SCENE FOURTH


Mercadet, Mme. Mercadet and Virginie.


Mercadet (to Virginie)
Has madame given you any orders?

Virginie
No, sir, and besides the tradespeople--

Mercadet
I hope you will do yourself credit to-day. We are going to have four
people to dinner--Verdelin and his wife, M. de Mericourt and M. de la
Brive--so there will be seven of us. Such dinners are the glory of
great cooks! You must have a fine fish after the soup, then two
entrees, very delicately cooked--

Virginie
But, sir, the trades--

Mercadet
For the second course--ah, the second course ought to be at once rich
and brilliant, yet solid. The second course--

Virginie
But the tradespeople--