Mercadet | Page 7

money.
Mercadet Just so. I can quite understand it. (To Julie) Julie, write to him at once, telling him to come to me.
Julie (kissing him) Dear papa!
Mercadet And you must marry M. de la Brive. Instead of living on a fourth floor in a suburb, you will have a fine house in the Chaussee-d'Antin, and, if you are not the wife of a Minister, you perhaps will be the wife of a peer of France. I am sorry, my daughter, that I have no more to offer you. Remember, you can have no choice in the matter, for M. Minard is going to give you up.
Julie Oh! he will never do that, papa. He will win your heart--
Mme. Mercadet My dear, suppose he loves her?
Mercadet He is deceiving her--
Julie I shouldn't mind being always deceived in that way.
(A bell is heard without.)
Mme. Mercadet Some one is ringing, and we have no one to open the door.
Mercadet That is all right. Let them ring.
Mme. Mercadet I am all the time thinking that Godeau may return.
Mercadet After eight years without any news, you are still expecting Godeau! You seem to me like those old soldiers who are waiting for the return of Napoleon.
Mme. Mercadet They are ringing again.
Mercadet Julie, go and see who it is, and tell them that your mother and I have gone out. If any one is shameless enough to disbelieve a young girl-- it must be a creditor--let him come in.
(Exit Julie.)
Mme. Mercadet This love she speaks of, and which, at least on her side, is sincere, disturbs me greatly.
Mercadet You women are all too romantic.
Julie (returning) It is M. Pierquin, papa.
Mercadet A creditor and usurer--a vile and violent soul, who humors me because he thinks me a man of resources; a wild beast only half-tamed yet cowed by my audacity. If I showed fear he would devour me. (Going to the door.) Come in, Pierquin, come in.

SCENE EIGHTH
The same persons and Pierquin.
Pierquin My congratulations to you all. I hear that you are making a grand marriage for your daughter. Mademoiselle is to marry a millionaire; the report has already gone abroad.
Mercadet A millionaire?--No, he has only nine hundred thousand francs, at the most.
Pierquin This magnificent prospect will induce a lot of people to give you time. They are becoming devilishly tired of your talk about Godeau's return. And I myself--
Mercadet Were you thinking about having me arrested?
Julie Arrested!
Mme. Mercadet (to Pierquin) Ah! sir.
Pierquin Now listen to me, you have had two years, and I never before let a bond go over so long; but this marriage is a glorious invention and--
Mme. Mercadet An invention!
Mercadet Sir, my future son-in-law, M. de la Brive, is a young man--
Pierquin So that there is a real young man in the case? How much are you going to pay the young man?
Mme. Mercadet Oh!
Mercadet (checking his wife by a sign) No more of this insolence! Otherwise, my dear sir, I shall be forced to demand a settlement of our accounts--and, my dear M. Pierquin, you will lose a good deal of the price at which you sold your money to me. And at the rate of interest you charge, I shall cost you more than the value of a farm in Bauce.
Pierquin Sir--
Mercadet (haughtily) Sir, I 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