Jeanne.  Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Maurice.  God?  What is that?  Who is he?

Jeanne.  It was he who gave joy to your youth and strength to your manhood.  And it is he who will carry us through the terrors that lie ahead of us.

Maurice.  What is lying ahead of us?  What do you know?  Where have you learned of this?  This thing that I don’t know?

Jeanne.  I can’t tell.  I have dreamt nothing, seen nothing, heard nothing.  But during these two dreadful hours I have experienced such an infinity of pain that I am ready for the worst.

Marion.  Now I want to go home, mamma, for I am hungry.

Maurice.  Yes, you’ll go home now, my little darling. [Takes her into his arms.]

Marion. [Shrinking] Oh, you hurt me, papa!

Jeanne.  Yes, we must get home for dinner.  Good-bye then, Maurice. 
And good luck to you!

Maurice. [To Marion] How did I hurt you?  Doesn’t my little girl know that I always want to be nice to her?

Marion.  If you are nice, you’ll come home with us.

Maurice. [To Jeanne] When I hear the child talk like that, you know, I feel as if I ought to do what she says.  But then reason and duty protest—­Good-bye, my dear little girl! [He kisses the child, who puts her arms around his neck.]

Jeanne.  When do we meet again?

Maurice.  We’ll meet tomorrow, dear.  And then we’ll never part again.

Jeanne. [Embraces him] Never, never to part again! [She makes the sign of the cross on his forehead] May God protect you!

Maurice. [Moved against his own will] My dear, beloved Jeanne!

(Jeanne and Marion go toward the right; Maurice toward the left.  Both turn around simultaneously and throw kisses at each other.)

Maurice. [Comes back] Jeanne, I am ashamed of myself.  I am always forgetting you, and you are the last one to remind me of it.  Here are the tickets for tonight.

Jeanne.  Thank you, dear, but—­you have to take up your post of duty alone, and so I have to take up mine—­with Marion.

Maurice.  Your wisdom is as great as the goodness of your heart.  Yes, I am sure no other woman would have sacrificed a pleasure to serve her husband—­I must have my hands free tonight, and there is no place for women and children on the battle-field—­and this you understood!

Jeanne.  Don’t think too highly of a poor woman like myself, and then you’ll have no illusions to lose.  And now you’ll see that I can be as forgetful as you—­I have bought you a tie and a pair of gloves which I thought you might wear for my sake on your day of honour.

Maurice. [Kissing her hand] Thank you, dear.

Jeanne.  And then, Maurice, don’t forget to have your hair fixed, as you do all the time.  I want you to be good-looking, so that others will like you too.