DE VARDES Welcome, The brave and the fair, my old friends and new! Welcome to Morbec! COUNT LOUIS Ah, your wounded arm!— Our regret is profound! DE VARDES It is nothing. The fraternal embrace of the people! COUNT LOUIS Oh, the people! MME. DE VAUCOURT The people! DE L’ORIENT The people! COUNT LOUIS My friend, permit us to hope you will make Of the people a signal example! DE VARDES They are misguided. COUNT LOUIS Misguided! Morbleu! DE VARDES I will talk to them. COUNT LOUIS Monsieur le Baron, Let your soldiers talk with a bayonet’s point, Your bailiffs with a rope— MME. DE VAUCOURT But what good saint Brought warning to Auray? DE L’ORIENT I guess that saint! [_A lackey appears upon the terrace._ THE LACKEY Madame la Marquise de Blanchefôret! THE GUESTS Ah! La belle marquise! _Enter_ THE MARQUISE. DE BUC The saint! DE VARDES My neighbour fair, And to De Barbasan and me last night A guardian angel— [_He greets_ THE MARQUISE. Madame la Marquise! THE MARQUISE Monsieur le Baron! (_To the company._) Messieurs, mesdames! DE VARDES From Blanchefôret to Auray through the night This lady rode— THE MARQUISE (_with gayety_) Ah, how I rode last night, To Auray through the dark! This way it was: I overheard two peasants yestereve As in a lane I sought for eglantine. “How long hath Morbec stood?” said one. “Too long! But when to-morrow dawns ‘twill not be there! And we were born, I think, to burn châteaux!— Ten, by the village clock—forget it not!” THE ABBÉ Ah, ay, the while I dealt the clock struck ten. THE MARQUISE