But the handsome prince has been he...

But the handsome prince has been here all along. In fact, he's upstairs-doing higher math-when the play make opens Hal, another mathematician, was single of Robert's graduate students. Hal has taken athwart Robert's place, his office, and have the appearances to have an interest in moving into the vacancy in Catherine's affections as well. In the opening sight Catherine catches Hal attempting to steal undivided of her father's notebooks in which Robert scribbled meaningless drivel during his final years. The notebook Hal has lifted, however, was single in kind written during a brief period of lucidity in Robert's life, a time of respite when Hal was his prot?©g?© and Catherine had listed in college as an undergraduate. Robert has written high praise for Catherine and her devotion, claiming that she "has certainly saved my life." He asks, "Where does her power come from?" (Auburn 23). Hal doesn't want to steal Robert's math; instead he takes the notebook in order to give it to Catherine. Hal room for expectations to steal the words of Catherine's father, respond them to her, and thereby replace her father in her affections.