Vagret. What?
Madame Vagret. Yes, the deputy's. Up to now you've waited for promotion to come to you. My dear, you've got to run after it! If you don't do as the others do, you'll simply get left behind.
Vagret. I am still an honest man.
Madame Vagret. It is because you are an honest man that you ought to try to get a better appointment. If the able and independent magistrates allow the others to pass them by, what will become of the magistracy?
Vagret. There's some truth in what you say.
Madame Vagret. If, while remaining scrupulously honest, you can better our position by getting a deputy to push you, you are to blame if you don't do so. After all, what do they ask you to do? Merely that you should support the Ministry.
Vagret. I can do that honestly. Its opinions are my own.
Madame Vagret. Then you'd better make haste—for a ministry doesn't last long! To support the Ministry is to support the Government—that is, the State—that is, Society. It's to do your duty.
Vagret. You are ambitious.
Madame Vagret. No, my dear—but we must think of the future. If you knew the trouble I have to make both ends meet! We ought to get Bertha married. And the boys will cost us more and more as time goes on. And in our position we are bound to incur certain useless expenses which we could very well do without; but we have to keep up appearances; we have to "keep up our position." We want Georges to enter the Polytechnique, and that'll cost a lot of money. And Henri, if he's going to study law—you'd be able to help him on all the better if you held a better position.