Virginie
And I also have to inform madame that the tradesmen are no longer
willing—­

Mme. Mercadet
I understand.

Justin
The creditors are the cause of the whole trouble.  I wish I knew how to
get even with them.

Mme. Mercadet
The best way to do so would be to pay them.

Justin
They would be mightily surprised.

Mme. Mercadet It is useless to conceal from you the excessive anxiety which I suffer over the condition of my husband’s affairs.  We shall doubtless be in need of your discretion—­for we can depend upon you, can we not?

All
You need not mention it, madame.

Virginie
We were just saying, what excellent employers we had.

Therese
And that we would go through fire and water for you!

Justin
We were saying—­

(Mercadet appears unnoticed.)

Mme. Mercadet Thank you all, you are good creatures. (Mercadet shrugs his shoulders.) Your master needs only time, he has so many schemes in his head!—­a rich suitor has offered himself for Mlle. Julie, and if—­

Scenethird

The same persons and Mercadet.

Mercadet (interrupting his wife) My dearest! (The servants draw back a little.  In a low voice to madame) And so this is how you speak to the servants!  To-morrow they laugh at us. (To Justin) Justin, go at once to M. Verdelin’s house, and ask him to come here, as I want to speak to him about a piece of business that will not admit of delay.  Assume an air of mystery, for I must have him come.  You, Therese, go to the tradesmen of Madame de Mercadet, and tell them, sharply, that they must send the things that have been ordered.—­They will be paid for—­yes—­and cash, too—­go at once. (Justin and Therese start.) Ah!—­(They stop.) If—­these people come to the house again, ask them to enter. (Mme. Mercadet takes a seat.)

Justin
These—­these people?—­

Therese and Virginie
These people?  Eh!

Mercadet
Yes, these people—­these creditors of mine!—­

Mme. Mercadet
How is this, my dear?

Mercadet (taking a seat opposite his wife)
I am weary of solitude—­I want their society. (To Justin and Therese)
That will do.

(Justin and Therese leave the room.)

Scenefourth

Mercadet, Mme. Mercadet and Virginie.

Mercadet (to Virginie)
Has madame given you any orders?

Virginie
No, sir, and besides the tradespeople—­

Mercadet I hope you will do yourself credit to-day.  We are going to have four people to dinner—­Verdelin and his wife, M. de Mericourt and M. de la Brive—­so there will be seven of us.  Such dinners are the glory of great cooks!  You must have a fine fish after the soup, then two entrees, very delicately cooked—­

Virginie
But, sir, the trades—­