MME. MAIRAUT. Of course. Why was that lamp lighted? Not for an empty room, I imagine! I don’t think much of their furniture. Very poor. Very poor. [_Lifts up a piece of stuff from the back of an armchair_] This chair has been re-covered. MAIRAUT [_at the bowl with the visiting cards_] They know some good people. MME. MAIRAUT. Let me see. [_She looks at the bowl_]. Those cards were put there expressly for us not an hour ago. MAIRAUT. Oh, come! MME. MAIRAUT. Look! The top ones are all new. The underneath ones are quite yellow. MAIRAUT. Because the underneath ones are older. MME. MAIRAUT. Because the underneath ones have been left out ever since New Year’s Day, while these are just printed. We must be careful. Above all things, don’t _you_ make a fool of yourself. MAIRAUT. All right. MME. MAIRAUT. Don’t let them think you’re set on this marriage. MAIRAUT. I understand. MME. MAIRAUT. Get them to offer that all moneys shall be held jointly. MAIRAUT. Yes. MME. MAIRAUT. And to work this, insist on separate settlements. MAIRAUT. Yes. MME. MAIRAUT. For the rest, do as you usually do. Say as little as possible. MAIRAUT. But— MME. MAIRAUT. You know well enough that’s the only way you ever do succeed with things. MAIRAUT. But there’s something I want to say to you. MME. MAIRAUT. Then it’s sure to be something stupid. However, we have nothing better to do. Go on. MAIRAUT. It’s what I spoke to you about before. It’s been worrying me a good deal. If the Duponts give us their daughter, who has probably a dot of twenty-five thousand francs— MME. MAIRAUT. Twenty or twentyfive thousand, I expect. MAIRAUT. Well, if they give her to us, who have nothing but the bank, it must be because they don’t know that Uncle Maréchal is ruined. MME. MAIRAUT. Obviously. Nobody knows. MAIRAUT. It isn’t honest not to tell them. MME. MAIRAUT. Why? MAIRAUT. Surely, my dear— MME. MAIRAUT. If you’re going to tell them that, we may as well be off at once. MAIRAUT. You see! MME. MAIRAUT. I see that we ought to hold our tongues. Oh, yes: we ought. For if you have scruples about injuring the Duponts, I have scruples about injuring Uncle Maréchal. MAIRAUT. What do you mean? MME. MAIRAUT. We have no right to betray a secret. I’m sorry you shouldn’t have seen that I am quite as particular as you are; only I put my duty to my family before my duty to strangers. If I am wrong, say so. MAIRAUT. But if they ask us point blank? MME. MAIRAUT. Then we must consult Uncle Maréchal, since he is the principal person concerned. MAIRAUT. In spite of all you say it seems to me—[_He hesitates. A pause_]. MME. MAIRAUT. Well, my dear, which is it to be? If you want us to go, let us go. You are the master. I have never forgotten it. Shall we go? MAIRAUT [_giving in, after a moment of painful indecision_] Now that we are here, what would the Duponts think of us?