Mercadet | Page 8

shall soon be so rich that I will not endure
to be twitted by any one--not even by a creditor.
Pierquin But--
Mercadet Not a word--or I will pay you! Come into my private room
and we will settle the business about which I asked you to come.
Pierquin I am at your service, sir. (Aside) What a devil of a man!
(Pierquin and Mercadet bow to the ladies and enter Mercadet's room.)
Mercadet (following Pierquin; aside to his wife) The wild beast is
tamed. I'll get this one, too.

SCENE NINTH
Mme. Mercadet, Julie, and later, Servants.
Julie O mamma! I cannot marry this M. de la Brive!
Mme. Mercadet But he is rich, you know.
Julie But I prefer happiness and poverty, to unhappiness and wealth.

Mme. Mercadet My child, happiness is impossible in poverty, while
there is no misfortune that wealth cannot alleviate.
Julie How can you say such sad words to me?
Mme. Mercadet Children should learn a lesson from the experience of
parents. We are at present having a very bitter taste of life's vicissitudes.
Take my advice, daughter, and marry wealth.
Justin (entering, followed by Therese and Virginie) Madame, we have
carried out the master's orders.
Virginie My dinner will be ready.
Therese And the tradesmen have consented.
Justin As far as concerns M. Verdelin--

SCENE TENTH
The same persons and Mercadet (carrying a bundle of papers).
Mercadet What did my friend Verdelin say?
Justin He will be here in a moment. He was just on his way here to
bring some money to M. Bredif, the owner of this house.
Mercadet Bredif is a millionaire. Take care that Verdelin speaks to me
before going up to him. How did you get on, Therese, with the
milliners and dressmakers?
Therese Sir, as soon as I gave them a promise of payment, every one
greeted me with smiles.
Mercadet Very good. And shall we have a fine dinner, Virginie?
Virginie You will compliment it, sir, when you eat it.

Mercadet And the tradespeople?
Virginie They will wait your time.
Mercadet I shall settle with you all to-morrow. You can go now. (They
go out.) A man who has his servants with him is like a minister who
has the press on his side!
Mme. Mercadet And what of Pierquin?
Mercadet (showing the papers) All that I could extort from him is as
follows.--He will give me time, and this negotiable paper in exchange
for stock.--Also notes for forty-seven thousand francs, to be collected
from a man named Michonnin, a gentleman broker, not considered very
solvent, who may be a crook but has a very rich aunt at Bordeaux; M.
de la Brive is from that district and I can learn from him if there is
anything to be got out of it.
Mme. Mercadet But the tradesmen will soon arrive.
Mercadet I shall be here to receive them. Now leave me, leave me, my
dears.
(Exeunt the two ladies.)

SCENE ELEVENTH
Mercadet, then Violette.
Mercadet (walking up and down) Yes, they will soon be here! And
everything depends upon that somewhat slippery friendship of
Verdelin--a man whose fortune I made! Ah! when a man has passed
forty he learns that the world is peopled by the ungrateful--I do not
know where all the benefactors have gone to. Verdelin and I have a
high opinion of each other. He owes me gratitude, I owe him money,
and neither of us pays the other. And now, in order to arrange the
marriage of Julie, my business is to find a thousand crowns in a pocket

which pretends to be empty--to find entrance into a heart in order to
find entrance into a cash-box! What an undertaking! Only women can
do such things, and with men who are in love with them.
Justin (without) Yes, he is in.
Mercadet It is he. (Violette appears.) Ah! my friend! It is dear old
Violette!
Violette This is the eleventh call within a week, my dear M. Mercadet,
and my actual necessity has driven me to wait for you three hours in the
street; I thought the truth was told me when I was assured that you were
in the country. But I came to-day--
Mercadet Ah! Violette, old fellow, we are both hard up!
Violette Humph! I don't think so. For my part, I've pledged everything I
could put in the pawn-shop.
Mercadet So have we.
Violette I have never reproached you with my ruin, for I believe it is
your intention to enrich me, as well as yourself; but still, fine words
butter no parsnips, and I am come to implore you to give me a small
sum on account, and by so doing you will save the lives of a whole
family.
Mercadet My dear old Violette, you