BRIGNAC. Get along better? I thought so. [_In a changed tone_] Ah, Catherine, I used to know you and your family when your husband went more to church than to his club. You had faith then to help you bear up against your troubles! You put your trust in Providence! Yes, you brought up your children according to the Scriptures: ‘Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.’ MADELEINE [_shrugging her shoulders, low_] Don’t, Julien. CATHERINE. Good bye, ma’am. Good bye, sir. [_She goes out_]. BRIGNAC [_to Madeleine_] What is it? MADELEINE. You should have more tact. LUCIE [_interposing_] Come now, don’t quarrel, you two. [_To Madeleine_] You’re not to get cross again. Tell us about your meeting. BRIGNAC. First just to get back my strength!—[_he drinks a glass of the wine that Josephine has brought_]. My meeting? Well, it was a huge success. On the battle-field Napoleon used to say: ‘One night of Paris will make up for all this.’ If he lived now, he’d say: ‘One night of Paris—after an address from Brignac!’ I tell you, I did magnificently. And the audience was by no means only my friends. I know that, because when I said—when I was inspired to say—’God blesses large families—’ MADELEINE. Someone answered: ‘But he doesn’t support them.’ BRIGNAC. Were you there? MADELEINE. No, but the retort is so well known that nowadays people don’t allude to blessings from above. There’s too much suffering here below. It looks like a bad joke. BRIGNAC. Ah, that spirit of Voltaire! [_He pours out another glass of wine_]. LUCIE. Don’t you think you’ve had enough, dear? BRIGNAC [_holding up the glass_] What, of this wine? From a vineyard that my father planted—! LUCIE. That makes no difference. BRIGNAC. Have you ever seen me drunk? LUCIE. No. BRIGNAC. Well then! [_He drinks_] Ah! Pure sunshine. It brightens my heart to drink it! M. de Forgeau was enchanted. Have you told Madeleine that I’m going to stand? LUCIE. Everyone knows about it. BRIGNAC. So much the better. After today, I have reason to think that there’s every chance of my being elected. At last, we’ll have done with this narrow life of a provincial lawyer! You’ll see! And who knows—between ourselves, of course—who knows that some day I shan’t have men on the bench coming to beg favors of the Minister that they used to refuse to the simple lawyer! Aha, and why not? Stranger things have happened. [_Walking about and rubbing his hands_] Ah, there’ll be some who’ll cut a queer figure then. [_He pulls himself up_] Well, well. In the meantime the essential thing is the deputation. LUCIE. Yes.