Mercadet Part 6

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 friends.h.i.+p of Verdelin--a man whose fortune I made! Ah! when a man has pa.s.sed 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 grat.i.tude, 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 a.s.sured 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 p.a.w.n-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 b.u.t.ter 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 grieve me deeply! Be reasonable and I will share with you. (In a low voice) We have scarcely a hundred francs in the house, and even that is my daughter's money.

Violette Is it possible! You, Mercadet, whom I have known so rich?

Mercadet I conceal nothing from you.

Violette Unfortunate people owe it to each other to speak the truth.

Mercadet Ah! If that were the only thing they owed how prompt would be the payment! But keep this as a secret, for I am on the point of making a good match for my daughter.

Violette I have two daughters, sir, and they work without hope of being married! In your present circ.u.mstances I cannot press you, but my wife and my daughters await my return in the deepest anxiety.

Mercadet Stay a moment. I will give you sixty francs.

Violette Ah! my wife and my girls will bless you. (Aside, while Mercadet leaves the room for a moment.) The others who abuse him get nothing out of him, but by appealing to his pity, little by little I get back my money. (Chuckles and slaps his pocket.)

Mercadet (on the point of re-entering sees this action) The beggarly old miser! Sixty francs on account paid ten times makes six hundred francs. Come now, I have sown enough, it is time to reap the harvest. (Aloud) Take this.

Violette Sixty francs in gold! It is a long time since I have seen such a sum.

Good-bye, we sha'n't forget to pray for the speedy marriage of Mlle.

Mercadet.

Mercadet Good-bye, dear old Violette. (Holding him by the hand.) Poor old man, when I look at you, I think myself rich--your misfortunes touch me deeply. And yesterday I thought I would soon be on the point of paying back to you not only the interest but the princ.i.p.al of what I owe you.

Violette (turning back) Paying me back! In full!

Mercadet It was a close shave.

Violette What was?

Mercadet Imagine, my dear fellow, that there exists a most brilliant opportunity, a most magnificent speculation, the most sublime discovery--an affair which appeals to the interest of every one, which will draw upon all the exchanges, and for the realization of which a stupid banker has refused me the miserable sum of a thousand crowns-- when there is more than a million in sight.

Violette A million!

Mercadet Yes, a million, from the start. Afterwards no one can calculate where the rage for protective pavement will stop.

Violette Pavement?

Mercadet Protective pavement. A pavement on which no barricade can be raised.

Violette Really?

Mercadet You see, that from henceforth all governments interested in the preservation of order will become our chief shareholders--Ministers, princes and kings will be our chief partners. Next come the G.o.ds of finance, the great bankers, those of independent income in commerce and speculation; even the socialists, seeing that their industry is ruined, will be forced to buy stocks for a living from me!

Violette Yes, it is fine! It is grand!

Mercadet It is sublime and philanthropic! And to think I have been refused four thousand francs, wherewith to send out advertis.e.m.e.nts and launch my prospectus!

Violette Four thousand francs! I thought it was only--

Mercadet Four thousand francs, no more! And I was to give away for the loan a half interest in the enterprise--that is to say a fortune! Ten fortunes!

Violette Listen--I will see--I will speak to some one--

Mercadet Speak to no one! Keep it to yourself! The idea would at once be s.n.a.t.c.hed up--or perhaps they wouldn't understand it so well as you have immediately done. These money dealers are so stupid. Besides, I am expecting Verdelin here--

Violette Verdelin--but--we might perhaps--

Mercadet 'Twill be lucky for Verdelin, if he has the brains to risk six thousand francs in it.

Violette But you said four thousand just now.

Mercadet It was four thousand that they refused me, but I need six thousand!