what all this means! … You are free, there is no one to interfere with you. … You go about Paris. … You put on a domino to come to the ball. … Why do you not go home? … What have you been doing this past fortnight? … What is this tale about the Angel of Music, which you have been telling Mamma Valérius? Someone may have taken you in, played upon your innocence. I was a witness of it myself, at Perros … but you know what to believe now! You seem to me quite sensible, Christine. You know what you are doing. … And meanwhile Mamma Valérius lies waiting for you at home and appealing to your ‘good genius!’ … Explain yourself, Christine, I beg of you! Anyone might have been deceived as I was. What is this farce?”
Christine simply took off her mask and said:
“Dear, it is a tragedy!”