DUPONT. His character! We know nothing about his character. He has one virtue which nothing can take away from him: he is his uncle’s nephew. And his uncle can get me work that will bring in ten thousand francs a year, besides being as rich as Crœsus. MME. DUPONT. Still, are you sure that he is the right sort of husband for Julie? DUPONT. He is the right sort of husband for Julie, and the right sort of son-in-law for me. MME. DUPONT [_dubiously_] Well, you know more of these things than I do. DUPONT [_looks at his watch_] Ten minutes past five. Now listen to me. We have very little time, but I feel the ideas surging through my brain with extraordinary clearness. It’s only in moments of emergency that I feel myself master of all my faculties, though I flatter myself I’m not altogether a fool at the worst of times. [_He sits upon a chair, his hands leaning upon the back of it_]. I will explain everything to you, so that you may make as few blunders as possible. We must get old Mairaut to agree that all the money, Julie’s and Antonin’s, shall be the joint property of them both. MME. DUPONT. But there will be Julie’s dot. DUPONT [_pettishly_] If you keep interrupting we shall never be done. The joint property of them both, on account of Uncle Maréchal’s money. Do you understand? MME. DUPONT. Yes. DUPONT. That’s a blessing. Well, then we shall ask for— MME. DUPONT. No settlements. I understand. DUPONT. On the contrary, we shall ask for the strictest settlements on both sides. MME. DUPONT. But— DUPONT. You are out of your depth. Better simply listen without trying to understand. [_He rises, replaces his chair, and taps her knowingly on the shoulder_]. In these cases one should never ask for the thing one wants. One must know how to get the other side to offer it, and be quite pleased to get it accepted. Well, then, I am giving Julie fifty thousand francs as her dot. MME. DUPONT. Fifty thousand! But Julie has only twenty-five thousand. DUPONT. That is so. I shall give her twenty-five thousand down and promise the rest for next year. MME. DUPONT. You can’t mean that. You will never be able to keep such a promise. [_She rises_]. DUPONT. Who knows? If I get the contract from the Prefecture. MME. DUPONT. We ought to ask Julie what she thinks of this marriage. DUPONT. We haven’t much time, then. Still, call her: and take off these covers [_pointing to the chairs_]. MME. DUPONT [_she goes towards the door on the right; then returns_] But have you thought— DUPONT. I have thought of everything. MME. DUPONT. Of everything? What about Angèle and her story? DUPONT [_pompously_] Angèle is no longer my daughter. MME. DUPONT. Still, we shall have to tell them. DUPONT. Naturally. Since they know it already. MME. DUPONT. I am nearly sure it was she I met last time I was in Paris. DUPONT. You were mistaken. MME. DUPONT. I don’t think so.