MAID. I will tell madame. [She goes out].
MME. MAIRAUT. Tell madame! [To her husband] They saw us coming.
MAIRAUT. You think so?
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.