ANGÈLE [rising] I must go. Good-bye. I dare not look either of you in the face again now that you know everything, now that I remember what I once was. I knew you could never have anything more to do with me. But I felt such a craving to be loved that I half fancied you, at least, Caroline—I see I was wrong. Well, good-bye. 1 am going away. Forgive me, both of you, for what I have done. Goodbye. [She turns to the door].
CAROLINE. Angèle! [A pause. Angèle turns at the door]. I pity you with all my heart. [Another pause]. May I kiss you? [Angèle throws herself into her arms].
ANGÈLE. Caroline! My kind, good Caroline!
The three sisters embrace with tears.
Dupont, Antonin, and Mairaut come in.
ANTONIN [pushed forward by his father. To Julie] My dear wife, I have come to ask you to forgive me.
JULIE. It is I who ask you to forgive me. I was full of romantic ideas. I thought marriage something quite different from what it is. Now that I understand I will be reasonable. One must make allowances. I will make some—to myself.
DUPONT. That’s right.
ANTONIN. That’s right. You can’t imagine how glad I am that you understand me at last. It seems to me it’s only from today that our marriage really begins.