ne suspects anything yet.

MADAME VAGRET. Make your mind easy. [_She listens_] This time it is our
guests.

BERTHA. [_entering_] Here they are.

MADAME VAGRET. To your work, Bertha! And for me the _Revue des Deux
Mondes_.

_They sit down. A pause._

BERTHA. They are a long time.

MADAME VAGRET. It's Madame Bunerat. Her manners always take time.

THE MANSERVANT. His Honor the President of the Court and Madame Bunerat.

MADAME VAGRET. How do you do, dear Madame Bunerat? [_They exchange
greetings_]

THE MANSERVANT. His Honor Judge La Bouzole. His worship Judge Mouzon.

_Salutations; the guests seat themselves._

MADAME VAGRET [_to Madame Bunerat_] Well, Madame, so another session's
finished!

MADAME BUNERAT. Yes, at last!

MADAME VAGRET. Your husband, I imagine, is not sorry.

MADAME BUNERAT. Nor yours, I'm sure.

MADAME VAGRET. And the President of Assizes?

BUNERAT. He will be a little late. He wants to get away early to-morrow
morning, and he has a mass of documents to sign. You must remember the
Court has barely risen. When we saw that we should be sitting so late we
sent for our evening clothes, and we changed while the jury was
deliberating; then we put our robes on over them to pronounce sentence.

MADAME VAGRET. And the sentence was?

BUNERAT. An acquittal.

MADAME VAGRET. Again! Oh, the juries are crazy!

VAGRET. My dear, you express yourself just a little freely.

MADAME BUNERAT. Now, my dear Madame Vagret, you mustn't worry yourself.

_She leads her up the stage._

BUNERAT [_to Vagret_] Yes, my dear colleague, an acquittal. That makes
three this session.

MOUZON [_a man of forty, whiskered and foppish_] Three prisoners whom we
have had to set at liberty because we couldn't hold them for other
causes.

BUNERAT. A regular run on the black!

LA BOUZOLE [_a man of seventy_] My dear colleagues would prefer a run on
the red.

BUNERAT. La Bouzole, you are a cynic! I do not understand how you can
have the courage to joke on such a subject.

LA BOUZOLE. I shouldn't joke if your prisoners were condemned.

MOUZON. I'm not thinking of our prisoners--I'm thinking of ourselves. If
you imagine we shall receive the congratulations of the Chancellery, you
are mistaken.

BUNERAT. He doesn't care a straw if the Mauleon Court does earn a black
mark in Paris.

LA BOUZOLE. You have said it, Bunerat; I don't care a straw! I have
nothing more to look for. I shall be seventy years