MARIE
And I will never give it to you.
PELTIER
Madame.
MARIE
Do you hear, sir?
(The two stiffen and look each other in the face. A silence.)
PELTIER Then why did you come with me of your own free will, or even on your own initiative?
MARIE (who's settled down)
What do you want? I've changed my mind.
PELTIER (very cold and speaking through his teeth) Fine. You've tricked me! At this point I'm not a young man. No one makes a fool of me! For, my darling, I don't think that a caprice of yours, such a sudden turnabout, such a flash of virtue—
MARIE Don't use that word virtue any more. It is terrible to my ears. I was telling you just now that I've something like fear of the present. Yes, fear to remain here this way. But I was in the process of adding that the present doesn't terrify me. It was then that you shrieked out at the moment I was going to explain to you how I intended to confide myself to your honor to allow me to decide in peace. And you got so carried away that you irritated me, too. And you just said things to me! A caprice? me, at my age; twenty-eight years old! A flash of conscience. Yes, that's it. Believe it.
PELTIER But what role is it you wish me to play in all this? You, you are at the same time reasonable, then illogical and me? as for me?
MARIE Your role? All sketched out. Let me do it all. That would be chivalrous and fine.