BRIGNAC. Yes. The rest of the circular is full of the ways and means. I shall read it aloud this evening.
LUCIE. This evening!
BRIGNAC. Yes. [He goes to the right hand door and calls] Monsieur Lioret!
CLERK [coming in] Monsieur le sous-préfet.
BRIGNAC. Make me two copies of this circular yourself; you will understand its great importance. And bring the original back yourself and place it upon this table.
CLERK. Yes, monsieur le sous-préfet. [He goes out].
BRIGNAC [returning to Lucie] The covering letter from my official superior ends with these words: ‘Have the goodness, M. le sous-préfet, to send me at once a statistical schedule of all committees or associations of this nature at present existing in your district, and let me know what measures you think of taking in response to the desiderata of the Government.’ Well, I shall take advantage of the dinner we give to-night to the members of the Council of Revision to set on foot some associations of the sort, and then I can write up to the authorities, ’There were no associations: I created them’!
LUCIE. But is the dinner a suitable—
BRIGNAC. Listen to me. This morning there was a Council of Revision at Châteauneuf.
LUCIE. Yes.