Goulard
And what is your friend’s name?

Mercadet
His name?  You haven’t mentioned?—­

Goulard
His name!

Mercadet
The thousand crowns.

Goulard
What a devil of a man he is! (He writes.) There, you have it!

Mercadet
His name is Pierquin.

Goulard (rising)
Pierquin.

Mercadet
He at least is the nominal buyer.—­Go to your house and I will send
him to you; it is never a good thing to run after a purchaser.

Goulard
Never!—­You have saved my life.  Good-bye, my friend.  Madame, accept my
prayers for the happiness of your daughter. (Exit.)

Mercadet
One of them captured!  Now watch me get the others!

Sceneseventh

Mme. Mercadet, Mercadet, then Julie.

Mme. Mercadet
Is there any truth in what you just now said?  I could not quite follow
you.

Mercadet It is to the interest of my friend Verdelin to cause a panic in Basse-Indre stock; this stock has been for a long time very risky and has suddenly become of first-class value, through the discovery of certain beds of mineral, which are known only to those on the inside.—­Ah!  If I could but invest a thousand crowns in it my fortune would be made.  But, of course, our main object at present is the marriage of Julie.

Mme. Mercadet
You are well acquainted with M. de la Brive, are you not?

Mercadet I have dined with him.  He has a charming apartment, fine plate, a silver dessert service, bearing his arms, so that it could not have been borrowed.  Our daughter is going to make a fine match, and he—­ when either one of a married couple is happy, it is all right.

(Julie enters.)

Mme. Mercadet
Here comes our daughter.  Julie, your father and I have something to
say to you on a subject which is always agreeable to a young girl.

Julie
M. Minard has then spoken to you, father?

Mercadet M. Minard!  Did you expect, madame, to find a M. Minard reigning in the heart of your daughter?  Is not this M. Minard that under clerk of mine?

Julie
Yes, papa.

Mercadet
Do you love him?

Julie
Yes, papa.

Mercadet
But besides loving, it is necessary for a person to be loved.

Mme. Mercadet
Does he love you?

Julie
Yes, mamma!

Mercadet Yes, papa; yes, mamma; why don’t you say mammy and daddy?—­As soon as daughters have passed their majority they begin to talk as if they were just weaned.  Be polite enough to address your mother as madame.

Julie
Yes, monsieur.

Mercadet
Oh! you may address me as papa.  I sha’n’t be annoyed at that.  What
proof have you that he loves you?

Julie
The best proof of all; he wishes to marry me.

Mercadet It is quite true, as has been said, that young girls, like little children, have answers ready enough to knock one silly.  Let me tell you, mademoiselle, that a clerk with a salary of eighteen hundred francs does not know how to love.  He hasn’t got the time, he has to work too hard—­