ANTONIN. If you put yourself in my place, you will see how unpleasant this kind of thing is.
DUPONT [with dignity] Quite so. [He and Madame Dupont turn towards the door].
ANTONIN [calling them back] Here are M. and Madame Pouchelet. Wait. [He goes to the door and calls to his parents] Maman! They’re here, and M. Dupont wants to apologize. It was a misunderstanding, and please don’t let’s have any quarrelling before visitors. [To Julie] Go and help them to get their things off.
Julie goes out to welcome the arrivals. M. and Madame Mairaut come in at the same moment as M. and Madame Pouchelet, Julie helping the latter to take off their wraps. M. Pouchelet is in evening dress, Madame Pouchelet in a ball dress.
JULIE. How good of you to come. My husband and I are so delighted.
POUCHELET. I promised your husband we would look in. Otherwise we should have gone straight home. The Préfet kept us longer than we wished, and we neither of us like late hours. We can only stay a moment.
MME. MAIRAUT [pushing forward a chair for Madame Pouchelet] Won’t you sit down?
ANTONIN [to Pouchelet] Naturally the Préfet was only too glad to get you to come.
POUCHELET. Yes. There is a scheme on foot for reclassifying the roads in the Department.
ANTONIN [with an assumption of great interest] Really!