The maids have just murdered Monsieur, who had previously raped one of them, leading to the crime. As they try to erase any traces of the murder from the scene, blood seeps from the body of Monsieur in a box at the corner of the stage (representing the costume box in the original). Crouched in tension and immersion, Claire and Solange, driven by shock, fear, and a perverse thrill, agree to kill Madame in order to perfect their crime.

 However, the narrative abruptly shifts as Madame enters, embodying the role of a critic who disapproves of such theatricality. With her appearance, everything the maids were doing or living, their genuine temporality, becomes confined within the framework of 'theater,' criticized and torn apart by the standards of this theatricality, including their terror of the murder and fear of another one.