Mercadet | Page 3

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.)

SCENE FIFTH
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?
Mercadet You must pay them by a bluff.
Mme. Mercadet Sometimes you can obtain by affection what is not attainable by--
Mercadet By affection! Ah! Little do you know the age in which we live--To-day, madame, wealth is everything, family is nothing; there are no families, but only individuals! The future of each one is to be determined by the public funds. A young girl when she needs a dowry no longer appeals to her family, but to a syndicate. The income of the King of England comes from an insurance company. The wife depends for funds, not upon her husband, but upon the savings bank!--Debts are paid, not to creditors, but to the country, through an agency, which manages a sort of slave-trade in white people! All our duties are arranged by coupons--The servants which we exchange for them are no longer attached to their masters, but if you hold their money they will be devoted to you.
Mme. Mercadet Oh, sir, you who are so honorable, so upright, sometimes say things to me which--
Mercadet And what is said may also be done, that is what you mean, isn't it? Undoubtedly I would do anything to save myself, for (he pulls out a five-franc piece) this represents modern honor. Do you know why the dramas that have criminals for their heroes are so popular? It is because all the audience flatter themselves and say, "at any rate, I am much better than that fellow!"
Mme. Mercadet My dear!
Mercadet For my part I have an excuse, for I am bearing the burden of my partner's crime--of that fellow Godeau, who absconded, carrying with him the cash box of our house!--And besides that, what disgrace is it to be in debt? What man is there who does not owe his father his existence? He can never repay that debt. The earth is constantly bankrupt to the sun. Life, madame, is a perpetual loan! Am I not superior to my creditors? I have their money, when they can only expect mine. I do not ask anything of them, and yet they are constantly importuning me.--A man who does not owe anything is not thought about by any one, while my creditors take a keen interest in me.
Mme. Mercadet They take rather too much! To owe and to pay is well enough--but to borrow without any prospect of returning--
Mercadet You feel a great deal of compassion for my creditors, but our indebtedness to them springs from--
Mme. Mercadet Their confidence in us, sir.
Mercadet No, but from their greed of