MME. POUCHELET. Not just now, thank you. [To Caroline] The shop people, mademoiselle?
CAROLINE. Yes, madame, the people who keep the shop I work for. They pay me quite good wages for what I do.
MME. POUCHELET. I see. [A silence].
ANTONIN [sotto voce, taking Caroline a glass of beer] Be silent, can’t you?
CAROLINE [to him, puzzled] What is it?
ANTONIN [to Madame Pouchelet, leading her up to a picture] Madame Pouchelet, you understand pictures, I know. What do you think of this? I paid a long price for it. [They go on talking].
CAROLINE [to Madame Mairaut, in a low voice] Have I done anything I shouldn’t?
MME. MAIRAUT [drily] Oh no! Far from it! [She rises and goes over to Madame Pouchelet].
MME. POUCHELET [coming down stage with Antonin] I don’t care much about pictures unless they tell a story. What is that one about?
JULIE. It is an engraving of a picture by Gerard Dow.