Hola! Hola! Hola! _(He leans against the wall._ _(Tremendous hubbub outside. Slamming of doors. Calls on the stairs. Enter a great crowd of people. Prominent among them is the TRIBUNE OF THE PEOPLE. Three or four women accompany him. He is surrounded with people who jostle him and shake hands with him. Beside him, carrying his overcoat, is the GO-BETWEEN. In the group are the HIGH PREFECT, the SCHOOLMASTER, and other public officials. Also the BROTHER OF THE KING. Among the others is the KING to whom no one pays the slightest attention. Those representing the people are dumb actors. Enter after everyone else the MAN OUT OF OFFICE. He holds himself apart with three or four ill-dressed people. No one appears to notice the presence of TÊTE-D'OR, although all keep a certain distance away from him._ _(The hall is filled in a moment and through the open door one can see people crowding the vestibule and lining the stairs and climbing on benches to see better. All talk at once. Noise of many feet._ THE TRIBUNE OF THE PEOPLE (_speaking and laughing very loudly, in sudden outbursts_): Ah, well, yes, it is I, here I am.--Good morning, old fellow.--Eh?--Good morning.--Perfectly mad about me, aren't you! Just can't get along without me! Oh! Oh! Oh!--What's that, my dear?--Good morning,--Yes, sir!--Don't eat me. There is something for everyone! Ouf! Good morning!--Make room for me, I am far from small! THE MAN OUT OF OFFICE (_in his group, feverishly_): Pig!... That's right! Go on! Keep it up! Play with your good moment! Hmmm! We shall see! We shall see! _(He rubs his hands._ What has he done with the funds of the commissariat? And how about the automatic guns? I shall attack him before the assembly. We shall see! Look how he plumes himself! See how he struts among those nanny-goats! SOMEONE (_of his following, in a low voice_): Do you know the story about him and the wife of the High Prefect? He had set up an establishment with the wife of the Paymaster-General, And the other trollop came to join them. Such scenes as they had! A CITIZEN (_loudly to the tribune of the people_): Sir, you have saved the State! _(He presses his hand._ THE TRIBUNE OF THE PEOPLE: Don't say that! I love my country, Sir! (_Very loudly_) I did not despair of my country! The people did it all. THE CITIZEN: All the same I say it was you! You did the organizing! It isn't the soldiers who win the battles. You did the organizing. All the Women (_together_): It is true! _(Nodding of heads._ MURMUR (_in the crowd, spreading to the stairways_): It is true. _(Uproar outside._ What is that? THE GO-BETWEEN (_excitedly_): The whole city is roused. They are all clamoring for you. You must speak to them from the balcony. _(He talks to him in a low voice._ _(Someone passes a paper to the TRIBUNE OF THE PEOPLE. the GO-BETWEEN reads it over his shoulder._ CLAMOR (_outside_). Jacquot! Jacquot! Jacquot! Jacquot! Jacquot! Hurrah!