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.

VAGRET [_after a brief silence_] I haven't told you everything.

MADAME VAGRET. What is it?

VAGRET [_timidly_] Cortan has been appointed Councillor at Amiens.

MADAME VAGRET [_exasperated_] Cortan! That idiot of a Cortan?

VAGRET. Yes.

MADAME VAGRET. This is too much!

VAGRET. What can you expect? The new Keeper of the Seals is in his
department. You can't fight against that!

MADAME VAGRET. There's always something--Cortan! Won't she be making a
show of herself--Madame Cortan--who spells "indictment" i-n-d-i-t-e?
She'll be showing off her yellow hat! Don't you remember her famous
yellow hat?

VAGRET. No.

MADAME VAGRET. It's her husband who ought to wear that color!

VAGRET. Rosa, that's unjust.

MADAME VAGRET [_painfully excited_] I know it--but it does me good!

_Enter Catialena._

CATIALENA. Madame, where shall I put