My mother had some money which she
had not wished to have in my father's keeping and therefore, she
had entrusted it to her friend's care.
JEAN. Who kept it.
JULIE. Quite right--he held on to it. All this came to my father's
knowledge. He couldn't proceed against him, wasn't allowed to pay
his wife's friend, and couldn't prove that it was his wife's money.
That was my mother's revenge for his taking the reins of the
establishment into his own hands. At that time he was ready to
shoot himself. Gossip had it that he had tried and failed. Well, he
lived it down--and my mother paid full penalty for her misdeed.
Those were five terrible years for me, as you can fancy. I
sympathized with my father, but I took my mother's part, for I
didn't know the true circumstances. Through her I learned to
distrust and hate men, and I swore to her never to be a man's
slave.
JEAN. But you became engaged to the Lieutenant Governor.
JULIE. Just to make him my slave.
JEAN. But that he didn't care to be.
JULIE. He wanted to be, fast enough, but I grew tired of him.
JEAN. Yes--I noticed that--in the stable-yard!
JULIE. What do you mean?
JEAN. I saw how he broke the engagement.
JULIE. That's a lie. It was I who broke it. Did he say he broke it--
the wretch!
JEAN. I don't believe that he was a wretch. You hate men, Miss
Julie.
JULIE. Most of them. Sometimes one is weak--
JEAN. You hate me?
JULIE. Excessively. I could see you shot--
JEAN.
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