But I see you have been wounded in a real duel?
PERCINET. It came near being mortal.
SYLVETTE. And now you return to us--?
PERCINET. Thoroughly worn-out.
SYLVETTE. Yes, but you have at least found romance and poetry?
PERCINET. No--I was seeking afar what was here all the time.
Don't make fun of me: I adore you!
SYLVETTE. Even after our disillusion?
PERCINET. What difference does that make?
SYLVETTE. But our fathers played an abominable trick on us.
PERCINET. What of it? What I feel in my heart is real.
SYLVETTE. They pretended to hate each other.
PERCINET. Did we pretend that we loved?
SYLVETTE. The wall was a punch-and-judy theater--you said so
yourself.
PERCINET. I did, Sylvette, but it was blasphemy. Ah. wall, you
gave us a divine setting, with moonlight and stars, flowers and
vines, the four winds for music, and Shakespeare for prompter!
Yes, our fathers made us go through the motions, but it was Love
that made us speak: _it_ pulled the strings!
SYLVETTE. [Sighing] That's true, but we loved because we believed
it was wicked!
PERCINET. And it was! Only the intention counts, and thinking we
were guilty, we were!
SYLVETTE. Really?
PERCINET. Really, my dear, we were infamous.
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