her assertion with some dance steps with Hans, and then she calls for champagne. Couder is dubious about allowing anything of this sort in his office until he is assured that it is the custom in Europe, but Alice and Daisy are rather put out by this lady who now has attracted the attention of Fredy and Hans. 'You can have your countess,' Daisy tells Hans, while Fredy, likewise taunted by Alice, detects what he hopefully sees as a sign of jealousy. Act 2 Olga is thoroughly enjoying her new-found status, and she expresses her happiness by performing a Cossack dance with some of her friends in the grounds of Couder's home. Alice, meanwhile, has appointed Fredy as her private secretary. They emerge from the mansion for a game of tennis, but the game seems more one of verbal banter and one-upmanship than anything else. Alice summons her servants to bring out a typewriter, and she tests Fredy's feelings towards her by dictating a letter to an imaginary lover. Neither of them is as yet prepared to admit the growing feelings they have for each other. Couder has decided to call a family conference to announce his plan to marry Olga. He has been completely taken in by her, and Dick cannot bring himself to tell him the truth. With the future of his business concerns in mind, Couder is also anxious for Alice to marry and he is happy enough with Alice's preference for Fredy. The sole problem is that Fredy himself knows nothing about it. Daisy, too, feels that she would like to marry, but her uncle considers her still too young, and Hans doesn't quite share Daisy's view that they should elope and yet maintain a pure, platonic, brother-and-sister relationship. Daisy proceeds to draw up her proposed marriage contract, which includes separate rooms, polite address of each other, and all the other ingredients of what seems like a Hansel and Gretel type of relationship. Alice, convinced that absolutely anything is possible for dollar princesses for whom money is no object, changes into an elegant evening dress in readiness for the announcement of her engagement. First Couder announces to the assembled company his engagement to Olga but, when Alice steps forward to announce her own engagement and, to everyone's astonishment, identifies her fiancé as Fredy, the young man bids her farewell. Even fifty million dollars will not persuade him to marry someone who considers that a man should be her slave. 'You can never forget all your money,' he accuses the family, as Alice comes to the sad realisation that dollar princesses are really the poorest beauties in the world. Act 3 In the year since he walked out on the Couders, Fredy has set up home in the backwoods of Aliceville, Canada. He has acquired valuable oil properties and, amongst his assets, there is one bankrupt company called Smith & Co whose rights have been offered to Couder. Fredy is awaiting a visit from Couder, who knows nothing of Fredy's involvement with this company, to close a deal. Fredy sees this meeting also as an occasion to get Couder's forgiveness for Hans and Daisy. The pair finally eloped and they are at this very moment staying with Fredy in his log cabin. The sound of a motor-horn signals the arrival of Couder, Olga and Alice, who take great pleasure m making hens, geese, horses, children and dogs flee as, their car approaches. Couder is astonished to see Hans, but delighted to learn that his niece is safe and in seventh heaven over her marriage. Delighted in turn with this reception, Daisy make it clear that their relationship is no longer just a Hansel and Gretel one. By contrast, Couder's marriage to Olga has not been a success, and he readily offers Hans half a million dollars to be rid of her. Hans is absolutely sure that, for half a million dollars, Olga would travel to the other end of the earth. It will be a problem easily solved. When Couder meets the proprietor of Smith & Co, he is astonished to find it is Fredy and amazed to learn the extent of his wealth. Alice is equally astonished at seeing Fredy again. She attempts to hold aloof from him but, finally, she can no longer hide her feelings. Now that Fredy has shown he is in every way Alice's financial equal, there is no longer any bar to their love and everything can come to a tidy happy ending.
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