Mercadet
For the second course—­ah, the second course ought to be at once rich
and brilliant, yet solid.  The second course—­

Virginie
But the tradespeople—­

Mercadet
Nonsense!  You annoy me—­To talk about tradespeople on the day when my
daughter and her intended are to meet!

Virginie
They won’t supply anything.

Mercadet What have we got to do with tradespeople that won’t take our trade?  We must get others.  You must go to their competitors, you must give them my custom, and they will tip you for it.

Virginie
And how shall I pay those that I am giving up?

Mercadet
Don’t worry yourself about that,—­it is my business.

Virginie
But if they ask me to pay them—­

Mercadet (aside, rising to his feet) That girl has money of her own. (Aloud) Virginie, in these days, credit is the sole wealth of the government.  My tradespeople misunderstand the laws of their country, they will show themselves unconstitutional and utter radicals, unless they leave me alone.—­ Don’t you trouble your head about people who raise an insurrection against the vital principles of all rightly constituted states!  What you have got to attend to, is dinner,—­that is your duty, and I hope that on this occasion you will show yourself to be what you are, a first-class cook!  And if Mme. Mercadet, when she settles with you on the day after my daughter’s wedding, finds that she owes you anything, I will hold myself liable for it all.

Virginie (hesitating)
Sir—­

Mercadet Now go about your business.  I give you here an opportunity of gaining an interest of ten per cent every six months!—­and that is better than the savings banks will do for you.

Virginie
That it is; they only give four per cent a year!

Mercadet (whispering to his wife) What did I tell you!—­(To Virginie) How can you run the risk of putting your money into the hands of strangers—­You are quite clever enough to invest it yourself, and here your little nest-egg will remain in your own possession.

Virginie Ten per cent every six months!—­I suppose that madame will give me the particulars with regard to the second course.  I must start to work on it. (Exit.)

Scenefifth

Mercadet and Mme. Mercadet

Mercadet (watching Virginie as she goes out) That girl has a thousand crowns of our good money in the savings bank, so that we needn’t worry about the kitchen for awhile.

Mme. Mercadet
Ah! sir, how can you stoop to such a thing as this?

Mercadet Madame, these are mere petty details; don’t bother about the means to an end.  You, a little time ago, were trying to control your servants by kindness, but it is necessary to command and compel them, and to do it briefly, like Napoleon.

Mme. Mercadet
How can you order them when you don’t pay them?