MADELEINE [shrugging her shoulders, low] Don’t, Julien.
CATHERINE. Good bye, ma’am. Good bye, sir. [She goes out].
BRIGNAC [to Madeleine] What is it?
MADELEINE. You should have more tact.
LUCIE [interposing] Come now, don’t quarrel, you two. [To Madeleine] You’re not to get cross again. Tell us about your meeting.
BRIGNAC. First just to get back my strength!—[he drinks a glass of the wine that Josephine has brought]. My meeting? Well, it was a huge success. On the battle-field Napoleon used to say: ‘One night of Paris will make up for all this.’ If he lived now, he’d say: ‘One night of Paris—after an address from Brignac!’ I tell you, I did magnificently. And the audience was by no means only my friends. I know that, because when I said—when I was inspired to say—’God blesses large families—’
MADELEINE. Someone answered: ‘But he doesn’t support them.’
BRIGNAC. Were you there?
MADELEINE. No, but the retort is so well known that nowadays people don’t allude to blessings from above. There’s too much suffering here below. It looks like a bad joke.
BRIGNAC. Ah, that spirit of Voltaire! [He pours out another glass of wine].