Manuel awakes as she goes back to the chimney-piece for tray.

Man. Eh—who's that? Ah, me! What are you doing, Madame?

Mad. V. Did you not order dinner, my lord?

Man. Certainly not.

Mad. V. Why they told me—

Man. Then they were mistaken. It's for some of the other lodgers.

Mad. V. But there's no other lodgers on this floor, and I really cannot think what—

Man. At any rate, it is not for me. Take it away.

Mad. V. [After slowly taking off cloth.] My lord has probably dined?

Man. Probably.

Mad. V. Dear me, dear me, what a pity. A good dinner spoiled, wasted. Really, if you had not dined, my lord, it would so oblige me if—

Man. Will you go or not? [She is dejectedly going, when Manuel calls.] Louise, I understand, and I thank you, but I am not well to-day. I have no desire to eat.

[He turns away. Madame Vauberger quietly comes back and gently places the dinner on the table.

Mad. V. Ah, my Lord, if you knew how you wound my heart. Come now, you shall pay me for the dinner—there—you shall put the money into my hand the moment you have it. But indeed, indeed, if you were to give me a hundred thousand francs, it would not cause me half the pleasure that I should feel in seeing you eat my poor little dinner. Oh, surely, surely, you can comprehend that.

Man. I do, Louise, I do—and as I can't give you the hundred thousand francs, why, I'll eat your dinner.

Mad. V. No; will you?

Man. Louise, your hand. Don't be alarmed, I'm not going to put money into it.

[She timidly gives her hand.

Mad. V. Oh! thank you, thank you, my lord, a thousand times. Now, I'll leave you to your dinner. Ah! how good of you to accept my poor gift. You have a noble heart.

[Exit C.

Man. And a monstrous appetite. My kind, faithful Louise. Well, well, let us to dinner, since dinner there is. Come, come, here's life for another day or so, at least, and that's something.

Doctor and Madame Vauberger heard without.

Des. Nonsense, nonsense; I don't believe a word of it.

Mad. V. I tell you sir, 'tis true; you might have seen it.

Des. [Entering.] But, confound it, woman—I didn't see it, and it was your business to tell me.

Mad. V. It wasn't.

Des. It was.

Man. What's the matter now?

Des. Matter enough! That stupid woman—

Man. Doctor, will you do me the pleasure to dine with me?

Des. My lord, you have done wrong.

Man. Indeed!

Des. For you have wounded a friend. You have been cruel.

Man. Cruel!

Des. For you have made an old man blush.

Man. I!

Des. Yes, you! why was I left in ignorance? How could you, Manuel? why didn't you. Damn it, sir? how dare you starve without letting me know?

Man. Sir, I could not—

Des. My poor boy; there, there, eat your dinner; I've news for you.

Man. News!

Des. Yes; eat your dinner.

Man. But I want to listen.

Des. Well, you don't listen with your mouth, I suppose. Eat your dinner.

Man. But—

Des. Devil a word you'll get out of me, if you don't eat your dinner.

Man. Well, well.

[Eats.

Des. Good! You remember I told you I had an appointment?

Man. Yes.

Des. Don't talk—eat! [Manuel eats.] That appointment concerned you. [Manuel nods.] I think I've found employment for you.

Man. Eh?

[Pauses with a bit on his fork.

Des. In with it. [Manuel puts it in his mouth.] Good! You are aware, of course, that my practice and my residence is in the country. I merely came to Paris on your account. [Manuel lets go his fork to shake hands with the Doctor, who puts the fork into his hand again.] Well, among the families with whom I am most intimate, there is one, in particular, of great wealth and importance. The name is Laroque. The family have had for some years past, a managing man, a steward, who never was worth much. Indeed, the only real service he has ever rendered them, he has just performed.

Man. Ran away?

Des. No, died. The moment I heard of this, I wrote to Madame Laroque, asking his situation for a friend of mine. On leaving you, I went to the post office, and found a letter awaiting me, with the full consent of the family to my request. To be sure the position for a man of your rank—

Man. My rank, under present circumstances, is a mockery. I shall, in future, take simply my Christian name of Manuel.

Des. I have only mentioned you in my letters as Monsieur Manuel, anticipating that such would be your wish. You will have your own apartments in a pavilion near the Chateau. Your salary will be so regulated that you will be enabled to lay by a portion for your sister. Now, the only question remaining is, will this suit you?

Man. Admirably! My dear, kind friend, how shall I sufficiently thank you?

Des. Eat your dinner.

Man. But am I fitted for the position?

Des. Pretty well. You've learned one great requisite.

Man. What's that?

Des. Economy. As to the rest, the duties are simple enough. And now I'll give you some notion of the people you are going to meet. There are, in the Chateau, without counting visitors, five persons. First, Monsieur Laroque, celebrated at the beginning of the present century as a famous privateer Captain. Hence his large fortune. He is now a feeble old man, mind and memory a good deal the worse for wear. Then there is Madame Laroque, his daughter-in-law, a Creole—

Man. A Creole?

Des. Yes, young gentleman, an elderly Creole, with some eccentricities to be sure, but a good heart. Thirdly, there is Mademoiselle Marguerite, her daughter, much younger—

Man. That's singular.

Des. Eat your dinner. She is proud, somewhat romantic, a little thoughtless,—

Man. And her disposition?

Des. Sweet. Fourthly, Madame Aubrey, a widow, a sort of second cousin, old maidish, talky—

Man. Disposition?

Des. Sour. Fifthly, Mademoiselle Helouin—Governess. Young, good looking.

Man. Disposition?

Des. Doubtful. And that completes the catalogue.

Man. Delightful! Two good dispositions out of five. The proportion is enormous!

Des. I'm glad you look at things so hopefully. When will you be ready to accompany me to the Chateau?

Man. To-morrow—to-day.

Des. To-morrow will do. I shall be here for you early.

[Going.

Man. I shall be ready.

Des. [Runs against Madame V. who is coming in.] Confound it, woman, take care!

Mad. V. Why, Doctor, you ran against me.

Des. I didn't!

Mad. V. You did!

Man. What's the matter now?

Des. Eat your dinner!