Maurice.  Yes, you are right.  Forgive me!  You proved yourself more human than I, and the guilt is wholly my own.  Forgive me!  But all the same I am without guilt.  Who has tied this net from which I can never free myself?  Guilty and guiltless; guiltless and yet guilty!  Oh, it is driving me mad—­Look, now they sit over there and listen to us—­And no waiter comes to take our order.  I’ll go out and order a cup of tea.  Do you want anything?

Henriette.  Nothing.

(Maurice goes out.)

First detective. [Goes up to Henriette] Let me look at your papers.

Henriette.  How dare you speak to me?

Detective.  Dare?  I’ll show you!

Henriette.  What do you mean?

Detective.  It’s my job to keep an eye on street-walkers.  Yesterday you came here with one man, and today with another.  That’s as good as walking the streets.  And unescorted ladies don’t get anything here.  So you’d better get out and come along with me.

Henriette.  My escort will be back in a moment.

Detective.  Yes, and a pretty kind of escort you’ve got—­the kind that doesn’t help a girl a bit!

Henriette.  O God!  My mother, my sisters!—­I am of good family, I tell you.

Detective.  Yes, first-rate family, I am sure.  But you are too well known through the papers.  Come along!

Henriette.  Where?  What do you mean?

Detective.  Oh, to the Bureau, of course.  There you’ll get a nice little card and a license that brings you free medical care.

Henriette.  O Lord Jesus, you don’t mean it!

Detective. [Grabbing Henriette by the arm] Don’t I mean it?

Henriette. [Falling on her knees] Save me, Maurice!  Help!

Detective.  Shut up, you fool!

(Maurice enters, followed by waiter.)

Waiter.  Gentlemen of that kind are not served here.  You just pay and get out!  And take the girl along!

Maurice. [Crushed, searches his pocket-book for money] Henriette, pay for me, and let us get away from this place.  I haven’t a sou left.

Waiter.  So the lady has to put up for her Alphonse!  Alphonse!  Do you know what that is?

Henriette. [Looking through her pocket-book] Oh, merciful heavens!  I have no money either!—­Why doesn’t Adolphe come back?

Detective.  Well, did you ever see such rotters!  Get out of here, and put up something as security.  That kind of ladies generally have their fingers full of rings.

Maurice.  Can it be possible that we have sunk so low?

Henriette. [Takes off a ring and hands it to the waiter] The Abbe was right:  this is not the work of man.

Maurice.  No, it’s the devil’s!—­But if we leave before Adolphe returns, he will think that we have deceived him and run away.