or Anatol before sitting down to eat bread, celery and radishes. She then proceeds to gobble down oysters as she tells Anatol that this will be their last supper together because she is throwing him over for a new, but poor man, with whom she has fallen madly in love. While Max chokes back tears of merriment at this turn of events, Anatol becomes indignant that Annie has decided to leave him before he can leave her. She explains to Anatol that because her new man is poor, she knows she will be leaving behind a life of rich decadence, especially bemoaning the loss of her beloved oysters on a nightly basis. She becomes so emotional that a waiter enters playing a sad waltz, as instructed earlier. The head-waiter now bursts into the room with the champagne, and when Anatol tries to dismiss them both, the musician winks and only plays louder. Anatol murmurs “damn” aloud as Annie bids a sad adieu to oysters and champagne, telling Anatol that every time in the future that she drinks beer or eats cheap cabbage stew she will think of him. Infuriated and frustrated, Anatol tells Annie that he too has been deceiving her with another woman. She departs in a huff, but not before grabbing a handful of cigars for her new lover before grandly sweeping off the stage. The next scene begins with Max flinging a handful of confetti in the air to simulate snow as some street peddlers sing setting the scene for us as he announces to the audience, "The Christmas Gift". Enter Gabrielle, a beautiful young woman of obvious wealth and breeding, carrying gift packages and looking for a cab. Anatol appears and tries to help her with them. At first she rebuffs him, but it soon becomes clear they have some history, although she is married and has children. He asks her to help him select a special gift, and she assumes it is for a woman, another of his conquests. It is clear that she is jealous. He reminds her that she could have stayed with him rather than marrying a man she didn’t love and shunting children off on their nanny. He tells Gabrielle that he and his new woman live in a “little world” far removed from one of wealth and social status, where they share a simple love. Gabrielle, clearly saddened but touched by his story, takes a bouquet of flowers she has been carrying and insists Anatol give them to his new love, and to tell her it was a gift from one “who might have been as happy as you if only she’d had the courage.” She departs, and Anatol sadly confesses to a passing peddler that he has no room, no special place to go. He tries to give away the bouquet to the peddler, but Max comes in and purchases the flowers, walks to the vase on the piano, and puts them in. We are left wondering what might have been as the music concludes and the lights fade out on the spot-lit bouquet of flowers. Max again appears and informs the audience that after having tried every other sensation, Anatol has now been tempted by “moderation,” meaning he intends to marry. The Wedding Morning reveals a gloomy and inebriated Anatol in a foul mood. Max arrives, hoping to get some help with what colour flowers to buy his bridesmaid wedding partner, only to find another woman in Anatol’s bedroom. Even Max is shocked, since the wedding is only hours away. Anatol explains that at the pre-wedding party the night before, he’d kissed his fiancée good night and “it was like ice,” so as the snow begins to fall, Anatol walks to the famous Redoute dance hall, with its beautiful women, savouring his last night of freedom. He sings about all the beautiful women there just waiting for their lovers when he espies Illona, a former lover, whom he has told he was going out of town on a long trip in order to avoid her and get engaged. They spend the night together in a haze of “happiness and champagne.” She scolds him for not writing a single letter while away and tells him she will never let him out of her sight again. Max and Anatol try to distract Illona, an actress, by asking what her favourite scene in her new play is. She announces that it’s the one in which she kills her lover with a letter opener and then cuts him into tiny pieces and mails him out parcel post. Illona relishes wreaking violent revenge on any lover who would dare to deceive her. Illona announces she is happily settling in for a long day of drinking coffee and cuddling with Anatol while the rain comes down. They counter by telling Illona that they must get dressed for a wedding that is only hours away, and then say that they are both the best men. Max manages to escape, but Illona refuses to let Anatol out of her sight. Anatol insists that he must attend the wedding, but promises to meet her right afterward. While he is dressing, Illona begins to question Anatol as to where he went and what he did on his trip out of town. From his evasive answers she suspects he has tried to get rid of her, as he did once before. She vows never to let him
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