Violette
And I—­I, who would have been willing to make some reduction—­I have
been paid in full!

Mercadet
All! (in a low voice to him) I suppose in drafts?

Violette
In first-class drafts to the amount of eighteen thousand francs.

Mercadet (aside)
What a fellow this De la Brive is!

Violette
And the balance, the other twelve thousand—­

Verdelin
Yes—­the balance?

Violette
In cash.  Here it is. (He shows the bank-notes.)

Mercadet (aside)
Minard won’t bring me more than ten.

Goulard (taking a seat at the table)
And this very moment he is paying in the same way all your creditors.

Mercadet
In the same way?

Violette (taking a seat at the table)
Yes, in drafts, in specie, and in bank-notes.

Mercadet (forgetting himself)
Lord, have mercy upon me! (Aside) Minard will bring me nothing at all.

Verdelin
What is the matter with you?

Mercadet
Me!  Nothing—­I—­

Scenethirteenth

The same persons and Minard, followed by creditors.

Minard
I have done your errand.

Mercadet (trembling)
And you—­have brought me—­a few—­bank-notes?

Minard
A few bank-notes?  Of course.  M. Godeau wouldn’t let me even mention
the thirty thousand francs.

(Goulard and Violette rise.  Minard stands before the table, surrounded by creditors.)

Mercadet
I can quite understand that.

Minard “You mean,” he said, “a hundred thousand crowns; here are a hundred thousand crowns, with my compliments!” (He pulls out a large roll of bank-notes, which he places on the table.)

Mercadet (rushing to the table)
What the devil! (Looking at the notes) What is all this about?

Minard
The three hundred thousand francs.

Pierquin
My three hundred thousand francs!

Verdelin
The truth for once!

Mercadet (astounded)
Three hundred thousand francs!  I see them!  I touch them!  I grasp them! 
Three hundred thousand—­where did you get them?

Minard
I told you he gave them to me.

Mercadet (with vehemence)
He!—­ He—!  Who is he?

Minard
Did not I say, M. Godeau?

Mercadet
What Godeau?  Which Godeau?

Minard
Why the Godeau who has come back from the Indies.

Mercadet
From the Indies?

Violette
And who is paying all your debts.

Mercadet
What is this?  I never expected to strike a Godeau of this kind.

Pierquin
He has gone crazy!

(All the other creditors gather at the back of the stage.  Verdelin approaches them, and speaks in a low voice.)

Verdelin (returning to Mercadet)
It’s true enough!  All are paid in full!

Mercadet Paid?  Every one of them? (Goes from one to the other and looks at the bank-notes and the drafts they have.) Yes, all settled with—­settled in full!  Ah!  I see blue, red, violet!  A rainbow seems to surround me.