FÉCHAIN. This way. If you have three or four children, no one bothers about you, you’re like everyone else; but with seven or eight, then they have to help you. Relief charities, or the authorities, or just people, that’s all one. They daren’t say no. If you have ten, then it’s first class. Only you mustn’t mind moving. But there, there’s nothing to be had for nothing, is there? HOURTIN. How many of your children are living with you? FÉCHAIN. Two. HOURTIN. And the other five? FÉCHAIN. The two girls are big enough to do for themselves. The other three are in hospital. [_A silence_]. HOURTIN [_looking at the papers_] All your children are not of the same mother, I see. FÉCHAIN. No; I’ve been a widower twice. Oh, yes; I’ve had my troubles. This is my third. It’s her fourth she’s expecting. MADELEINE [_after a pause, to Lucie_] A man like that ought to be shut up. HOURTIN [_giving him back the papers_] Thank you. FÉCHAIN. Good day, sir. Good day, ladies. [_To Brignac_] You couldn’t just let me have the money for the railway and my ticket to the meeting? It’s only just a trifle. HOURTIN [_giving him some money_] There. FÉCHAIN. Thank you kindly, sir. [_He goes out_]. HOURTIN [_taking leave_] You see! Children who cannot be kept ought not to be born. And I would add that those who are born ought to be properly kept. BRIGNAC. A pretext that would justify the shirking of all duty. It’s impossible to see ahead like that. HOURTIN. You don’t ask more people to dinner than you have room for, nor before dinner is ready. It will be time to think of increasing our population when our housing and means of livelihood are up to the mark of our existing needs. BRIGNAC. But each new generation is itself a means of production. HOURTIN. Certainly. I only ask that the poor should have few children and the degenerate none. No child ought to be brought into the world handicapped by illness or want. BRIGNAC. And as the result of your precautions our country would fall in point of population to a fifth or a tenth rate power. HOURTIN [_at the door_] History teaches us that not even military supremacy belongs to the largest nations. M. de Marigny’s reflection, not mine. [_Bowing to the ladies_] Till tomorrow. [_Shaking Brignac’s hand_] And when you have a moment, just consider how society behaves to the mothers of whom it demands children. You’ll find that an entertaining subject—unless it makes you cry. Goodbye. LUCIE [_shewing him out_] Then you will really come to see my babies? HOURTIN. Most certainly. [_Lucie goes out with him_]. MADELEINE. Well, my dear brother-in-law, what do you say to that? BRIGNAC [_shrugging his shoulders_] Oh, if I had wanted to answer him— MADELEINE. Why didn’t you?