DUPONT. You should have spoken to me. I could have told you why you had nothing to hope in that quarter.
CAROLINE. Nothing to hope? But why? Why?
DUPONT. Because for twenty years Courthezon has been living with a married woman. He does not speak of it, of course, but they have two children.
CAROLINE [faintly] God have pity on me! [She almost falls].
MME. DUPONT. Caroline! My child!
DUPONT. My child. Come, come. You must be reasonable.
MME. DUPONT. You mustn’t cry like that.
CAROLINE [sobbing] No.
DUPONT [to his wife] This is your fault. We should have told her that Courthezon—But you always said no.
MME. DUPONT. One can’t tell things like that to a young girl. And afterwards, when she was grown up, it didn’t seem worth while. [To Caroline] Don’t cry any more, dear.