LAUR. When they’re passed—we’ll see.
BRIGNAC. Those who have a large family will be exempted from taxation.
LAUR. From what taxes?
BRIGNAC. What taxes! The taxes you pay to the collector, of course.
LAUR. Listen, M. le sous-préfet. The poor pay next to nothing of those taxes. They pay the real taxes: the taxes upon bread, wine, salt, tobacco: and they’ll go on paying them. The more children you have, the more money the State takes from you.
SOUS-IN. Pray do not forget that the State proposes to confer a decoration upon every mother of seven children.
PIERRE [to Laurent] There you are!
JACQUES. M. le sous-préfet, we must be off. We’ve a long way to go.
BRIGNAC [to Jacques] Good night, M. le maire.