Do you see the columns of smoke that rise skyward in thousands and tens of thousands?  They are the fires burning on my altars, and if that be not so, then it must become so, for I will it.  At this moment all the telegraph instruments of Europe are clicking out my name.  The Oriental Express is carrying the newspapers to the Far East, toward the rising sun; and the ocean steamers are carrying them to the utmost West.  The earth is mine, and for that reason it is beautiful.  Now I should like to have wings for us two, so that we might rise from here and fly far, far away, before anybody can soil my happiness, before envy has a chance to wake me out of my dream—­for it is probably a dream!

Henriette. [Holding out her hand to him] Here you can feel that you are not dreaming.

Maurice.  It is not a dream, but it has been one.  As a poor young man, you know, when I was walking in the woods down there, and looked up to this Pavilion, it looked to me like a fairy castle, and always my thoughts carried me up to this room, with the balcony outside and the heavy curtains, as to a place of supreme bliss.  To be sitting here in company with a beloved woman and see the sun rise while the candles were still burning in the candelabra:  that was the most audacious dream of my youth.  Now it has come true, and now I have no more to ask of life—­Do you want to die now, together with me?

Henriette.  No, you fool!  Now I want to begin living.

Maurice. [Rising] To live:  that is to suffer!  Now comes reality.  I can hear his steps on the stairs.  He is panting with alarm, and his heart is beating with dread of having lost what it holds most precious.  Can you believe me if I tell you that Adolphe is under this roof?  Within a minute he will be standing in the middle of this floor.

Henriette. [Alarmed] It was a stupid trick to ask him to come here, and I am already regretting it—­Well, we shall see anyhow if your forecast of the situation proves correct.

Maurice.  Oh, it is easy to be mistaken about a person’s feelings.

(The head waiter enters with a card.)

Maurice.  Ask the gentleman to step in. [To Henriette] I am afraid we’ll regret this.

Henriette.  Too late to think of that now—­Hush!

(Adolphe enters, pale and hollow-eyed.)

Maurice. [Trying to speak unconcernedly] There you are!  What became of you last night?

Adolphe.  I looked for you at the Hotel des Arrets and waited a whole hour.

Maurice.  So you went to the wrong place.  We were waiting several hours for you at the Auberge des Adrets, and we are still waiting for you, as you see.

Adolphe. [Relieved] Thank heaven!

Henriette.  Good morning, Adolphe.  You are always expecting the worst and worrying yourself needlessly.  I suppose you imagined that we wanted to avoid your company.  And though you see that we sent for you, you are still thinking yourself superfluous.