The Stepmother, A Drama in Five Acts Part 5

Ramel And why?

Ferdinand Because I am the son of General Marcandal.

Ramel A general to whom the Bourbons are in part indebted for their second innings.

Ferdinand In the eyes of General Grandchamp, to leave Napoleon for service under the Bourbons was treason against France. Alas! this was also my father's opinion, for he died of grief. You must therefore remember to call me by the name of Ferdinand Charny, my mother's maiden name.

Ramel And what are you doing here?

Ferdinand I am the manager, the cashier, the factotum of Grandchamp's factory.

Ramel How is this? Do you do it from necessity?

Ferdinand From dire necessity! My father spent everything, even the fortune of my poor mother, who lived during her later years in Brittany on the pension she received as widow of a lieutenant-general.

Ramel How is it that your father, who had command of the Royal Guard, a most brilliant position, died without leaving you anything, not even a patron?

Ferdinand Had he never betrayed his friends, and changed sides, without any reason--

Ramel Come, come, we won't talk any more about that.

Ferdinand My father was a gambler--that was the reason why he was so indulgent to me. But may I ask what has brought you here?

Ramel A fortnight ago I was appointed king's attorney at Louviers.

Ferdinand I heard something about it. But the appointment was published under another name.

Ramel De la Grandiere, I suppose.

Ferdinand That is it.

Ramel In order that I might marry Mlle. de Boudeville, I obtained permission to a.s.sume my mother's name--as you have done. The Boudeville family have given me their protection, and in a year's time I shall doubtless be attorney-general at Rouen--a stepping-stone towards a position at Paris.

Ferdinand And what brings you to our quiet factory?

Ramel I came to investigate a criminal case, a poisoning affair,--a fine introduction into my office.

(Felix enters.)

Felix Monsieur, Madame is worrying about you--

Ferdinand Please ask her to excuse me for a few moments. (Exit Felix.) My dear Eugene, in case the General--who like all retired troopers is very inquisitive--should inquire how we happen to meet here, don't forget to say that we came up the main avenue. It is important for me that you should say so. But go on with your story. It is on account of the wife of Champagne, our foreman, that you have come here; but he is innocent as a new-born babe!

Ramel You believe so, do you? Well, the officers of justice are paid for being incredulous. I see that you still remain, as I left you, the n.o.blest, the most enthusiastic fellow in the world; in short, a poet!

A poet who puts the poetry into his life instead of writing it, and believes in the good and the beautiful! And that reminds me--that angel of your dreams, that Gertrude of yours, whatever has become of her?

Ferdinand Hush! Not only has the minister of justice sent you here, but some celestial influence has sent to me at Louviers the friend whose help I need in my terrible perplexity. Eugene, come here and listen to me a while. I am going to appeal to you as my college friend, as the confidant of my youth; you won't put on the airs of the prosecuting attorney to me, will you? You will see from the nature of my admissions that I impose upon you the secrecy of the confessional.

Ramel Is it anything criminal?

Ferdinand Oh, nonsense! My faults are such as the judges themselves would be willing to commit.

Ramel Perhaps I had better not listen to you; or, if I do listen to you--

Ferdinand Well!

Ramel I could demand a change of position.

Ferdinand You are always my best and kindest friend. Listen then! For over three years I have been in love with Mlle. Pauline de Grandchamp, and she--

Ramel You needn't go on; I understand. You have been reviving _Romeo and Juliet_--in the heart of Normandy.

Ferdinand With this difference, that the hereditary hatred which stood between the two lovers of the play was a mere trifle in comparison with the loathing with which the Comte de Grandchamp contemplates the son of the traitor Marcandal!

Ramel Let me see! Mlle. Pauline de Grandchamp will be free in three years; she is rich in her own right--I know this from the Boudevilles. You can easily take her to Switzerland and keep her there until the General's wrath has had time to cool; and then you can make him the respectful apologies required under the circ.u.mstances.

Ferdinand Do you think I would have asked your advice if the only difficulty lay in the attainment of this trite and easy solution of the problem?

Ramel Ah! I see, my dear friend. You have already married your Gertrude--your angel--who has become to you like all other angels, after their metamorphoses into a lawful wives.

Ferdinand 'Tis a hundred times worse than that! Gertrude, my dear sir, is now Madame de Grandchamp.

Ramel Oh, dear! How is it you've thrust yourself into such a hornets' nest?

Ferdinand In the same way that people always thrust themselves into hornets'

nests; that is, with the hope of finding honey there.

Ramel Oh, oh! This is a very serious matter! Now, really, you must conceal nothing from me.

Ferdinand Mlle. Gertrude de Meilhac, educated at St. Denis, without doubt loved me first of all through ambition; she was glad to know that I was rich, and did all she could to gain my attachment with a view to marriage.

Ramel Such is the game of all these intriguing orphan girls.

Ferdinand But how came it about that Gertrude has ended by loving me so sincerely? For her pa.s.sion may be judged by its effects. I call it a pa.s.sion, but with her it is first love, sole and undivided love, which dominates her whole life, and seems to consume her. When she found that I was a ruined man, towards the close of the year 1816, and knowing that I was like you, a poet, fond of luxury and art, of a soft and happy life, in short, a mere spoilt child, she formed a plan at once base and sublime, such a plan as disappointed pa.s.sion suggests to women who, for the sake of their love, do all that despots do for the sake of their power; for them, the supreme law is that of their love--

Ramel The facts, my dear fellow, give me the facts! You are making your defence, recollect, and I am prosecuting attorney.

Ferdinand While I was settling my mother in Brittany, Gertrude met General de Grandchamp, who was seeking a governess for his daughter. She saw nothing in this battered warrior, then fifty-eight years old, but a money-box. She expected that she would soon be left a widow, wealthy and in circ.u.mstances to claim her lover and her slave. She said to herself that her marriage would be merely a bad dream, followed quickly by a happy awakening. You see the dream has lasted twelve years! But you know how women reason.

Ramel They have a special jurisprudence of their own.

Ferdinand Gertrude is a woman of the fiercest jealousy. She wishes for fidelity in her lover to recompense her for her infidelity to her husband, and as she has suffered martyrdom, she says, she wishes--

Ramel To have you in the same house with her, that she may keep watch over you herself.

Ferdinand She has been successful in getting me here. For the last three years I have been living in a small house near the factory. I should have left the first week after my arrival, but that two days' acquaintance with Pauline convinced me that I could not live without her.

Ramel Your love for Pauline, it seems to me as a magistrate, makes your position here somewhat less distasteful.