PRESIDENT. And why not? What a strange notion! A man who dresses in the height of fashion--who carries with him an atmosphere of eau de mille fleurs and musk--who can garnish every silly speech with a handful of ducats--could all this possibly fail to overcome the delicacy of a tradesman's daughter? No, no, my good friend, jealousy is not quite so hard of belief. I shall send for the marshal immediately. (Rings.) WORM. While your excellency takes care of him, and of the fiddler's arrest, I will go and indite the aforesaid letter. PRESIDENT (seats himself at his writing-table). Do so; and, as soon as it is ready, bring it hither for my perusal. [Exit WORM. [The PRESIDENT, having written, rises and hands the paper to a servant who enters. See this arrest executed without a moment's delay, and let Marshal von Kalb be informed that I wish to see him immediately. SERVANT. The marshal's carriage has just stopped at your lordship's door. PRESIDENT. So much the better--as for the arrest, let it be managed with such precaution that no disturbance arise. SERVANT. I will take care, my lord. PRESIDENT. You understand me? The business must be kept quite secret. SERVANT. Your excellency shall be obeyed. [Exit SERVANT. SCENE II. The PRESIDENT--MARSHALL KALB. MARSHAL (hastily). I have just looked in, en passant, my dear friend! How are you? How do you get on? We are to have the grand opera Dido to-night! Such a conflagration!--a whole town will be in flames!--you will come to the blaze of course--eh? PRESIDENT. I have conflagration enough in my own house, one that threatens the destruction of all I possess. Be seated, my dear marshal. You arrive very opportunely to give me your advice and assistance in a certain business which will either advance our fortunes or utterly ruin us both! MARSHAL. Don't alarm me so, my dear friend! PRESIDENT. As I said before, it must exalt or ruin us entirely! You know my project respecting the major and Lady Milford--you are not ignorant how necessary this union is to secure both our fortunes! Marshal, our plans threaten to come to naught. My son refuses to marry her! MARSHAL. Refuses! Refuses to marry her? But, my goodness! I have published the news through the whole town. The union is the general topic of conversation. PRESIDENT. Then you will be talked of by all the town as a spreader of false reports,--in short, Ferdinand loves another. MARSHAL. Pooh! you are joking! As if that were an obstacle? PRESIDENT. With such an enthusiast a most insurmountable one! MARSHAL. Can he be mad enough to spurn his good-fortune? Eh? PRESIDENT. Ask him yourself and you'll hear what he will answer. MARSHAL. But, mon Dieu! what can he answer? PRESIDENT. That he will publish to the world the crime by which we rose to power--that he will denounce our forged letters and receipts--that he will send us both to the scaffold. That is what he can answer.