Part 5 (1/2)

SCENE EIGHTH

The same persons and Pierquin.

Pierquin My congratulations to you all. I hear that you are making a grand marriage for your daughter. Mademoiselle is to marry a millionaire; the report has already gone abroad.

Mercadet A millionaire?--No, he has only nine hundred thousand francs, at the most.

Pierquin This magnificent prospect will induce a lot of people to give you time. They are becoming devilishly tired of your talk about G.o.deau's return. And I myself--

Mercadet Were you thinking about having me arrested?

Julie Arrested!

Mme. Mercadet (to Pierquin) Ah! sir.

Pierquin Now listen to me, you have had two years, and I never before let a bond go over so long; but this marriage is a glorious invention and--

Mme. Mercadet An invention!

Mercadet Sir, my future son-in-law, M. de la Brive, is a young man--

Pierquin So that there is a real young man in the case? How much are you going to pay the young man?

Mme. Mercadet Oh!

Mercadet (checking his wife by a sign) No more of this insolence! Otherwise, my dear sir, I shall be forced to demand a settlement of our accounts--and, my dear M. Pierquin, you will lose a good deal of the price at which you sold your money to me.

And at the rate of interest you charge, I shall cost you more than the value of a farm in Bauce.

Pierquin Sir--

Mercadet (haughtily) Sir, I shall soon be so rich that I will not endure to be twitted by any one--not even by a creditor.

Pierquin But--

Mercadet Not a word--or I will pay you! Come into my private room and we will settle the business about which I asked you to come.

Pierquin I am at your service, sir. (Aside) What a devil of a man!

(Pierquin and Mercadet bow to the ladies and enter Mercadet's room.)

Mercadet (following Pierquin; aside to his wife) The wild beast is tamed. I'll get this one, too.

SCENE NINTH