Verdelin
I do not say so much as that.  No; you still pass for an honest man,
but necessity is forcing you to adopt expedients—­

Mercadet Which are not justified by the success which luckier men enjoy!  Ah, success!  How many outrageous things go to make up success.  You’ll learn that soon enough.  Now, for instance, this morning I began to bear the market on the mines of Basse-Indre, in order that you may gain control of that enterprise before the favorable report of the engineers is published.

Verdelin
Hush, Mercadet, can this be true?  Ah!  I see your genius there! (Puts
his arm around him.)

Mercadet I say this in order that you may understand that I have no need of advice, or of moralizing,—­merely of money.  Alas!  I do not ask any thing of you for myself, my dear friend, but I am about to make a marriage for my daughter, and here we are actually, although secretly, fallen into absolute destitution.  We are in a house where poverty reigns under the appearance of luxury.  The power of promises, and of credit, all is exhausted!  And if I cannot pay in cash for certain necessary expenses, this marriage must be broken off.  All I went here is a fortnight of opulence, just as all that you want is twenty-four hours of lying on the Exchange.  Verdelin, this request will never be repeated, for I have only one daughter.  Must I confess it to you?  My wife and daughter are absolutely destitute of clothes! (Aside) He is hesitating.

Verdelin (aside)
He has played me so many tricks that I really do not know whether his
daughter is doing to be married or not.  How can she marry?

Mercadet This very day I have to give a dinner to my future son-in-law, whom a mutual friend is introducing to us, and I haven’t even my plate remaining in the house.  It is—­you know where it is—­I not only need a thousand crowns, but I also hope that you will lend me your dinner service and come and dine here with your wife.

Verdelin A thousand crowns!  Mercadet!  No one has a thousand crowns to lend.  One scarcely has them for himself; if he were to lend them whenever he was asked, he would never have them. (He retires to the fire-place.)

Mercadet (following him, aside) He will yet come to the scratch. (Aloud) Now look here, Verdelin, I love my wife and my daughter; these sentiments, my friend, are my sole consolation in the midst of my recent disasters; these women have been so gentle, so patient!  I should like to see them placed beyond the reach of distress.  Oh!  It is on this point that my sufferings are most real! (They walk to the front of the stage arm in arm.) I have recently drunk the cup of bitterness, I have slipped upon my wooden pavement,—­I organized a monopoly and others drained me of everything!  But, believe me, this is nothing in comparison with the pain of seeing you refuse me help in this extremity!  Nevertheless, I am not going to dwell upon the consequences—­for I do not wish to owe anything to your pity.