Oh, now those
creatures haven't trimmed the lamp wick properly!" And then there
are draughts on the floor and his feet are cold. "Ugh, how cold it
is; the stupid idiots can never keep the fire going." [She rubs the
slippers together, one sole over the other.]
MLLE. Y. [Shrieks with laughter.]
MME. X. And then he comes home and has to hunt for his slippers
which Marie has stuck under the chiffonier--oh, but it's sinful to
sit here and make fun of one's husband this way when he is kind and
a good little man. You ought to have had such a husband, Amelie.
What are you laughing at? What? What? And you see he's true to me.
Yes, I'm sure of that, because he told me himself--what are you
laughing at?--that when I was touring in Norway that that brazen
Frederique came and wanted to seduce him! Can you fancy anything so
infamous? [Pause.] I'd have torn her eyes out if she had come to
see him when I was at home. [Pause.] It was lucky that Bob told me
about it himself and that it didn't reach me through gossip.
[Pause.] But would you believe it, Frederique wasn't the only one!
I don't know why, but the women are crazy about my husband. They
must think he has influence about getting them theatrical
engagements, because he is connected with the government. Perhaps
you were after him yourself. I didn't use to trust you any too
much. But now I know he never bothered his head about you, and you
always seemed to have a grudge against him someway.
[Pause. They look at each other in a puzzled way.
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