BRIGNAC. The Council of Revision is composed of a Councillor to the Prefecture, a general Councillor, a district Councillor—I leave out the doctor—and the mayors of the communes concerned—_the mayors of the communes concerned_. I shall profit by the chance of having them all together after dinner to-night—after a dinner where the champagne will be decanted, mind you—to impress them with my own enthusiasm and conviction. _They_ shall create local committees, and _I_ shall presently announce the formation of those committees to the authorities. So even if Balureau doesn’t get into power, I shall sooner or later force the Minister to say, ’But why don’t we give a man like Brignac a really active post?’ This is a first-rate opening for us: I saw it at a glance. After dinner I shall shew them my diagram. You must make my office into a cloak-room, and— LUCIE [_interrupting_] Why? There’s room in the hall. BRIGNAC. I can’t put the diagram in the hall, and I want an excuse for bringing them all through the office. Some day the Colonel may meet the Minister of the Interior and say to him: ‘I saw in the sous-préfecture at Châteauneuf’— LUCIE [_interrupting again_] All right. As you like. BRIGNAC. You trust to me. You don’t understand anything about it. You didn’t even know how a Council of Revision was made up,—you, the wife of a sous-préfet. And yet every year we give them a dinner. And we’ve been married four years. LUCIE [_gently and pleasantly_] Now think for a minute. We’ve been married four years, that’s true. But this time three years was just after Edmée was born: two years ago I was expecting little Louise; and last year after weaning her I was ill. Remember too that if I had nursed the last one myself I could not be at dinner tonight, as she is only two months old. BRIGNAC. You complain of that? LUCIE [_laughing_] No: but I am glad to be having a holiday. BRIGNAC [_gaily_] You know what I said: as long as we haven’t a boy— LUCIE [_brightly_] We ought to have a trip to Switzerland first. BRIGNAC. No, no, no. We have only girls: I want a boy. LUCIE [_laughing_] Is it the Minister’s circular that— BRIGNAC. No, it is _not_ the Minister’s circular. LUCIE. Then let me have time to breathe. BRIGNAC. You can breathe afterwards. LUCIE. Before. BRIGNAC. After. LUCIE. Wouldn’t you rather have a holiday? BRIGNAC. No. LUCIE [_gently_] Listen, Julien, since we’re talking about this. I wanted to tell you—I haven’t had much leisure since our marriage. We’ve not been able to take advantage of a single one of your holidays. And if you don’t agree to let—[_tenderly_] Maurice—wait another year it will be the same thing this time. [_Smiling_] I really have a right to a little rest. Consider. We’ve not had any time to know one another, or to love one another. Besides, remember that we already have to find dowries for three girls. BRIGNAC. I tell you this is going to be a boy. LUCIE. A boy is expensive. BRIGNAC. We are going to be rich.