Mercadet Part 26

All Paid!

Mercadet Paid? How--how have you been paid?

Goulard In full. Fifty thousand in drafts.

Mercadet (aside) That I can understand.

Goulard And eight thousand francs net, in notes.

Mercadet In bank-notes?

Goulard Bank-notes.

Mercadet (aside) It is past my understanding. Ah! Eight thousand! Minard might have given them, so that now he'll bring me only twenty-two thousand.

Violette And I--I, who would have been willing to make some reduction--I have been paid in full!

Mercadet All! (in a low voice to him) I suppose in drafts?

Violette In first-cla.s.s drafts to the amount of eighteen thousand francs.

Mercadet (aside) What a fellow this De la Brive is!

Violette And the balance, the other twelve thousand--

Verdelin Yes--the balance?

Violette In cash. Here it is. (He shows the bank-notes.)

Mercadet (aside) Minard won't bring me more than ten.

Goulard (taking a seat at the table) And this very moment he is paying in the same way all your creditors.

Mercadet In the same way?

Violette (taking a seat at the table) Yes, in drafts, in specie, and in bank-notes.

Mercadet (forgetting himself) Lord, have mercy upon me! (Aside) Minard will bring me nothing at all.

Verdelin What is the matter with you?

Mercadet Me! Nothing--I--

SCENE THIRTEENTH

The same persons and Minard, followed by creditors.

Minard I have done your errand.

Mercadet (trembling) And you--have brought me--a few--bank-notes?

Minard A few bank-notes? Of course. M. G.o.deau wouldn't let me even mention the thirty thousand francs.

(Goulard and Violette rise. Minard stands before the table, surrounded by creditors.)

Mercadet I can quite understand that.

Minard "You mean," he said, "a hundred thousand crowns; here are a hundred thousand crowns, with my compliments!" (He pulls out a large roll of bank-notes, which he places on the table.)

Mercadet (rushing to the table) What the devil! (Looking at the notes) What is all this about?

Minard The three hundred thousand francs.

Pierquin My three hundred thousand francs!

Verdelin The truth for once!

Mercadet (astounded) Three hundred thousand francs! I see them! I touch them! I grasp them!

Three hundred thousand--where did you get them?

Minard I told you he gave them to me.

Mercadet (with vehemence) He!-- He--! Who is he?

Minard Did not I say, M. G.o.deau?

Mercadet What G.o.deau? Which G.o.deau?

Minard Why the G.o.deau who has come back from the Indies.

Mercadet From the Indies?

Violette And who is paying all your debts.

Mercadet What is this? I never expected to strike a G.o.deau of this kind.

Pierquin He has gone crazy!

(All the other creditors gather at the back of the stage. Verdelin approaches them, and speaks in a low voice.)

Verdelin (returning to Mercadet) It's true enough! All are paid in full!

Mercadet Paid? Every one of them? (Goes from one to the other and looks at the bank-notes and the drafts they have.) Yes, all settled with--settled in full! Ah! I see blue, red, violet! A rainbow seems to surround me.