ARGUMENT TO THE FIFTH ACT

Victorine cannot find her father or account for his absence (Se. i.). M. Desparville now enters (Se. ii.) and asks for M. Vanderk with whom he bas an appointment. Victorine accordingly goes to find bim, and M. Desparville meantime reflects (Se. iii.) on bis invariable bad luck; but when M. Vanderk (Se. iv.), wbo receives bim courteously, at once accèdes to bis request for tbe payment of a foreign bill, be overwbelms bim witb tbanks and opens bis heart to bim about bis son v^^bo is at tbis moment engaged in a duel. (/ M. Vanderk sympatbises, as be well can, tbougb utterly unconscious tbat bere is tbe fatber of bis own son's antagonist, wben, as be discbarges tbe bond, tbe dreaded signal as to tbe resuit of tbe duel is made by Antoine, wbo (Se. vi.) enters and déclares tbat . young M. Vanderkis dead. Victorine catcbes tbe last word as sbe comes in (Se. vii./and, lest ber tears should betray ber, (Se. viii.) is ordered to stay wbere sbe is till M. Vanderk's return ; wben, suddenly, (Se. ix.) young M. Vanderk enters, accompanied by tbe two Desparville, fatber and son. Tbe bistory of tbe duel is now told : tbe Aunt and M. Desparville turn out to be old friends (Se. xi.): and (Se. xib) witb an unimpeacbable moral, sagely delivered by Antoine, tbe play ends.