Justin
Not both of them, lady of Picardy.

Virginie
The panels of their carriage shone like satin. Their horse had
rosettes here. (She points to her ears.) It was held by a boy of
eight, fair, with frizzed hair and top boots. He looked as sly as a
mouse--a very Cupid, though he swore like a trooper. His master is as
fine as a picture, with a big diamond in his scarf. It ain't possible
that a handsome young man who owns such a turnout as that is going to
be the husband of Mlle. Mercadet? I can't believe it.

Justin
You don't know M. Mercadet! I, who have been in his house for the last
six years, and have seen him since his troubles fighting with his
creditors, can believe him capable of anything, even of growing rich;
sometimes I say to myself he is utterly ruined! Yellow auction
placards flame at his door. He receives reams of stamped creditor's
notices, which I sell by the pound for waste paper without being
noticed. But presto! Up he bobs again. He is triumphant. And what
devices he has! There is a new one every day! First of all, it is a
scheme for wooden pavements--then it is dukedoms, ponds, mills. I
don't know where the leakage is in his cash box; he finds it so hard
to fill; for it empties itself as easily as a drained wine-glass! And
always crowds of creditors! How well he turns them away! Sometimes I
have seen them come with the intention of carrying off everything and
throwing him into prison. But when he talks to them they end by being
the best of friends, and part with cordial handshakes! There are some
men who can tame jackals and lions. That's not a circumstance; M.
Mercadet can tame creditors!