Deschaume and Charpin [protesting together] Oh! O-ho!
Deschaume. Well, if we can't have a bit of chippin' in a friendly way like!
Berthe. Beastly things like that ain't jokes. I didn't know where to look meself; and I've sat for a sculptor, so I ain't too particular.
Charpin. He! He! I thought she was talkin' about that old joke of the rats.
The men laugh together.
Thérèse. Yes, you're laughing about it still! About shutting up live rats in our desks before we came to work.
Girard. He! He! We didn't mean any harm.
Thérèse. You didn't mean any harm! The little apprentice was ill for a week, and Madame Dumont had a bad fall. You thought of dozens of things of that kind, like the typists who mixed up all the letters on the women's desks. When we went away to get our lunch, you came and spoilt our work and made the women lose a great part of their day's pay or work hours of overtime. We don't want any more of that. You agreed we should have a separate workshop. We'll keep it.
Girard. If Monsieur Féliat sticks to you, we'll have to come out on strike.
Thérèse. We don't want Monsieur Féliat to get into trouble because of us.