LAMBLIN. From the office? At this time? SERVANT. Yes, Monsieur. LAMBLIN. Say that I am with my family, and that I am not receiving any one. SERVANT. That is what I said, but the--person--insists. LAMBLIN. How annoying! MADAME BAIL. See him, dear, Marthe and I will go out and you may see him here. No one will disturb you. MARTHE. Yes, it's best to see him! [_They make ready to go out; pick up their work, and so on._] LAMBLIN [_to the servant_]. Tell him to come in. [_The servant goes out._] MARTHE [_to Madame Bail, as she points after the servant_]. Did you notice? Adolphe was very embarrassed! MADAME BAIL. Now what are you going to worry about? MARTHE. I tell you, I saw it! [_The women go out._] LAMBLIN. This is too much! Not a moment of peace! [_Enter Madame Cogé._] You? MADAME COGÉ. What do you think of my trick? LAMBLIN. Detestable as well as dangerous. MADAME COGÉ. Come, come. I wanted to go to the _Bouffes_, and I wanted you to go with me. It's nine o'clock, but we'll be in time for the principal play. LAMBLIN. No, no, no, impossible. And what do you mean by falling upon me this way without warning! My dear Mathilde, what were you thinking about? MADAME COGÉ. I decided this morning. You were so nice yesterday! LAMBLIN. You must go at once! What if some one found you here? MADAME COGÉ. Your wife? Quick, then, we must be going. Take your hat, say good-by. I'll wait for you downstairs. I have a cab. [_A pause._] LAMBLIN. I tell you, it's out of the question. Go alone. I have a headache--I've smoked too much. MADAME COGÉ. You refuse? And I was looking forward so--! LAMBLIN. Now, listen to me, my dear: I have told you once for all, I'm not a rounder. I like everything well regulated. I have my own little habits, and I don't like something to come along and upset everything. I'm very much of a family man, I've often impressed that fact upon you, and I'm astonished, perfectly astonished, that you don't take that into account. MADAME COGÉ [_in a high voice_]. You make me tired. So there. LAMBLIN. Don't scream so! I tell you, I wouldn't go out to-night for anything under the sun. Yesterday, Heaven knows, I was only too happy to be with you: we enjoyed ourselves; it was most pleasant. As for this evening--no: to-morrow. We decided on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, and a Sunday from time to time. I have no wish to alter that schedule. I'm regulated like a cuckoo clock. You don't seem to believe that. I strike when I'm intended to strike. MADAME COGÉ. That is as much as to say that you like me three days a week, and the rest of the time I mean as little to you as the Grand Turk! That's a queer kind of love! LAMBLIN. Not at all. I think of you very often, and if you were to disappear, I should miss you a great deal. Only it's a long way between that and disturbing my equilibrium. MADAME COGÉ. And I suppose you love your wife? LAMBLIN. Are you jealous? MADAME COGÉ. I am, and I have reason to be be....