Violette
Four thousand francs!  I thought it was only—­

Mercadet Four thousand francs, no more!  And I was to give away for the loan a half interest in the enterprise—­that is to say a fortune!  Ten fortunes!

Violette
Listen—­I will see—­I will speak to some one—­

Mercadet Speak to no one!  Keep it to yourself!  The idea would at once be snatched up—­or perhaps they wouldn’t understand it so well as you have immediately done.  These money dealers are so stupid.  Besides, I am expecting Verdelin here—­

Violette
Verdelin—­but—­we might perhaps—­

Mercadet
’Twill be lucky for Verdelin, if he has the brains to risk six
thousand francs in it.

Violette
But you said four thousand just now.

Mercadet
It was four thousand that they refused me, but I need six thousand! 
Six thousand francs, and Verdelin, whom I have already made a
millionaire once, is likely to become so three, four, five times over! 
But he will deserve it, for he is a clever fellow, is Verdelin.

Violette
Mercadet, I will find you the money.

Mercadet No, no, don’t think of it.  Besides, he will be here in a moment, and if I am to send him away without concluding the business with him, it will be necessary to have it settled with some one else before Verdelin comes—­and, as that is impossible—­good-bye—­and good luck—­I shall certainly be able to pay you your thirty thousand francs.

Violette
But say—­why couldn’t I—?

Mme. Mercadet (entering)
M. Verdelin has come, my dear.

Mercadet (aside)
Good, good! (Aloud) Just detain him a minute. (Mme. Mercadet goes
out.) Well, good-bye, dear old Violette—­

Violette (pulling out a greasy pocketbook) Wait a moment—­here, I have the money with me—­and will give it you beforehand.

Mercadet
You!  Six thousand francs!

Violette
A friend asked me to invest it for him, and—­

Mercadet And you couldn’t find a better opening.  We’ll sign the contract presently! (He takes the bills.) This closes the deal—­and so much the worse for Verdelin—­he has missed a gold mine!

Violette
Well, I’ll see you later.

Mercadet
Yes—­see you later!  You can get out through my study.

(Mercadet shows Violette the way out.  Mme. Mercadet enters.)

Mme. Mercadet
Mercadet!

Mercadet (reappearing)
Ah! my dear!  I am an unfortunate man!  I ought to blow my brains out.

Mme. Mercadet
Good heavens!  What is the matter?

Mercadet
The matter is that a moment ago I asked this sham bankrupt Violette
for six thousand francs.

Mme. Mercadet
And he refused to give them to you?

Mercadet
On the contrary, he handed them over.

Mme. Mercadet
What, then, do you mean?