Foolishness! You speak very lightly about it. But now that the marriage is a thing accomplished, it is all right. I had destined my niece for another sphere than a painter's world. However, when you can't get a thrush, eat a blackbird, as the proverb says. MARTINEL But a white blackbird, Madame, for your niece is a pearl. Let me tell you, the happiness of these children will be the happiness of my declining years. MME. DE RONCHARD I wish that it may be, Monsieur, without daring to hope for it. MARTINEL Never mind. There are two things on which I am an expert--the merits of women and of wine. MME. DE RONCHARD [_aside_] Especially upon the latter. MARTINEL They are the only two things worth knowing in life. SCENE II. (_The same characters and_ Petitpré _who enters_ C, _with_ Léon.) PETITPRÉ Now that this red-letter day has gone by as any other day goes, will you play a game of billiards with me, Monsieur Martinel? MARTINEL Most certainly, I am very fond of billiards. LÉON [_comes down stage_] You are like my father. It seems to me that when anyone begins to like billiards at all, they become infatuated with the game; and you two people are two of a kind. MARTINEL My son, when a man grows old, and has no family, he has to take refuge in such pleasures as these. If you take bait-fishing as your diversion in the morning and billiards for the afternoon and evening, you have two kinds of amusement that are both worthy and attractive. LÉON Oh, ho! Bait-fishing, indeed! That means to say, getting up early and sitting with your feet in the water through wind and rain in the hope of catching, perhaps each quarter of an hour, a fish about the size of a match. And you call that an attractive pastime? MARTINEL I do, without a doubt. But do you believe that there is a single lover in the world capable of doing as much for his mistress throughout ten, twelve, or fifteen years of life? If you asked my opinion, I think he would give it up at the end of a fortnight. MME. DE RONCHARD Of a truth; he would. LÉON [_interrupts_] Pardon me, I should give it up at the end of a week. MARTINEL You speak sensibly. PETITPRÉ Come along, my dear fellow. MARTINEL Shall we play fifty up? PETITPRÉ Fifty up will do. MARTINEL [_turns to_ Mme. de Ronchard] We shall see you again shortly, Madame. MME. DE RONCHARD Well, I have had enough of Havre for the present. [_Exit_ Martinel _and_ Petitpré C.] SCENE III. (Leon _and_ Mme. de Ronchard.) LÉON Martinel is a good fellow. Not a man of culture, but bright as sunshine and straight as a rule. MME. DE RONCHARD [_seated_ L.] He is lacking in distinction of manner. LÉON [_inadvertently_] How about yourself, Aunt? MME. DE RONCHARD What do you mean? LÉON [_corrects himself and approaches_ Mme. de Ronchard] I said, how about yourself? You know what I mean--you have such an intimate knowledge of the world that you are a better judge of human nature than anyone I know.