
• 41:56
  Speaker 4: Two years exactly, my dear fellow, you were in England
• 42:01
  Speaker 4: when I set off for Aleppo. Whence I now return.
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: Duke Center with the title.
• 42:10
  Speaker 4: Of Console, for which I am indebted to my friend. Here,
• 42:17
  Speaker 4: I have called to thank Madame de Bellows for inviting
• 42:24
  Speaker 4: me to her ball.
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: Lizette right, will you give me your names?
• 42:28
  Speaker 14: Gentlemen?
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: Duke gives card.
• 42:31
  Speaker 4: As for me. My name is Pon Pon Pom Pom.
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: That will do, sir, exit laughing right, Adolph left aside
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: the same as ever, Duke Center.
• 42:48
  Speaker 15: If the question is not impertinent, what brings you here
• 42:52
  Speaker 15: so soon?
• 42:53
  Speaker 11: I called to solicit an audience for my father and aunt,
• 42:57
  Speaker 11: who came all the way to Paris to talk about
• 42:59
  Speaker 11: business with the brilliant marchioness.
• 43:02
  Speaker 15: Business with Madame de Bella Rose.
• 43:05
  Speaker 11: Yes, my father is interested in the new railroad and
• 43:09
  Speaker 11: must see her brother, the Director General. So the whole
• 43:13
  Speaker 11: family comes to Paris. My cousin Isabelle and all is
• 43:18
  Speaker 11: a belle, Mademoiselle isabel de rou.
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: Chatau, precisely, Duke Center.
• 43:25
  Speaker 15: A charming young person, they say, pont collect right.
• 43:30
  Speaker 4: But beautiful, lovely, sir, I have seen her since my return.
• 43:39
  Speaker 15: Duke Center, If I recollect rightly, you had another cousin.
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: Adolph left with emotion, my cousin Burrie.
• 43:48
  Speaker 15: You mean I have heard that she is very well
• 43:51
  Speaker 15: married in England.
• 43:53
  Speaker 11: It is so reported, but the report I believe is incorrect.
• 43:59
  Speaker 11: You'll excuse me, pray. I also have a little business
• 44:02
  Speaker 11: to arrange today, and I shall scarcely have time to
• 44:06
  Speaker 11: see my father at the hotel. Good morning, sir, goodbye,
• 44:11
  Speaker 11: old friend, goodbye.
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: Shakes pot collect heartily by hand.
• 44:16
  Speaker 15: Exit, Duke left, poor young fellow. He looks low spirited.
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: Sits left Center pot collect down right.
• 44:28
  Speaker 4: Yeah, Yes, he has been disappointed in love and he
• 44:34
  Speaker 4: spends too much money, and his friends bother him to marry.
• 44:42
  Speaker 15: In that last respect, he is something like me. Everybody
• 44:47
  Speaker 15: wants me to marry, And by an odd coincidence, the
• 44:52
  Speaker 15: person chosen for me by the general voice is the
• 44:55
  Speaker 15: very young lady of whom we are talking just now,
• 45:00
  Speaker 15: Momoiselle Isabel de vieue Chateau, the devil, ha ha.
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: With affected calm.
• 45:07
  Speaker 15: Oh, indeed, her fortune is immense, and as for her beauty,
• 45:13
  Speaker 15: you seem quite in rupture about it just now. I oh, oh, dear, no, no,
• 45:21
  Speaker 15: what don't you think her handsome? After all?
• 45:25
  Speaker 4: Oh? Yes, but when you talk about raptures.
• 45:31
  Speaker 15: Very likely I was mistaken for to tell you a secret.
• 45:34
  Speaker 15: Not only have I never seen Mademoiselle Isabel, but I
• 45:39
  Speaker 15: am not particularly anxious to see her at all. My
• 45:42
  Speaker 15: friends are determined that I shall marry this wealthy belle,
• 45:46
  Speaker 15: but my own views are in another direction.
• 45:50
  Speaker 4: And of course every man has a right to consult
• 45:57
  Speaker 4: his own happiness. What are friends friends? Indeed, may I
• 46:06
  Speaker 4: ask the name of the fair and.
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: Chantress Duke, both seated on ottoman right center.
• 46:15
  Speaker 15: I don't know it myself. Listen. The story is rather
• 46:19
  Speaker 15: strange about a month ago, when I was returning from
• 46:24
  Speaker 15: Italy by the railroad. I had for my companion during
• 46:27
  Speaker 15: the last part of my journey, one of those fascinating
• 46:31
  Speaker 15: creatures who win the heart at a glance, like the
• 46:34
  Speaker 15: beauties in the old story books. As she traveled alone,
• 46:39
  Speaker 15: I was able to offer her a few civilities. One
• 46:42
  Speaker 15: word led to another, and we found ourselves intimate acquaintances
• 46:46
  Speaker 15: for a whole day. When we reached Paris, we parted
• 46:51
  Speaker 15: with a remarkable mixture of modesty and dignity. She answered
• 46:54
  Speaker 15: my request to call upon her in a tone that
• 46:58
  Speaker 15: mildly reproved me for my emperor priety, and vanished.
• 47:03
  Speaker 4: And there the story ends.
• 47:07
  Speaker 15: No rises, it still continues. I was too much awe
• 47:12
  Speaker 15: stricken to follow her immediately, but I have been hunting
• 47:16
  Speaker 15: for her ever since. That she belongs to the highest class,
• 47:20
  Speaker 15: there is no doubt that she mingled with the most
• 47:22
  Speaker 15: select society was evident. But nowhere is she to be found. Oh, hark,
• 47:29
  Speaker 15: there's the voice of our brilliant martial oness. It sounds
• 47:33
  Speaker 15: rather loud too.
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: Enter Madame de Bellarosa with lazette right.
• 47:39
  Speaker 10: Nothing, absolutely nothing, my dress not come home, And there
• 47:44
  Speaker 10: you stand perfectly silent and unconcerned. That's some unfashion.
• 47:49
  Speaker 14: Directly, yes, madam aside, dear, dear, here's a life exit.
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: Right, Madame de Bellarosa crosses and back to center.
• 48:00
  Speaker 10: Pray, excuse me, gentlemen. You know how human endurance has
• 48:03
  Speaker 10: its limits. And I am annoyed beyond all bounds. Only
• 48:08
  Speaker 10: fancy the great leader of the fashion, the Princess leval
• 48:12
  Speaker 10: has sent to take me out for a drive and
• 48:15
  Speaker 10: introduced me to several friends of the highest importance. And
• 48:19
  Speaker 10: I have not a gown fit to wear my expected
• 48:22
  Speaker 10: corriage dresses.
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: Not come home, Duke left, You don't say so.
• 48:28
  Speaker 15: I only wonder you bear so heavy a calamity as well.
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: As you do Ponte Colet.
• 48:34
  Speaker 4: Right, display all all your fortitude.
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: Madame de Bellerosa sits on sofa.
• 48:43
  Speaker 10: I will, I will brace my nerves to meet the
• 48:46
  Speaker 10: extigency of the occasion. Ah, there's a footstep.
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: All listen with feigned anxiety.
• 48:53
  Speaker 10: Perhaps it is the dress, after all.
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: Ah.
• 48:57
  Speaker 10: If Mademoiselle Valley were but punctual, she would be the
• 49:00
  Speaker 10: most perfect being in the universe. Sits, but she can't.
• 49:05
  Speaker 10: She is in such general request that she is literally
• 49:07
  Speaker 10: torn to pieces. You know Mademoiselle Valerie.
• 49:10
  Speaker 15: Of course I have heard of her, A celebrated dressmaker.
• 49:15
  Speaker 10: Dressmaker indeed, what an imperfect expression to denote the greatest
• 49:20
  Speaker 10: genius of the age. No, Valerie is neither a dressmaker
• 49:24
  Speaker 10: nor milliner, but both together and a thousand things. Besides,
• 49:29
  Speaker 10: she is the vary incarnation of exquisite taste.
• 49:32
  Speaker 4: I should like to see her.
• 49:35
  Speaker 10: A potent enchantress, that whose magic touch the most awkward country.
• 49:39
  Speaker 10: Dame becomes a model of elegance.
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: Ah starts up and listens again.
• 49:45
  Speaker 10: No, thank goodness, I have a strong mind.
• 49:49
  Speaker 4: We can see that plainly.
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: Madame de Bellarosa all sit.
• 49:55
  Speaker 10: I only hope and trust that Valeria is not engaged
• 49:58
  Speaker 10: by that dreadful Madame de Bois dreadful?
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: Oh, why so, Madame de Bella Rosa rises.
• 50:06
  Speaker 10: Oh, that woman is my aversion. Wherever I go, she
• 50:09
  Speaker 10: seems to stand in my way, saying, look at me,
• 50:13
  Speaker 10: I am the wife of a millionaire, always intrusive, always
• 50:17
  Speaker 10: showing her diamonds, A very genius of tasteless ostentation. I
• 50:22
  Speaker 10: only wonder she doesn't wear a gown made of bank notes.
• 50:26
  Speaker 15: Duke rises, Well, I'm sorry to find you so prepossessed
• 50:30
  Speaker 15: against poor Madame du Bois, for her husband happens to
• 50:34
  Speaker 15: be my banker, and in answer to his very pressing request,
• 50:39
  Speaker 15: I promised that I would get for him an invitation
• 50:41
  Speaker 15: to your ball.
• 50:43
  Speaker 10: You know, my Lord Duke, I would not willingly disoblige
• 50:46
  Speaker 10: any friend of yours. But when it comes to inviting
• 50:49
  Speaker 10: Madame du Bois my.
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: Ball, enter Lizette, right, second entrance.
• 50:54
  Speaker 14: The dress has arrived, Madame, Oh blissful tidings.
• 50:58
  Speaker 10: Excuse me, gentlemen.
• 50:59
  Speaker 15: May I I trust that you will relent a little
• 51:02
  Speaker 15: in favor of poor Madame du Bois.
• 51:05
  Speaker 10: As you value my friendship. Never mentioned that hard woman's
• 51:08
  Speaker 10: name in my presence.
• 51:10
  Speaker 15: Then I take my lead.
• 51:12
  Speaker 4: Good morning, Maybe the gown answer your most sanguine expectations.
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: Exitan center off right, Madame de Bella Rosa, right.
• 51:26
  Speaker 10: Come at last, Come at last, delightful mind, Liza, I'm
• 51:32
  Speaker 10: at home to nobody, not even the ambassador of pengu.
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: Exit left at home.
• 51:39
  Speaker 14: I should think not. Indeed, I should like to encounter
• 51:43
  Speaker 14: the daring marble who would venture to approach my lady
• 51:46
  Speaker 14: when she was trying on a new dress. Goodness, gracious,
• 51:49
  Speaker 14: there's a footstep already. What can the people downstairs have
• 51:53
  Speaker 14: been about to let anyone pass?
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: Enter? Count Countess and Isabella center right, Count center.
• 52:02
  Speaker 3: Young woman, will you have the kindness to tell Madame
• 52:06
  Speaker 3: de Bella Rose that the Count and Countess de villere
• 52:09
  Speaker 3: Chetiere here.
• 52:10
  Speaker 1: Lizette right.
• 52:12
  Speaker 14: I'm sorry to say, sir, it can't be done.
• 52:15
  Speaker 3: You're here by appointment, but at.
• 52:17
  Speaker 14: This moment my lady is particularly busy.
• 52:20
  Speaker 3: Count coldly, you would have the kindness to deliver my message.
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: Exit Lizette right, Countess left center throws herself on sofa.
• 52:31
  Speaker 5: Well, these are Parisian manners, I suppose, not visible even
• 52:38
  Speaker 5: to a view chateaux.
• 52:40
  Speaker 6: Isabella left, Perhaps Aunt, there is some mistake impossible.
• 52:47
  Speaker 5: When we reached our hotel, we found a note written
• 52:50
  Speaker 5: by Adolph expressly stating that he had called on Madame
• 52:56
  Speaker 5: de Belluse and she would be ready to receive us
• 53:00
  Speaker 5: at three o'clock.
• 53:02
  Speaker 3: Of course it was plain enough.
• 53:03
  Speaker 5: He added that we were to bring Isabelle with us,
• 53:08
  Speaker 5: as Madame Belle Rose particularly desired to make her acquaintance,
• 53:14
  Speaker 5: and now the view chateau ought to be kept waiting.
• 53:18
  Speaker 3: Well, well, never mind, sister, calm your feelings and look
• 53:23
  Speaker 3: as pleasant as you can.
• 53:25
  Speaker 5: Pleasant when I'm perfectly furious.
• 53:28
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, keep your fury to yourself, and don't let
• 53:32
  Speaker 3: it loose till we are out of the house. You know,
• 53:35
  Speaker 3: I must see the lady's brother this very evening.
• 53:38
  Speaker 5: And therefore all sorts of indignities are to be endured
• 53:43
  Speaker 5: by a view chateau.
• 53:45
  Speaker 3: My dear sister, there's a time for everything. Tomorrow I
• 53:50
  Speaker 3: will be as dignified as you please. But to day
• 53:53
  Speaker 3: I'm a man of business, and to business everything else
• 53:56
  Speaker 3: must give way.
• 53:57
  Speaker 4: Ah.
• 53:58
  Speaker 5: It's by what you call buses that we are to
• 54:01
  Speaker 5: be nearly ruined.
• 54:03
  Speaker 3: True, and therefore business must set all right again. My
• 54:08
  Speaker 3: last speculation was indeed unlucky, nay disastrous, even more disastrous
• 54:14
  Speaker 3: than you imagine, For I have not early mortgaged or
• 54:17
  Speaker 3: my owned property, but availing myself with the power placed
• 54:21
  Speaker 3: in my hands, I have mortgaged Adolf's estate.
• 54:24
  Speaker 5: Too good heavens.
• 54:26
  Speaker 3: So for the present we must keep our dignity in
• 54:29
  Speaker 3: our pockets. If I can prevail on Madame de Bella's
• 54:32
  Speaker 3: brother to allow the new railway to cross my.
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: Estate enter Adolph Center, we shall not.
• 54:39
  Speaker 3: Only be saved, but we shall be affluent, and then, oh,
• 54:43
  Speaker 3: then we shall have ample leisure to be as noble
• 54:46
  Speaker 3: as you please.
• 54:47
  Speaker 11: Welcome to Paris, aunt, and you father and Isabel. So
• 54:52
  Speaker 11: you received my note and are already waiting in the
• 54:56
  Speaker 11: porch of the Temple of Taste and Elegance, Countess left center.
• 55:01
  Speaker 5: Why did you not wait for us at the hotel?
• 55:05
  Speaker 11: I was engaged in a matter of pressing business. I
• 55:08
  Speaker 11: had lost a large sum of money at play, Count right,
• 55:12
  Speaker 11: for shame, Adam, oh, I keep no secrets from you. Father.
• 55:18
  Speaker 11: I gave you fair warning that if you would not
• 55:20
  Speaker 11: allow me to fill up my time with the duties
• 55:23
  Speaker 11: of a profession, I should get into mischief. And I
• 55:27
  Speaker 11: have kept my promise.
• 55:28
  Speaker 5: And after all, even if your chateau may play.
• 55:33
  Speaker 11: To bring my story to an end, I could not
• 55:36
  Speaker 11: pay what I lost without borrowing money on the title
• 55:40
  Speaker 11: deeds of my farm. Well, these had been duly deposited
• 55:44
  Speaker 11: with the honest gentleman, whose business it is to aid
• 55:47
  Speaker 11: imprudent young fellows in distress. The gaming debt is paid
• 55:52
  Speaker 11: in the honor of the view chateaus, without stain or blemish.
• 55:56
  Speaker 3: And I boggage the firm already, what an a bit
• 56:00
  Speaker 3: of disgrace?
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: Shall we sink goes up? Countess sits left center?
• 56:07
  Speaker 5: But you have no news to tell us after your
• 56:09
  Speaker 5: long absence. What did you do in England?
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: Adolph sits pray?
• 56:16
  Speaker 11: Don't allude to that journey, madam, or I shall find
• 56:19
  Speaker 11: the task of keeping up my spirits more difficult than ever.
• 56:24
  Speaker 4: Oh.
• 56:24
  Speaker 5: I am perfectly aware that you went to look after Marie,
• 56:29
  Speaker 5: but I thought that now you had conquered that boyish following.
• 56:34
  Speaker 11: You were right. My heart is now as free as ever.
• 56:38
  Speaker 11: But still as Marie is our relative, I felt bound
• 56:42
  Speaker 11: to make some enquiry about her.
• 56:44
  Speaker 5: And what has been the result of your inquiries?
• 56:48
  Speaker 11: Absolutely nothing. I called on the lady in Scotland, but
• 56:53
  Speaker 11: she had not seen her. I looked about everywhere, but
• 56:58
  Speaker 11: it was all in vain. So I suppose we shall
• 57:02
  Speaker 11: never see or hear of her again.
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: Isabella timidly, who has gone up and round?
• 57:09
  Speaker 6: Oh it's not quite so bad as.
• 57:10
  Speaker 1: That crosses to center.
• 57:13
  Speaker 5: You know.
• 57:13
  Speaker 6: I have had two birthdays since she left us. Well,
• 57:17
  Speaker 6: on each of these I have received a handkerchief exquisitely
• 57:20
  Speaker 6: embroidered with my own initials and a border of forget
• 57:23
  Speaker 6: me nots.
• 57:24
  Speaker 1: Adolph right center.
• 57:27
  Speaker 11: But why do you suppose it comes from.
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: Her Isabella left center?
• 57:32
  Speaker 6: Oh, those who know maurice work can recognize it like
• 57:35
  Speaker 6: a handwriting.
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: Enter Lizette right.
• 57:39
  Speaker 14: Oh, dear dear, here's a calamity. The dress won't fit.
• 57:43
  Speaker 1: Count right center.
• 57:45
  Speaker 3: I suppose we can see your mistress now.
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: Lizette right now.
• 57:51
  Speaker 14: Bless me, sir. The chance is worse.
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: Than ever, Countess left.
• 57:56
  Speaker 5: Really, this is too much.
• 57:59
  Speaker 14: My lady will be more. I was happy to see
• 58:01
  Speaker 14: you in the evening.
• 58:02
  Speaker 1: Count Rite center, but my petition must be presented this afternoon.
• 58:07
  Speaker 14: Pray excuse me. I have all sorts of things to find.
• 58:11
  Speaker 14: What will my poor lady do?
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: Runs to center?
• 58:14
  Speaker 14: Mind down there, My lady is home to nobody, nobody
• 58:18
  Speaker 14: but the princess La Belle.
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: Exit right, Countess crosses right center.
• 58:24
  Speaker 5: Well, business or no business? I think after an outrage
• 58:29
  Speaker 5: like this, we ought not remain another moment.
• 58:33
  Speaker 11: Pray keep your temper, madam. I assure you the fair
• 58:37
  Speaker 11: marchioness means no offense. A Parisian leader of fashion whose
• 58:42
  Speaker 11: dress does not fit must be pardoned.
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: Everything count sits at table.
• 58:49
  Speaker 3: Well, let's see what writing will do?
• 58:52
  Speaker 1: Goes up to table.
• 58:53
  Speaker 5: Oh, I can tell you that beforehand, Madame belaruse won't
• 58:58
  Speaker 5: read your letter, and there will be one insult.
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: More Isabella at window.
• 59:05
  Speaker 6: Look, look, her carriage has stopped at the door. There's
• 59:09
  Speaker 6: such a fine lady alighting.
• 59:11
  Speaker 11: Good we shall have the pleasure of seeing her sent
• 59:14
  Speaker 11: to the right about rank, wealth, beauty are alike unable
• 59:20
  Speaker 11: to cross yon sacred threshold. To the rights of the
• 59:24
  Speaker 11: toilette have been duly solemnized.
• 59:27
  Speaker 6: Now the door is closed, the outworks are passed. There's
• 59:31
  Speaker 6: a footstep on the stairs.
• 59:33
  Speaker 5: Up left, child, your ears must deceive you.
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: Up center. Enter Marie, elegantly dressed center, speaking without.
• 59:44
  Speaker 7: No, No, you need not announce me. You know I'm
• 59:47
  Speaker 7: sure to be admitted. Ray, Adolf, Aunt, Uncle Isabelle. Oh here, Oh,
• 59:54
  Speaker 7: how delightful to see you after so long an absence.
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: Isabella left.
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 6: Why Marie, my own dear Marie, you are handsomer than.
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: Ever Adulph left.
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 11: That's true at any rate.
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 6: Aside, but what have you been doing with yourself all
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 6: this time?
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 1: Yes?
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 7: What, nothing of which I have any reason to be ashamed?
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 6: Oh that of course, But what a duck of a bonnet,
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 6: and what a dress? And how cheerful you look, you
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 6: are not poor now at any rate. Oh, I see
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 6: you have married somebody who is very, very rich.
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: Ah, Marie aside.
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 7: He was moved, his color changed.
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 6: But rich or poor, there is no use in your
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 6: coming here, Madame de Bella Rose can't see anyone, ask aunt.
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 7: So you have settled that point?
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: Have you enter? Lizette? Right, Lizette seeing Marie you here?
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 14: Oh this is fortunate. My mistress will be so delighted to.
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: See you going. Count and Countess endeavoring to detain her.
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 14: But but but now pray for goodness sake, don't hinder me.
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 14: I must carry the good news at once.
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: Exit right, Isabella left center.
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 6: Why Marie, you seem to be on very intimate terms
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 6: with this exclusive marchioness Marie center.
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 7: Yes, I am rather intimate.
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: Countess right to you.
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 5: It seems she's always at home, always.
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: Count down, write center, and you you have some influence with.
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 7: Her, Perhaps I have a little.
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: Isabella crosses to right center.
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 6: Then pray put this paper into her hands. My uncle
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 6: attaches great importance to it.
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 5: Isabelle, a Count de v Chateau is not in the
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 5: habit of soliciting favors.
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 3: Really, I cannot suffer.
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 7: You cannot suffer me to do you a service. Then,
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 7: most respected uncle, I venture to disobey.
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 15: You.
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 7: Give me the paper.
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: Isabelle takes it.
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 3: But it is a petition that must be presented this
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 3: very afternoon.
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 7: It shall be presented, never fear, But I must have
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 7: an audience this evening. You shall, you shall leave all
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 7: to me. It would be hard if I could not
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 7: make myself a little useful at last, when I was
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 7: so long a heavy encumbrance.
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 3: Encumbrance, my dear many countess.
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 5: Right there, you go too far, not at.
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: All crossing to center.
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 7: Depend upon it. A poor relation is an eyesol that
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 7: ought to be kept out of sight as much as possible.
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 7: Perhaps some unfortunate cousin who is very far removed in
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 7: every sense of the word, who writes one a distressing
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 7: letter at very long intervals, and to whom one occasionally
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 7: sends a small remittance likewise at very long intervals. I say,
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 7: such a person may not be altogether insufferable, But a
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 7: poor relation resident at one's house, occupying a definite room,
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 7: taking a constant place at one's table, having a certain
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 7: fixed allowance, payable monthly or quarterly. Such a person is,
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 7: I say, an encumbrance of the most oppressive kind? And
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 7: such a person was.
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: I no, no, no, Lazette appearing.
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 14: This way, this way, My lady is dying to see you.
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 7: Very good crosses to right rely upon me, uncle, to
• 1:03:46
  Speaker 7: atone for the past, as far as I possibly can.
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: Exit right, count left center.
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 3: That girl must be in a wonderful position to afford
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 3: to talk in that way, Countess right center.
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 5: So much sense in her remarks too, and she wears
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 5: her dignity so easily. Ah, I always felt she was
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 5: a worthy sion of the view.
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: Chateau takes stage two left enter, pot collect center, Ah.
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 6: Monsieur de ponti lac. What do you think Marie is here?
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: My dear cousin, Marie pot collect right center.
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yes, I'm aware. I saw her carriage.
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 1: Count right, her carriage, Oh, the carriage is her?
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 3: Heard then of.
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: Course it is Isabella left center, of.
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 6: Course it is. I can solve the mystery, don't you
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 6: recollect the order? Madame de Bellar Rose would be at
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 6: home to nobody but the Princess Laval. Well, you see,
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 6: Marie walks in without impediment, so it follows that she
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 6: has married the Prince Laval, and is the princess in question?
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: Adolf right aside, Ah, it must be so well, but
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 1: granted all this, who is a Prince Laval?
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 3: There's no minister of that.
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 5: Name, possibly an ambassador.
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 4: Don't trouble yourself about that. Marie is not.
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 1: Married, Adolf joyfully not married?
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 5: Oh, rapture, I see she is a widow.
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 6: Do do say something?
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 4: I as assure you it's no so easy, but as
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 4: you you must know it at at last you may
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 4: as well know it now.
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 6: Do go on?
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 4: Well, then learn to your infinite surprise that ah, here
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 4: comes Madame de Bellose, and she can tell you much
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 4: better than I.
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: Enter Madame de bellar Rosa in another dress, Madame de Bellarosa, right,
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 1: talking off.
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 10: Make yourself perfectly easy, my dear ah Monchiur Adolph.
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 1: Adolph crosses to right, center, presenting others.
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 11: My father, my aunt, my cousin.
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: Madame de bellar Rosa crosses to center.
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 10: I'm not mighty to see you, ray be seated, be assured,
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 10: my dear count. Then I will give you a note
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 10: to my brother with my own hands.
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 3: A thousand thanks, nay.
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 10: Rather thank your fair advocate sits when she request refusals impossible.
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: All look at each other.
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 10: After I have kept you so long waiting, it seems
• 1:07:10
  Speaker 10: hard to hurry you away so soon. But I know
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 10: you will excuse me, as it is solely on your
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 10: account that I am in a hurry.
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: Lizette appears at back of stage with bonnet and shawl.
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 10: Oh, Madame, I shall proceed at once to my brothers,
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 10: and Lizette. Oh, when the Princess Laval calls, make her
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 10: a thousand apologies and tell her she will find me
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 10: at my brother's Adolph right.
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 11: Pardon me, Madame, but it's not the Princess Laval with
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 11: you now.
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: With me now where all but Ponte collect pointing right
• 1:07:50
  Speaker 1: what in that room?
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 10: Bless my heart, that's a much more important person than
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 10: the Princess Laval.
• 1:07:57
  Speaker 1: All but Ponte coleet, who chuckles more. Indeed, Madame de
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 1: Bella Rosa right center.
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 10: That lady has not her equal in the world.
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: Count left center aside to Countess, tell her that she
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 1: is our niece.
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 10: Her position is the most exalted that can be imagined.
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 10: Marchioness's Duchess's princesses are at her feet. They talk of
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 10: no one else as for me. I don't know what
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 10: I wouldn't do for her, especially after her kindness in
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 10: calling upon me to day.
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 3: Only think she, who.
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 10: Scarcely ever goes out at all, that she should come
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 10: to me without being requested to? Ah, that is a distinction.
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 10: What will the Duchess the muffleur say when she hears of.
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: That Count whispers to Countess tell her that she is
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: our niece at once?
• 1:08:49
  Speaker 10: Do you know that there is such a superiority of manner,
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 10: such a tone about her, that I am often inclined
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 10: to fancy she is one of us and for her
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 10: genius only look at this dress? Is not when Larry
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 10: plainly written in every scene, could such a triumph have
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 10: been produced by any other dressmaker in Paris?
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 1: General surprise, But excuse me, it is about your business.
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 10: Then I go, and I hope shortly to send you
• 1:09:17
  Speaker 10: the very best of news.
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: Exit center. As soon as she is gone, the Count
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: throws himself on a sofa, the Countess on another. Adolf
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: hides his face in his hands. Isabella holds a scent
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: bottle to her aunt's nose. Pont colect looks calm, Count right,
• 1:09:38
  Speaker 1: the discraceful.
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 6: Girl, Oh dear, oh, dear infamost unfeeling unworthy.
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: Aunt, Aunt Adolf up right here in Paris, while I
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: was searching all over England some powerful attraction, doubtless pot
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: Co left center.
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 4: If I could only sp speak.
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 1: Count rises to bring this dish on our family, Isabella left.
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 6: At any rate, Aunt. She has not revealed her.
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: Name, Countess left center.
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 5: Her name child? It is her name.
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 3: No longer, certainly not.
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 5: Who knows what sort of life she has been leading
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 5: for the last two.
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 16: Years, Madam speak, I must, whether I can or no,
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 16: I cannot hear the noblest creature in the world thus abominably.
• 1:10:49
  Speaker 1: Aside, well done.
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 4: I always go on smoothly when I'm in a rage.
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 4: You want to know what Marie has been doing for
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 4: the last two years, Well, I'll tell you. She came
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 4: here here to Paris without a single friend in the world,
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 4: and for the first six months she lived in a
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 4: wretched garret, working at the rate of fifteen hours a day,
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 4: wearing out her fingers and her eyes to make the
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 4: fortune of some famous Marchion des Moude, while she herself
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 4: was almost starving. A last a friend discovered her in
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 4: her miserable retreat and advanced her enough. He was very little,
• 1:11:34
  Speaker 4: but still enough to set her up in business.
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: Adolph, right center. And that friend was starting up Ponte
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: collect Center.
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 4: I don't know, probably a lover, certainly not there now,
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 4: you see, he has interrupted me. And when once I
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 4: dropped the thread of my discourse, I fine, it so
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 4: defolish hard to pick up. What has she been doing, you.
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: Ask, Countess left center.
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 5: She has been cutting out dresses for customers. What could
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 5: be more disgraceful than that for a.
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: Your shutateau Ponte collect Center.
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 4: Well, all the time she was with you, she cut
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 4: out your dresses. You were her customers then, And the
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 4: only difference between you and the others is that they
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 4: pay her handsomely, and you made her work for nothing, sir.
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 6: Well, when a stammering gentleman begins to speak, he can
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 6: go on.
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 11: Indeed, sir, the manner in which you undertake her defense.
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 4: Well, if I defend her badly, I'm sorry for it.
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 4: But as her family casts her off, defend her I will.
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 4: I love her as a sister, and I honor her
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 4: independent spirits.
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 1: And and Isabella crosses left center.
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 6: For goodness sake, be silent here she comes.
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: Adolph aside.
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 11: She has abandoned me for another. But who can it be?
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: Goes up right, enter Marie right, Isabelle approaches her, Isabella
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: crossing to her, whispers, they know all aunt, Uncle Countess left.
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 5: Girl the view chateau.
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: Disown you, Marie Center.
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 7: But Aunt uncle Adolph, where is the crime? I have committed.
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 5: The greatest of enormities, made me an aunt to a
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 5: dress maker.
• 1:13:58
  Speaker 1: Count right, shocking, shocking?
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 5: What would you have me do?
• 1:14:04
  Speaker 7: When I was dependent? You regarded me as a burden.
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 7: I make myself independent and you shun me as a disgrace.
• 1:14:13
  Speaker 1: Isabella right center, Not I, Marie, not I going to her?
• 1:14:19
  Speaker 4: Thanks?
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 7: Thanks, But is there no other voice?
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 1: Glancing at Adolf that.
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 7: Will echo those kind words? No? No, I glanced from
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 7: face to face, still the same chilling look, as if
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 7: all remembrances were quite quite dead.
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 12: Aunt.
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 7: When I took leave of you two long years ago,
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 7: there was still affection in your tone. The change is
• 1:14:45
  Speaker 7: so great.
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 5: You your self are the cause of it, as you
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 5: may be perfectly aware.
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: Crosses to center.
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 5: Farewell, Marie. May we never meet again. Isabel Remember you
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 5: are still of y chateau.
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: Exit with count and Isabella Center. I wish I wasn't
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: exit center. Adolph, following he lingers.
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 7: He would speak. He at least has a heart above
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 7: these cold courtesies.
• 1:15:27
  Speaker 1: Adolph, detain me not false false false rushes off after
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 1: the rest he gone too.
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 7: Oh my heart will.
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: Break sinks in chair left center and is supported by
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 1: Ponte collect end of the second act. End of Act two,
• 1:16:04
  Speaker 1: Act three of the World of Fashion by John Oxenford.
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Act three see the showroom of
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: a fashionable milner and dressmaker. A door in centre, flat
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: and two doors on each side, table chairs, and all
• 1:16:38
  Speaker 1: the appurtenances of the trade. Marie discovered at a large table,
• 1:16:47
  Speaker 1: drawing the pattern of address.
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 7: Rejected, despised after a separation for two tedious years. The
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 7: dressmaker is not worthy to be deemed a member of
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 7: the family of your chateau. For what was I born?
• 1:17:04
  Speaker 1: Isabella runs in right.
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 6: I must and will see her Isabelle.
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 7: You then do not abandon me like the rest.
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 6: Oh, don't talk to me about the rest. I have
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 6: no patience with them. So you have turned milliner and dressmaker. Ah, well,
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 6: so much the better. I can call upon you every day,
• 1:17:25
  Speaker 6: What a number of new dresses I shall wear? But
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 6: I say, Marie, what a scene we had yesterday? My
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 6: aunt and uncle came home, both in a tremendous rage,
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 6: but more particularly my aunt.
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 7: Yes, I would have rushed into their arms, but as
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 7: you know, they haughtily left the room, declaring they would
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 7: never see me again. This I bore, for my eye
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 7: rested on Adolph, and I had hopes, well well, hopes
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 7: that was soon to be crushed. For Adolph darted on
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 7: me a look of concentrated rage and despair, and then
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 7: vanished with the others, leaving me with a sense of
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 7: loneliness I never before knew.
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 6: And yet you were not quite alone. Monsieur de pont
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 6: Lac remained with you, ay, and I tell you that
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 6: before you quitted the Marchioness's dressing room, he defended you
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 6: in the most gallant fashion and never stuttered at all.
• 1:18:22
  Speaker 7: You are not jealous, I hope, Isabelle jealous?
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 6: Indeed, what do I care for? Monsieur de pont Lac.
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 7: Take care, Isabelle. I have not forgotten Brittany.
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 6: Well, then, as you are my best friend, I don't
• 1:18:36
  Speaker 6: mind telling you that I always loved Monsieur de pont
• 1:18:39
  Speaker 6: Lac a little, very little, But now that I have
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 6: heard him take your part, I love him a great deal.
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 1: Enter ponte collect unobserved, door in flat pont collect right,
• 1:18:53
  Speaker 1: comes forward.
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 4: I am the happiest of men.
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: Isabella, No, no, you are not.
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 6: You have no right to be the happiest of men.
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: Marie left fairly court, Isabelle.
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 6: Not at all caught. It's not fair. It's very shocking. Goodbye,
• 1:19:14
  Speaker 6: I won't stay another moment.
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: Runs off. Door in flat.
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 7: Well, I hope you are satisfied of the truth.
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: Now put collect right.
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 4: I'm so delighted. I don't know where I am. You know,
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 4: circumstances are not so bad as they were in Brittany.
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 4: Thanks to the good offices of my friend the Duke Donjo,
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 4: I turned my post of council at Aleppo to no
• 1:19:50
  Speaker 4: small profits, and.
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 7: You generously employed a portion of your little fortune.
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 4: No more of that. Let's talk of something else. Do
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 4: you know? Very unpleasant reports are afloat about your proud relations.
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 7: Oh I trust not?
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 4: Yes, something about a mancheur Gregoire. As I am acquainted
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 4: with the man I have written to know what it
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 4: all means and to offer my services. He will send
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 4: his answer here. So if I am absent, you will
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 4: open the letter. Ah, I see you are at work
• 1:20:31
  Speaker 4: as usual. You never repose, father.
• 1:20:34
  Speaker 7: Say, I am taking the only repose within my power.
• 1:20:37
  Speaker 7: In my daily occupation, I find the best solace for
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 7: all my troubles and mortifications. I may confess as much
• 1:20:44
  Speaker 7: to you, to whose advice and to whose money I
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 7: am indebted for everything.
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 4: Money. To talk about money, when you paid me so
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 4: long ago, the.
• 1:20:55
  Speaker 7: Kindness can never be repaid.
• 1:20:58
  Speaker 11: Ah.
• 1:20:58
  Speaker 7: To think that when I first resolve to gain my livelihood,
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 7: I seem to be taking such a fearful step, to
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 7: be acting less from conviction than from despair, And that
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 7: now I am not only resigned to my vocation, but
• 1:21:13
  Speaker 7: even regarded with a sort of pride.
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 4: I can easily understand.
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 7: That only those who have passed the whole life in
• 1:21:21
  Speaker 7: dependence upon others, only those who have never had a
• 1:21:26
  Speaker 7: home they can call their own, can fully appreciate the
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 7: value of freedom, the surpassing delight of saying I depend
• 1:21:34
  Speaker 7: on myself alone. In the old times, I often dreamed
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 7: of liberty. Now the reality far exceeds the dream. Now,
• 1:21:43
  Speaker 7: by the blessing of heaven has this establishment purchased that
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 7: so moderate a price prospered under my hands? And of
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 7: what happiness has it been the cause? The tedium of
• 1:21:56
  Speaker 7: idleness has been succeeded by the pleasures of an active existence.
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 7: Poverty has been succeeded by opulence. Opulence honorably acquired when
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 7: I first entered this splendid house and ascended my broad staircase.
• 1:22:11
  Speaker 7: How could I be otherwise than proud, as I exclaimed,
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 7: this is mine. This was gained by me when I
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 7: first drove in my own carriage. Though for me it
• 1:22:24
  Speaker 7: is an article not of luxury but of absolute necessity.
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 7: I was foolish enough to be half wild with joy
• 1:22:31
  Speaker 7: and again exclaimed, this too is mine, This was gained
• 1:22:36
  Speaker 7: by me. And then sometimes when I indulge in these
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 7: vain thoughts, I suddenly grow shamed and feel half afraid
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 7: lest the shades of my ancestors should.
• 1:22:48
  Speaker 1: Overhear me absurd.
• 1:22:51
  Speaker 7: Nay, you recollect the scene of yesterday with what energy?
• 1:22:55
  Speaker 7: The whole family bade me farewell.
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 4: Forever well if it would be any constellation. I could
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 4: mention one of the family who is very anxious to
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 4: see you again, my aunt. No, no, that's a very
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 4: bad guess.
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: Marie left agitated. It cannot possibly be Adolph pont collect right.
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 4: Yes it can, and yes it is. Ah mind, he's
• 1:23:26
  Speaker 4: in a great rage. But he wants to see you,
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 4: and he intends to come for the last time, of course,
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 4: but when there are two last.
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 7: Times, what can he have to say?
• 1:23:39
  Speaker 4: Ah about that? I am as curious as you, so
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 4: when he comes, you'll be here. On the contrary, I'll
• 1:23:49
  Speaker 4: get out of the way.
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 1: Hush, there's a voice Adolph behind scenes.
• 1:23:55
  Speaker 4: Is Mademoiselle Valerie within Huh, there he is. If you'll
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 4: allow me, I'll step into the other room and chat
• 1:24:04
  Speaker 4: with your young ladies. A hah with them. I am
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 4: always at home, for if my own speech comes to
• 1:24:13
  Speaker 4: a stand still, they have enough talk of their own
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 4: to supply every deficiency.
• 1:24:21
  Speaker 7: Exit right, what can this visit portend?
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 1: Enter Adolf door in flat.
• 1:24:28
  Speaker 7: Ah, you are here. I was informed by Monsieur de
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 7: ponteleect that you desire to.
• 1:24:33
  Speaker 11: See me, Yes, for the last time. He said that also,
• 1:24:38
  Speaker 11: I felt that I owed you an explanation of my
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 11: conduct yesterday.
• 1:24:42
  Speaker 7: Nay, it seemed to me that the motives of the
• 1:24:44
  Speaker 7: whole family were perfectly clear.
• 1:24:47
  Speaker 11: Not so, Marie, yesterday. When I turned away from you
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 11: like the rest, it was not from a feeling of pride.
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 11: If I was harsh, even cruel, towards you, it was
• 1:24:59
  Speaker 11: because I mad with love and jealousy. When my aunt
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 11: and my father regarded you with scorn, it was because
• 1:25:07
  Speaker 11: they regarded your present calling as a discredit to our order,
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 11: as a violation of the laws of caste. But I
• 1:25:16
  Speaker 11: was enraged because I regarded it as the proof of
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 11: your love for another. The whole, frightful truth was revealed
• 1:25:24
  Speaker 11: to me at once, while I was in England, endeavoring
• 1:25:28
  Speaker 11: to discover my hated rival and to snatch my only
• 1:25:32
  Speaker 11: treasure from his grasp.
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 7: Can this be true?
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 11: It is true, true that I was a fool, a madman,
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 11: But I am mad no longer. In search of him,
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 11: my rival, I left France while he was expecting you
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 11: in Paris, here where he loaded you with his his assistance,
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 11: Marie aside, Can I allow.
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 7: Him to harbor this delusive thought?
• 1:25:59
  Speaker 1: No allowed.
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 7: Listen, Adolf, I have always spoken the truth, and I
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 7: shall do so now he whom I love, Nay, do
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 7: not start He who my love has never received anything
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 7: from seated me that would justify him in making me
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 7: an offer of his fortune in the name of our
• 1:26:20
  Speaker 7: friendship from early years. I swear that I owe him nothing.
• 1:26:24
  Speaker 11: But even this friendship to which you appeal takes alarm
• 1:26:28
  Speaker 11: at this position in which you are placed, in which
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 11: exposes you to the importunities of every Coxcomb.
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 7: Do not be uneasy. I know how to defend myself. Besides,
• 1:26:40
  Speaker 7: I have a talisman.
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 1: Here lays her hand upon her heart.
• 1:26:45
  Speaker 11: Oh yes, of course I am aware of that.
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 4: Ah.
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 7: I forgot that the avowal would give you pain.
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 11: Not at all, not at all. One must grow used
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 11: to these sensations.
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: This man you love, let us talk no more about him,
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 1: Marie aside he.
• 1:27:04
  Speaker 7: Little thinks how hard it is to be silent.
• 1:27:07
  Speaker 11: Of course he is here in Paris, he is, He
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 11: has followed you hither he has, and you still love him. Oh, yes, yes,
• 1:27:18
  Speaker 11: and he.
• 1:27:19
  Speaker 7: His love is beyond a doubt.
• 1:27:21
  Speaker 5: Bye.
• 1:27:22
  Speaker 1: But it is not like mine. No, it cannot cannot be.
• 1:27:29
  Speaker 11: Oh, if you but knew all, why have I plunged
• 1:27:33
  Speaker 11: so deep into folly? And dissipation, to lose all remembrance
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 11: of you. But my efforts have been in vain. Directly,
• 1:27:43
  Speaker 11: I behold you again. The dream of pleasure has vanished,
• 1:27:47
  Speaker 11: and I feel that you alone are worthy of devotion.
• 1:27:51
  Speaker 11: And yet I owe you neither love nor faith. I
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 11: owe you nothing, for I am nothing in your Marie? Marie?
• 1:28:03
  Speaker 11: Why did you reject me? Why did you declare that
• 1:28:07
  Speaker 11: for me happiness in this life should be unattainable?
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 7: Adolph?
• 1:28:12
  Speaker 11: But you were right. You could not have acted otherwise,
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 11: for you did not love me.
• 1:28:17
  Speaker 7: Why so quick to arrive at that conclusion? You think
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 7: that I can wholly forget how you offered to share
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 7: your existence with me when I was poor and all
• 1:28:26
  Speaker 7: wish to cast me aside as an encumbrance. Oh you
• 1:28:30
  Speaker 7: know not what I felt when you so generously offered me.
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 11: Your hand, A hand that you rejected.
• 1:28:36
  Speaker 7: Because it was my duty to do so. But Adolf,
• 1:28:41
  Speaker 7: if I cannot be your wife, I can still be
• 1:28:43
  Speaker 7: your sister. You forget that you have been too hasty,
• 1:28:47
  Speaker 7: too cruel?
• 1:28:48
  Speaker 11: I have I have? You were always right, Marie? How
• 1:28:53
  Speaker 11: shall I atone for my fault.
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 7: By promising that you will regard me as your truest friend,
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 7: that you will confide every grief to me, that you
• 1:29:02
  Speaker 7: will do nothing without consulting me.
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 11: But will he he you know whom I mean? Will
• 1:29:10
  Speaker 11: he suffer this intimacy willingly? Ah, There cannot be much
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 11: love where there is so little jealousy.
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 7: Don't deceive yourself. He is one of the most jealous
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 7: men in the world. But strange to say he is
• 1:29:26
  Speaker 7: not jealous of you.
• 1:29:28
  Speaker 11: If I come across him, you'll find this indifference not reciprocated.
• 1:29:32
  Speaker 1: And to Rose mysteriously left, Madam whispers, a.
• 1:29:37
  Speaker 8: Gentleman wished to see you. But hearing the gentleman.
• 1:29:41
  Speaker 1: There, pointing to Adolf, he.
• 1:29:44
  Speaker 8: Wrote this letter, told me to deliver it immediately, and
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 8: ran out of the house.
• 1:29:49
  Speaker 7: Let me see this letter must be kept secret. Above
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 7: all from my son, tis from my uncle. That enough
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 7: you may go.
• 1:29:57
  Speaker 1: Exit Rose, Adolf, who has watched uneasily.
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 11: That letter seems to trouble you. No, no Ah, it
• 1:30:06
  Speaker 11: is from him.
• 1:30:07
  Speaker 7: No, no, I swear it is not. Will he never
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 7: trust me?
• 1:30:11
  Speaker 11: By see, I shall be in the way. When shall
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 11: I come again? Shall I ever come at all?
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 7: Come when you please?
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 3: Oh?
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 11: This agony of doubt?
• 1:30:21
  Speaker 1: Exit center.
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 7: What can this mean reads by a strange caprice of fortune,
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 7: the honor and prospects of our family seem to depend
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 7: solely on you. There is to be a new railway
• 1:30:34
  Speaker 7: through Brittany, and two lines, with equally balanced advantages are proposed.
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 7: If the one to the right is chosen, we are ruined.
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 7: If the one to the left, we are saved. Has
• 1:30:47
  Speaker 7: it come to this? A committee of five persons sitting
• 1:30:51
  Speaker 7: this day will decide between the two projects. But at
• 1:30:55
  Speaker 7: present I have only learned four of the names. Two
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 7: are decidedly opposed my interests. Of the others, one is
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 7: Monsieur Simon, whose wife they say is one of your
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 7: most voted friends. The other is the young Duke done Joe,
• 1:31:10
  Speaker 7: who is very intimate with Madame de Bella Rose. If
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 7: by your influence you can't get me those votes, Adolph,
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 7: through my fault, will be ruined in honor as in fortune,
• 1:31:22
  Speaker 7: the fortune the honor of Adolph. What would I not risk?
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 10: But stop?
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 7: Let me think of Madame Simon. I am certain at
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 7: any rate, and she governs her husband a line to
• 1:31:35
  Speaker 7: her will.
• 1:31:35
  Speaker 1: Suffice sits at table and writes.
• 1:31:39
  Speaker 7: So I may consider that vote secure. Now shall I
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 7: venture to ask Madame de Perrose to use her influence
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 7: with the duke. She has granted me so many faithors already.
• 1:31:52
  Speaker 7: Never mind, delicacy in these cases is mere.
• 1:31:55
  Speaker 1: Selfishness, writes another note. Re enter punt collect with Madame Dubois.
• 1:32:01
  Speaker 4: Right, pray Madame cacarm yourself a little sit down.
• 1:32:09
  Speaker 12: Thank you, thank you. It's of no consequence.
• 1:32:14
  Speaker 1: Marie folding note.
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 7: There that will do touches bell Madame du Bois, bless me.
• 1:32:21
  Speaker 7: What's the matter?
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 1: Nothing?
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 12: Nothing?
• 1:32:25
  Speaker 1: Enter Rosa left.
• 1:32:27
  Speaker 7: Let these two letters be taken to their addresses at once.
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 1: Exit Rosa left to Madame du Bois.
• 1:32:35
  Speaker 7: Something serious. I fear what is it?
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 3: Well?
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 4: Why? Madame de Dubois was looking over the dresses in
• 1:32:44
  Speaker 4: the other room when her note was brought in. She
• 1:32:48
  Speaker 4: read it. She turned pale.
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 9: She tottered, really, I'm alarmed.
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 7: If it's not impertinent, my dear Madame Dubois.
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 12: Oh you shall know the horrid I I would you
• 1:33:04
  Speaker 12: believe it. I'm not to go to the ball.
• 1:33:07
  Speaker 9: What ball?
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 10: The ball?
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 12: Madame de bell Rose's ball? What other ball is there
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 12: that anyone talks about?
• 1:33:14
  Speaker 8: Oh?
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 12: This defeat is frightful. Everybody knows that Madame de bell
• 1:33:19
  Speaker 12: Rose and I are mortal foes. But I was determined that,
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 12: in spite of herself, she should invite me. And everybody
• 1:33:28
  Speaker 12: knows of my determination. I did not leave a stone unturned.
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 12: Madame de bell Rose, as you are aware, is said
• 1:33:37
  Speaker 12: to be entirely under the influence of her brother. Well,
• 1:33:41
  Speaker 12: I won him over to my interest. One of her
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 12: most valued friends is the young Duke Danille. Well, I
• 1:33:49
  Speaker 12: made him my delegate. But it won't do.
• 1:33:52
  Speaker 5: It won't do.
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 12: She sets her brother at defiance. She resists the entreaties
• 1:33:58
  Speaker 12: of her friend, and she declares that if I approached
• 1:34:01
  Speaker 12: her saloon leaning on the arm of the Ambassador of
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 12: Pegu himself, she would refuse to admit me. Oh, I
• 1:34:09
  Speaker 12: knew it was war to the knife, but I did
• 1:34:12
  Speaker 12: not think knives cut so sharp as this.
• 1:34:15
  Speaker 7: Marie left Yours is indeed a very sad case.
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 4: Punt collect right, yes, But as what can't be cured
• 1:34:26
  Speaker 4: must be endured, sir.
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 12: There are some calamities past the power of endurance, whether
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 12: they can be cured or.
• 1:34:33
  Speaker 1: Not, walks to right.
• 1:34:35
  Speaker 12: Then, as if my great grief were not enough, I
• 1:34:40
  Speaker 12: have a small affliction by way of supplement I can't
• 1:34:43
  Speaker 12: go to see the new opera tonight and shall have
• 1:34:46
  Speaker 12: no occasion for my new head dress.
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 7: Indeed, how is that?
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 1: Oh?
• 1:34:51
  Speaker 12: My husband disappointed one of a horrid committee that is
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 12: sitting now and will continue to sit all the evening.
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 7: Good grace. It has not anything to do with a railroad.
• 1:35:03
  Speaker 12: Yes, it has the new railroad through Brittany.
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 7: Oh, Madame Dubois, I can promise you an invitation to
• 1:35:10
  Speaker 7: Madame de Belle Rose's ball.
• 1:35:12
  Speaker 12: No, no, pray, don't raise any false hopes. You know
• 1:35:19
  Speaker 12: I'm a poor, weak creature and a disappointment might kill me.
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 7: There shall be no disappointment on one condition. The invitation
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 7: is any condition you please, you will obtain from your husband.
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 12: He shall grant whatever you please.
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 7: But you do not know yet what I require.
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 12: I don't care what it is. You shall have it.
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 7: I want Monsieur du Bois, as a member of the
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 7: committee to vote for the left line of railway.
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 12: Oh, yes, if you like, for the left and right
• 1:35:49
  Speaker 12: both together, if you please.
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 4: No, no, let's have no mistakes. The left line.
• 1:35:58
  Speaker 3: Left.
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 12: Yes, yes, there shall be no blunder. I'll write it
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 12: down in my tablets.
• 1:36:04
  Speaker 1: Sits L. E. F. T.
• 1:36:08
  Speaker 12: Left there. But I am sure of my invitation to
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 12: the ball rises.
• 1:36:16
  Speaker 7: Don't be under the slightest apprehension. Well, two votes are
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 7: already secure, Monsieur du Bois and Monsieur Simon.
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 12: I beg, pardon, did you mention Monsieur Simon.
• 1:36:28
  Speaker 7: Yes, he is one of the committee also.
• 1:36:31
  Speaker 12: Oh, and he will vote for the left line, will he? Yes?
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 7: I hope so. Indeed, I regard his vote as certain.
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 12: Then, my dear, it is a very sad thing to say,
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 12: I'm afraid I can do nothing for you.
• 1:36:46
  Speaker 7: Oh, don't say so. Why not?
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 12: Why, my dear, If there is one feeling stronger in
• 1:36:52
  Speaker 12: my husband, even than his devotion to me, that is
• 1:36:56
  Speaker 12: his hatred of Monsieur Simon.
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 4: I see you think that if Monsieur Simon the votes
• 1:37:08
  Speaker 4: for the left, Monsieur du Duois will vote for the right.
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 12: Think. I'm sure of it, My good friends. The hatred
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 12: between two rival bells is as nothing to the hostility
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 12: between two rival capitalists. Madame de bell Rose and I
• 1:37:30
  Speaker 12: are perfect examples of true friendship compared to Monsieur Simon
• 1:37:34
  Speaker 12: and Monsieur Dubois. Half the liberality of Monsieur Dubois towards
• 1:37:39
  Speaker 12: me is owing to the spiteful joy he feels at
• 1:37:42
  Speaker 12: seeing me outshine Madame Simon. And I verily believe that
• 1:37:47
  Speaker 12: if Monsieur Simon were to give a supper at which,
• 1:37:50
  Speaker 12: like Cleopatra, he dissolved pearls in wine, Dubois would give
• 1:37:55
  Speaker 12: a cold collation with sandwiches made of banknotes.
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 7: Ah See, our case is indeed hopeless.
• 1:38:02
  Speaker 4: The prospect is bad.
• 1:38:05
  Speaker 12: Indeed, stop, I have an idea. Now you are sure
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 12: you won't disappoint me with the invitation?
• 1:38:14
  Speaker 7: Certain positive?
• 1:38:16
  Speaker 12: Well, then Monsieur du Bois entertains one feeling still stronger
• 1:38:24
  Speaker 12: than his hatred for Monsieur Simon, And that is a
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 12: jealousy of monsieur never mind the name, who is a
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 12: constant guest at our house and honors me with an
• 1:38:37
  Speaker 12: extraordinary share of attention. Now, if I promise never to invite.
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 4: Monsieur yes, never mind that name.
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 12: My husband will even vote on the same side as
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 12: Monsieur Simon.
• 1:38:53
  Speaker 7: Excellent.
• 1:38:54
  Speaker 12: I will set about the business at once. You may
• 1:38:57
  Speaker 12: rely upon me, and mind I upon.
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 1: You exit center.
• 1:39:03
  Speaker 4: So oh far, so good, But it seems to me
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 4: that the hard, hardest job is yet yet to be done.
• 1:39:15
  Speaker 4: How will you manage to get the invitation.
• 1:39:20
  Speaker 7: When I tell you that the honor of Adolph is
• 1:39:22
  Speaker 7: at stake, you will be sure that I can do anything.
• 1:39:26
  Speaker 7: And here if I mistake not comes Madame de Belrose.
• 1:39:30
  Speaker 1: Enter, Madame de bell Rosa left.
• 1:39:33
  Speaker 10: Ah, my, dear Valarry, I have just tried on my
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 10: dress and it's perfect. You have surpassed yourself. Are you
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 10: not invited to Madame de Grandville's little family party?
• 1:39:45
  Speaker 1: Crosses center to ponte collect.
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 4: No, madam, that's unfortunate.
• 1:39:51
  Speaker 10: You would have seen me in such a love of address.
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 10: One of v Larry's happiest inspirations.
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 7: Oh, I fear you flatter me, Madame.
• 1:39:59
  Speaker 10: You understand there is to be dancing, and yet everything
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 10: is to be quiet. Well, Valeria has hit on the
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 10: right medium between fool dress and demi toilette. Nothing could
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 10: be better.
• 1:40:10
  Speaker 1: Looks at watch bless me.
• 1:40:12
  Speaker 10: I have not much time to spare.
• 1:40:14
  Speaker 1: And to Rosa left with box put collect aside.
• 1:40:19
  Speaker 4: She's going.
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 7: Would you allow me a moment?
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 5: Oh?
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 10: Certainly?
• 1:40:24
  Speaker 5: What is it?
• 1:40:26
  Speaker 10: Oh? I see some alterations.
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: Rosa is crossing stage with band box.
• 1:40:32
  Speaker 7: No, no, don't take it to the carriage yet. Set
• 1:40:35
  Speaker 7: it down.
• 1:40:35
  Speaker 1: Here Exit Rose leaving box. Madame de Bella Rosa looks in.
• 1:40:41
  Speaker 10: No, surely it cannot be improved.
• 1:40:44
  Speaker 17: You seem satisfied with my work, satisfied, cold, weak expression.
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 17: I'm enraptured, But perhaps you'll think the price unreasonable.
• 1:40:55
  Speaker 10: Rise. I don't see how you could possibly charge enough.
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 7: Oh, it is not mine that I require, but I
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 7: want you to grant me a very great favor.
• 1:41:05
  Speaker 10: Some appointment that lies in the power of my brother.
• 1:41:08
  Speaker 10: Very well, So be it name what you require without
• 1:41:12
  Speaker 10: the slightest hesitation.
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 7: Oh, my wishes do not rise nearly so high as that.
• 1:41:17
  Speaker 7: A few words from you, involving no liability are all
• 1:41:21
  Speaker 7: that I want. But I am afraid those words will
• 1:41:24
  Speaker 7: be rather difficult to write.
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 10: I don't talk in riddles any longer.
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 1: What is it put collect aside?
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 4: Now comes the critical moment.
• 1:41:36
  Speaker 7: The fact is one of my customers, a lady who
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 7: moves in the highest circles, wants an invitation to your
• 1:41:43
  Speaker 7: grand ball, and.
• 1:41:45
  Speaker 10: She shall have it most assuredly. This is a case
• 1:41:48
  Speaker 10: of a mountain in a mouse.
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 1: Goes to table right and takes up a pen.
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 7: Now the lady's name, please, madame, Madame, go.
• 1:41:59
  Speaker 10: On, I suppose it's Madam something, Madame.
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 1: Du Bois, Madame de Bella Rosa throws down her pen
• 1:42:06
  Speaker 1: and rises majestically.
• 1:42:08
  Speaker 10: I am sorry to say that you have named the
• 1:42:10
  Speaker 10: only person who cannot possibly enter my house.
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 4: Just what I expected.
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 7: I think you once told me that if ever I
• 1:42:20
  Speaker 7: asked you a favor, I.
• 1:42:21
  Speaker 10: Would grant it, so I would any other. My dear Vlarry,
• 1:42:26
  Speaker 10: I really believe that if you had asked me to
• 1:42:28
  Speaker 10: invite the old woman who sells fruit round the corner,
• 1:42:32
  Speaker 10: I should have found it hard to refuse you. But
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 10: for Madame du Bois, no, no, no.
• 1:42:39
  Speaker 7: I assure you, if you grant me this favor, my
• 1:42:42
  Speaker 7: heart will be yours forever your.
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 10: Heart will be mine. Ironically, will I admit the barab
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 10: is exceedingly tempting In ye, the very offer, if it
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 10: conveys a valuable lesson. It teaches me that one person's
• 1:42:56
  Speaker 10: of my class allow themselves to be too familiar with
• 1:42:59
  Speaker 10: persons of anther the class. They must not be surprised
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 10: if advantage is taken of their condescension. Huchwrest, mademoiselle, they
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 10: shall both be wiser for the future.
• 1:43:11
  Speaker 1: Young woman Rose appears, take that dress.
• 1:43:15
  Speaker 7: Of the carriage, quick rose, Remain where you are.
• 1:43:19
  Speaker 1: Put collect aside.
• 1:43:21
  Speaker 4: What's coming now.
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 10: Mademoiselle, are you in your senses perfectly?
• 1:43:29
  Speaker 7: That dress is still my property, So if you please,
• 1:43:32
  Speaker 7: we will both keep what is our own. You retain
• 1:43:36
  Speaker 7: your dignity. I retain the work, humble as it is,
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 7: of my hands, humble as they are.
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 10: You could not have the audacity to tell me.
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 7: That, Madame, call it audacity or not. I plainly express
• 1:43:48
  Speaker 7: my firm resolution to part with that dress at no
• 1:43:51
  Speaker 7: other price than an invitation to Madame du Bois.
• 1:43:54
  Speaker 10: I can prove that the dress is mine.
• 1:43:56
  Speaker 7: I can most effectually prove the contrary.
• 1:44:00
  Speaker 1: Puts it in stove.
• 1:44:02
  Speaker 10: Stop, stop, save it, Save it.
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 7: Impossible, Madame, it is already destroyed.
• 1:44:09
  Speaker 1: Madame de Bella Rosa throws herself on sofa.
• 1:44:13
  Speaker 10: Oh dear, oh dear, oh, you dreadful woman. What was
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 10: Medea murdering her children compared to this, you, dreadful woman.
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 10: What am I to do? Oh dear, oh dear, to
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 10: what a condition you have reduced me?
• 1:44:31
  Speaker 4: But Madame, doubtless you have other dresses.
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 15: Sir.
• 1:44:38
  Speaker 10: The man that supposes that a woman of my taste
• 1:44:41
  Speaker 10: can go to Madame de Granville's bar, and a dress
• 1:44:44
  Speaker 10: that has been seen already must be totally incapable of
• 1:44:48
  Speaker 10: understanding my feelings at this harrowing moment. The loss is irreparable,
• 1:44:53
  Speaker 10: not quite.
• 1:44:55
  Speaker 7: Suppose I could give you another dress still better than
• 1:44:59
  Speaker 7: the one I have justlse destroyed.
• 1:45:01
  Speaker 10: Impossible unless that poor muttered garment is a phoenix, is
• 1:45:05
  Speaker 10: that can arise out of its own ashes? Why it
• 1:45:08
  Speaker 10: is the most exquisite dress you ever made in your life?
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 7: Except one I accept none, not even the one you
• 1:45:17
  Speaker 7: admired so much the other.
• 1:45:19
  Speaker 1: Day, points mysteriously off stage.
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 10: Oh that of course, But you told me that was
• 1:45:27
  Speaker 10: ordered by the Queen of Whispers.
• 1:45:29
  Speaker 4: So it was.
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 7: But give me the invitation, and whispers she shall have another.
• 1:45:36
  Speaker 10: You really are a dreadful woman. You attempt me to
• 1:45:40
  Speaker 10: invite the very How was I going to say, no,
• 1:45:46
  Speaker 10: I won't. Ask Madame de Bois that I won't.
• 1:45:50
  Speaker 4: What a very odd coincidence. Madame du Bois is always
• 1:45:57
  Speaker 4: persecuting Mademoiselle to get that dress for herself.
• 1:46:03
  Speaker 10: She have that dress?
• 1:46:05
  Speaker 7: She nay, She's so very pressing that I fear she
• 1:46:09
  Speaker 7: will succeed.
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 10: Never as do I crush her hopes what have that
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 10: glorious work of art, young woman.
• 1:46:17
  Speaker 1: To Rosa who disappears.
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 10: Madame Deoi shall not have it.
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 1: And there gives note hastily written, she.
• 1:46:25
  Speaker 10: Shall come to my ball, and by siren wicked incomparable.
• 1:46:30
  Speaker 1: Creature rushes off right door in a flat victory victory.
• 1:46:37
  Speaker 7: Who shall despise the dressmaker?
• 1:46:39
  Speaker 5: Now?
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 7: Who shall deny that.
• 1:46:41
  Speaker 14: She rules the world?
• 1:46:43
  Speaker 7: Speculation governs the masses, The capitalist govern speculation, The ladies
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 7: govern the capitalists, and the dressmakers govern the ladies.
• 1:46:53
  Speaker 4: Victory victory, Yes, the reward of an extremely well fought battle.
• 1:47:02
  Speaker 7: Two votes of the five are hours. Now. If I
• 1:47:05
  Speaker 7: could only secure the Duke, the whole matter would be settled.
• 1:47:09
  Speaker 7: Madame de Belle Rose will scarcely be disposed to grant
• 1:47:13
  Speaker 7: me another favor.
• 1:47:14
  Speaker 4: I should think not.
• 1:47:16
  Speaker 9: But who is the Duke your patron?
• 1:47:19
  Speaker 7: The Duke Danjoux.
• 1:47:20
  Speaker 4: He the most obliging fellow in the world, and the
• 1:47:25
  Speaker 4: least likely to care a sou whether the road goes
• 1:47:30
  Speaker 4: to the right or the left. Here give me the
• 1:47:34
  Speaker 4: invitation for Madame Dubois, and rely on my locomotive powers
• 1:47:40
  Speaker 4: to see the Duke into the bargain.
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: Runs off right door speed you well put collect returns stop?
• 1:47:51
  Speaker 4: Is it the right or the left?
• 1:47:53
  Speaker 1: Line?
• 1:47:54
  Speaker 7: The left, the left, the left?
• 1:47:57
  Speaker 4: All right?
• 1:47:58
  Speaker 7: Exit doll, who will be saved after all?
• 1:48:02
  Speaker 9: And to Rose with a letter letter Monsieur Ponte collect Indeed,
• 1:48:07
  Speaker 9: I said he didn't live here, but the man who
• 1:48:09
  Speaker 9: brought it said it was all right.
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 7: Yes, yes, give it me Rose.
• 1:48:14
  Speaker 8: Aside, Monsieur de ponte Collac has his letters directed here.
• 1:48:19
  Speaker 8: Mademoiselle looks uneasy when they come. Well, this is very odd.
• 1:48:23
  Speaker 1: Exit Rose.
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 7: No doubt this is the letter he mentioned. It is
• 1:48:28
  Speaker 7: marked immediate and important reads. Sir. I am obliged by
• 1:48:32
  Speaker 7: your last favor, but I am rather hard of belief
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 7: and do not readily listen to stories about innocent sons,
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 7: desperate fathers and future railways. What can this mean? I learn,
• 1:48:43
  Speaker 7: Monsieur de vieu Chateau the round sum of sixty thousand
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 7: francs upon the security of an estate which he assured
• 1:48:50
  Speaker 7: me was without encumbrance, but which it turns out, had
• 1:48:53
  Speaker 7: been previously mortgaged by his father. If these are the
• 1:48:57
  Speaker 7: doings of gentlemen of ancient family, thank goodness. I am
• 1:49:01
  Speaker 7: a man of yesterday. I therefore beg to inform you,
• 1:49:04
  Speaker 7: and I have just written to the counter the same
• 1:49:07
  Speaker 7: effect that if Monsieur Adolph does not pay me within
• 1:49:10
  Speaker 7: half an hour, I shall put the affair in the
• 1:49:13
  Speaker 7: hands of my lawyer. Such conduct merits exposure. Good gracious,
• 1:49:19
  Speaker 7: this is the dishonor to which the Count referred. Another
• 1:49:23
  Speaker 7: day and all would have been saved. Half an hour,
• 1:49:27
  Speaker 7: half an hour. All is hopeless. In spite of all
• 1:49:31
  Speaker 7: my efforts. Hadolf is disgraced? Adolf, who seemed noble beyond
• 1:49:36
  Speaker 7: the reach of calumny, lost lost.
• 1:49:40
  Speaker 1: Lost, sinks into a chair, no suddenly rising?
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 7: How could it have escaped me? What a head? I
• 1:49:49
  Speaker 7: have the means of extrication in my own hands, and
• 1:49:52
  Speaker 7: I could hesitate for a single moment.
• 1:49:55
  Speaker 6: Ha ha ah.
• 1:49:56
  Speaker 7: Never did cloud pass so speedily?
• 1:50:00
  Speaker 1: Enter Ponte collect Center.
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 4: Madame du Bois has her invitation, and I think we
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 4: have secured the Duke.
• 1:50:09
  Speaker 7: Thanks, thanks, my own kind friend.
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 4: Well do you know I don't deserve to be thanked
• 1:50:16
  Speaker 4: so much as you suppose. When the Duke thought I
• 1:50:20
  Speaker 4: was asking the left line for myself, it seemed less
• 1:50:25
  Speaker 4: cordial than usual. But directly I said that you were interested.
• 1:50:30
  Speaker 4: He said, I might rely upon him with an eagerness
• 1:50:35
  Speaker 4: that positively astonished me. But how merry you looked when
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 4: I came in.
• 1:50:41
  Speaker 7: Yes, yes, a letter directed to you have I opened.
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 1: Gives it, goes to bureau and takes out notes, counting,
• 1:50:48
  Speaker 1: while pont Colect skims over letter.
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 4: Signed Gregoire, that's Adolph's creditor. Half an hour hands of
• 1:50:58
  Speaker 4: lawyer conducts me merits exposure. Upon my word, I don't
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 4: find this letter so very amusing.
• 1:51:07
  Speaker 7: I was as much shocked as you when I first
• 1:51:09
  Speaker 7: read it, but afterwards I laughed at my own apprehensions.
• 1:51:13
  Speaker 7: Here here are six hundred thousand francs in banknotes. I
• 1:51:18
  Speaker 7: had saved the money to pay the last installment due
• 1:51:20
  Speaker 7: for this house.
• 1:51:21
  Speaker 4: And how will you get it back again?
• 1:51:25
  Speaker 7: By working harder than ever? Yes, that shall be my revenge.
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 7: My aunt and uncle discarded me on account of my
• 1:51:32
  Speaker 7: ignoble vocation, and I shall feel that by my toil
• 1:51:36
  Speaker 7: in this vocation, I save a noble family from ruin
• 1:51:40
  Speaker 7: and disgrace. Pray do me another favor, Take this money
• 1:51:44
  Speaker 7: at once to put collect left.
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 4: To Monchieur Gregoire. Goodness, what an angel you are, Marie.
• 1:51:54
  Speaker 7: Right, But mind, my name must not be mentioned. I
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 7: will enjoy my own revere, but they shall not feel it.
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 4: Well, suppose I say it came from the countess. She
• 1:52:07
  Speaker 4: is the female head of the family, and she might
• 1:52:10
  Speaker 4: be supposed to help her nephew in distress.
• 1:52:14
  Speaker 7: Excellent begone without a moment's delay.
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 4: I I fly exit.
• 1:52:20
  Speaker 7: Oh, this indeed is a proud and happy moment. My
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 7: heart leaps with joy.
• 1:52:26
  Speaker 1: Enter the Duke center, Duke right.
• 1:52:30
  Speaker 15: I come, Madame Boiselle, as the bearer of good tidings.
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 15: The committee of the new railway in which I am
• 1:52:38
  Speaker 15: informed you take an interest, have decided on the left line.
• 1:52:42
  Speaker 7: My Lord Duke. How shall I express my gratitude and
• 1:52:46
  Speaker 7: that you yourself should bring the news.
• 1:52:49
  Speaker 15: This honor, Mademoiselle, I am perhaps more selfish than you imagine.
• 1:52:55
  Speaker 15: The chance of five minutes conversation with you, under circumstances
• 1:53:00
  Speaker 15: probably will induce you to listen to me with some
• 1:53:03
  Speaker 15: little patience.
• 1:53:04
  Speaker 7: I do not understand.
• 1:53:06
  Speaker 15: Oh, you cannot suppose that the remembrance of that delightful
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 15: day which we passed together a few weeks since, has
• 1:53:13
  Speaker 15: ever been obliterated from my mind. Although you are not
• 1:53:17
  Speaker 15: aware of the anxiety which I felt when I had
• 1:53:20
  Speaker 15: not yet discovered the residence of my fair fellow traveler.
• 1:53:25
  Speaker 15: I own that at first I was mortified to find
• 1:53:28
  Speaker 15: you in a position that seems so much inferior to
• 1:53:32
  Speaker 15: your high deserts. But I soon perceive that there are
• 1:53:35
  Speaker 15: some natures which bestow a dignity on all that surrounds them.
• 1:53:40
  Speaker 15: Allow me now to avow a sentiment I have long repressed,
• 1:53:45
  Speaker 15: to offer you what.
• 1:53:47
  Speaker 7: The honor of succeeding the last reigning beauty who has
• 1:53:50
  Speaker 7: sometimes placed you on my books.
• 1:53:53
  Speaker 15: No, all passions are not alike. Do not compare the
• 1:53:58
  Speaker 15: deep sentiment I entertained towards you with the passing caprice
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 15: that may have felt for others. Were I not what
• 1:54:05
  Speaker 15: I am, I would offer you my hand. As I am,
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 15: I offer you my fortune.
• 1:54:12
  Speaker 1: Enter Adolph, center.
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 11: Your fortune, Sir Adolph, I must request, sir, that you
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 11: will change this tone.
• 1:54:21
  Speaker 15: Monsieur Adolph de veus'tau pray, Sir, by what right do
• 1:54:26
  Speaker 15: you interrupt my conversation with this lady.
• 1:54:29
  Speaker 11: By the right of every honest man to defend an
• 1:54:31
  Speaker 11: insulted woman.
• 1:54:33
  Speaker 15: Shah that might do very well on the stage, unless
• 1:54:39
  Speaker 15: you can prove some more special claim.
• 1:54:42
  Speaker 1: Enter count he what's the meaning of all this? Adolf
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 1: left center.
• 1:54:48
  Speaker 11: You come opportunely, sir, Allow me, my lord Duke, in
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 11: the presence of my father, to introduce to you my cousin,
• 1:54:57
  Speaker 11: Mademoiselle Marie de vu Chateau.
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 1: Marie Aside, I shall sink into the earth count right center,
• 1:55:06
  Speaker 1: roof Adolf.
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 3: What are you doing?
• 1:55:09
  Speaker 1: My duty, sir, which has been left undone too long?
• 1:55:15
  Speaker 15: Duke right, I shall also do mine. I have the
• 1:55:19
  Speaker 15: honor account to ask you, and also of your son,
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 15: the hand of Mademoiselle de vi Chateau.
• 1:55:26
  Speaker 1: Adolf Aside.
• 1:55:28
  Speaker 11: That was an unexpected blow.
• 1:55:31
  Speaker 15: You look astonished. Well, I do not seek to take
• 1:55:35
  Speaker 15: advantage of your surprise. I will support my impatience and
• 1:55:39
  Speaker 15: await your reply.
• 1:55:41
  Speaker 1: Bows and exit center, Marie.
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 11: How do you intend to answer this proposal? Ah? I
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 11: can read, but too plainly the joy that sparkles in
• 1:55:52
  Speaker 11: your eyes and suffuses your cheeks still still a word,
• 1:55:59
  Speaker 11: a single word, enter Rosa, Monsieur de.
• 1:56:03
  Speaker 8: Ponte collect would speak with you for an instant, Mademoiselle.
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 7: I will see him at once.
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 1: At once hurries off with Rose. Now I shall learn following.
• 1:56:14
  Speaker 11: No, no remain here, don't you perceive this lover whom
• 1:56:19
  Speaker 11: she refused to name, this mysterious benefactor.
• 1:56:23
  Speaker 3: Tut tut. This is not a moment to talk of love.
• 1:56:26
  Speaker 3: The honor of the family is at stake. There read
• 1:56:30
  Speaker 3: that letter from Gregoire.
• 1:56:32
  Speaker 1: Gregois takes a letter and reads hastily.
• 1:56:36
  Speaker 3: You'll find it contains some choice expressions. It's all my faote,
• 1:56:40
  Speaker 3: But he threatens you.
• 1:56:42
  Speaker 1: Adolph, looking at letter.
• 1:56:45
  Speaker 11: He regards me as a cheat, a swindler, the insolent knave.
• 1:56:51
  Speaker 3: Be calm boy, become.
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 1: Enter Countess Center with Isabella.
• 1:56:56
  Speaker 4: Do tell me.
• 1:56:57
  Speaker 5: I'll see how whether she's visible or.
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 18: Rather it all sister punt collect left the good gracious,
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 18: the whole family here at.
• 1:57:13
  Speaker 1: Once Adolph left the center.
• 1:57:16
  Speaker 11: It is frightful I am to be branded as a
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 11: rogue unless I paid Gregoire six hundred thousand francs within
• 1:57:23
  Speaker 11: half an hour.
• 1:57:25
  Speaker 1: Countess Right Center.
• 1:57:27
  Speaker 5: Make yourself easy, nephew. You do not owe him a soup.
• 1:57:31
  Speaker 5: Some unknown person has just placed this receipt in my hands.
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 1: Bless me, count Right.
• 1:57:40
  Speaker 3: Yes, here it is signed with greg was an ugly
• 1:57:44
  Speaker 3: dame received from the Countess de Ville Chateau.
• 1:57:48
  Speaker 11: Aunt. How shall I express.
• 1:57:52
  Speaker 6: Oh Aunt?
• 1:57:53
  Speaker 1: How good you are, punt collect left.
• 1:57:57
  Speaker 4: Now, that's what I call handsome.
• 1:58:02
  Speaker 1: Countess right center.
• 1:58:04
  Speaker 5: I assure you I deserve neither praise nor gratitude. I
• 1:58:09
  Speaker 5: have not paid anything at all. Yes, yes, yes, yes,
• 1:58:14
  Speaker 5: no no, I say decidedly no. But I know who
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 5: has paid the money.
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 1: Marie enter, Marie left.
• 1:58:27
  Speaker 7: Aunt in my house. This is an unexpected honor.
• 1:58:31
  Speaker 5: Don't talk of honor.
• 1:58:33
  Speaker 4: Child.
• 1:58:34
  Speaker 5: You have taken advantage of our misfortune. You have thought
• 1:58:38
  Speaker 5: to humiliate us, to make us bend beneath the weight
• 1:58:43
  Speaker 5: of an obligation. You have dared again to assume our name.
• 1:58:50
  Speaker 4: She she has dared to save it from disgrace.
• 1:58:55
  Speaker 7: For goodness sake.
• 1:58:56
  Speaker 4: No, no, I will speak out. Some very ugly blots
• 1:59:02
  Speaker 4: were gathering on your scutcheon, and she has rubbed them off,
• 1:59:07
  Speaker 4: effaced them by dint of honest industry. And instead of.
• 1:59:14
  Speaker 7: Thanks, Monsieur de Pontellis.
• 1:59:16
  Speaker 4: Instead of thanks, she gets reproaches. It's too bad, I say,
• 1:59:22
  Speaker 4: But perhaps though you will accept no favors from a dressmaker,
• 1:59:27
  Speaker 4: you won't be so fastidious with a duchess.
• 1:59:31
  Speaker 3: Duchess, what do you mean, I mean, sister, the Duke
• 1:59:36
  Speaker 3: d'Anjou has just made her an offer of his hand.
• 1:59:39
  Speaker 11: And she has accepted it.
• 1:59:41
  Speaker 7: On the contrary, I have just written a refusal alleging
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 7: that I love another, the same answer that I made
• 1:59:48
  Speaker 7: two years ago in your presence.
• 1:59:50
  Speaker 5: Refused adieu.
• 1:59:52
  Speaker 7: Yes, Aunt, it is even possible that a duke may
• 1:59:56
  Speaker 7: be refused by a dressmaker.
• 1:59:58
  Speaker 1: Adolph with hope, Can it be after all?
• 2:00:03
  Speaker 11: Yes, yes it is.
• 2:00:06
  Speaker 7: It is Adolph.
• 2:00:09
  Speaker 11: It is Adolph Joy Joy from no other motive than
• 2:00:14
  Speaker 11: duty and gratitude. Have you sacrificed yourself for two tedious years?
• 2:00:20
  Speaker 11: Now let me claim you as my wife, that is,
• 2:00:24
  Speaker 11: if you will condescend to accept me.
• 2:00:27
  Speaker 5: Condcen Well, I'm sure.
• 2:00:31
  Speaker 11: Yes, condescend who most worthily bears our name, I who
• 2:00:36
  Speaker 11: have nearly branded it with dishonor or she who has
• 2:00:40
  Speaker 11: maintained its ancient luster.
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 5: I tell you, a young woman who has sat behind
• 2:00:47
  Speaker 5: a counter can never be your equal.
• 2:00:51
  Speaker 11: She shall, she shall. If you withhold your consent any longer,
• 2:00:56
  Speaker 11: I'll not only be her husband, but her bookkeeper.
• 2:01:00
  Speaker 1: Marie crosses to center.
• 2:01:03
  Speaker 7: Don't mind his threats, Aunt, He's such a bad handed
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 7: figures that my books are the very last thing I
• 2:01:09
  Speaker 7: should trust in his keeping.
• 2:01:11
  Speaker 11: And all Patis shall know her dignity over the shop
• 2:01:14
  Speaker 11: shall be written, Marie duchess de vu Chateau dressmaker.
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 5: Oh, horrible Mirabauer. I consint I consent.
• 2:01:26
  Speaker 1: To anything there, joins hands and turns away, Aunt.
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 7: Aunt, dear aunt, do you think I can be satisfied
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 7: with a consent thus painfully wrung? Review my whole conduct,
• 2:01:41
  Speaker 7: with some of that little indulgence with which we criticize
• 2:01:44
  Speaker 7: the faults of those we love. And you did love
• 2:01:47
  Speaker 7: me once, Aunt, I know you did recollect that if
• 2:01:51
  Speaker 7: I abased myself, it was but to preserve you and
• 2:01:55
  Speaker 7: yours from falling.
• 2:01:56
  Speaker 1: Bear in mind, Countess, suddenly, I.
• 2:02:01
  Speaker 5: Bear in mind that you have acted as none could
• 2:02:07
  Speaker 5: have acted any but of you.
• 2:02:11
  Speaker 1: Chateau embraces her ponte collect advancing with Isabella.
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 4: I think, if perhaps now you are all in a
• 2:02:24
  Speaker 4: good humor, which does not often happen, you may it.
• 2:02:30
  Speaker 6: It's very awkward that Monsieur de pontilact cannot speak for I.
• 2:02:35
  Speaker 6: I I cannot speak either.
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 7: Then I will speak for both. Monsieur de pontelect is,
• 2:02:42
  Speaker 7: after all, our real benefactor. He's the mysterious friend of
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 7: whom you Adolph was so foolishly jealous. Without his aid,
• 2:02:51
  Speaker 7: my poor efforts would have been without avail. His happiness depends, Yes,
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 7: our happiness depends I see.
• 2:03:00
  Speaker 1: I see gives Isabella.
• 2:03:03
  Speaker 5: Your happiness is in good hands. Will you make her
• 2:03:09
  Speaker 5: your advocate?
• 2:03:11
  Speaker 7: Granted? Most potent is my humble voice. At all my
• 2:03:15
  Speaker 7: bidding sorrow or rejoice.
• 2:03:17
  Speaker 6: The rich, the.
• 2:03:18
  Speaker 7: Proud here bend before my will admit their greatness. Think
• 2:03:22
  Speaker 7: me greater still, but somewhat further. Other friends I see
• 2:03:27
  Speaker 7: who from my influence I fear, are free. The great
• 2:03:31
  Speaker 7: Modiste forgets her haughty air and feels a sempstress when
• 2:03:35
  Speaker 7: she looks out there too.
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 1: Audience you, I.
• 2:03:39
  Speaker 7: Accost in no despotic tone. In you a power unlimited
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 7: I own and do not I beg Our humble efforts
• 2:03:47
  Speaker 7: spurn and fashion's world into a chaos. Turn t is
• 2:03:52
  Speaker 7: a frail world, but in your favor, bright, please let
• 2:03:56
  Speaker 7: it sparkle for another night.
• 2:04:03
  Speaker 1: Curtain end of Act three, End of the World of
• 2:04:16
  Speaker 1: Fashion by John Oxenford