Guillaume. Women here ... women—ah! (Embraces Flipotte. ) That brings one back to life again! (To Albin, who is highly impressed.) The Devil take me, my boy, if I thought I would ever see you alive again. (As though he were listening.) They come!—they come! (Goes to the door.) No, it is nothing ... They ...
Albin. How strange! There really is a noise, as though people outside were pressing forward very quickly. Is that part of the stage effects as well?
Scaevola. He goes in for such damned subtleties every blessed time. (To Jules. ) 'Tis too silly—
Host. Come now, tell us why they are at your heels again?
Guillaume. Oh, nothing special. But if they got me, it would cost me my head. I've set fire to a house.
[During this scene young nobles come in and sit down at the tables.]
Host (softly). Go on!—go on!
Guillaume (in the same tone). What more do you want? Isn't it enough for you if I've set fire to a house?
François. But tell me, my friend, why you set fire to the house.
Guillaume. Because the President of the Supreme Court lived in it. We wanted to make a beginning with him. We wanted to keep the good Parisian householders from taking folk into their houses so lightly who send us poor devils to the prison.