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vow that every poor traveller should have his keep for nothing;
and a pound in his pocket to help him on his journey。

MACAIRE。  A pound in his pocket? }

BERTRAND。  Keep for nothing?     } ASIDE。

MACAIRE。  Bitten!                }

BERTRAND。  Sold again!           }

DUMONT。  I will send you what we have:  poor fare; perhaps; for 
gentlemen like you。


SCENE V

MACAIRE; BERTRAND; AFTERWARDS CHARLES; WHO APPEARS ON THE
GALLERY; AND COMES DOWN。

BERTRAND。  I told you so。  Why will you fly so high?

MACAIRE。  Bertrand; don't crush me。  A pound:  a fortune!  With a
pound to start upon … two pounds; for I'd have borrowed yours … 
three months from now I might have been driving in my barouche; 
with you behind it; Bertrand; in a tasteful livery。

BERTRAND (SEEING CHARLES)。  Lord; a policeman!

MACAIRE。  Steady!  What is a policeman?  Justice's blind eye。 
(TO  CHARLES。)  I think; sir; you are in the force?

CHARLES。  I am; sir; and it was in that character …

MACAIRE。  Ah; sir; a fine service!

CHARLES。  It is; sir; and if your papers …

MACAIRE。  You become your uniform。  Have you a mother?  Ah; well;
well!

CHARLES。  My duty; sir …

MACAIRE。  They tell me one Macaire … is not that his name; 
Bertrand? … has broken jail at Lyons?

CHARLES。  He has; sir; and it is precisely for that reason …

MACAIRE。  Well; good…bye。  (SHAKING CHARLES BY THE HAND AND
LEADING  HIM TOWARDS THE DOOR; L。 U。 E。)  Sweet spot; sweet spot。 
The  scenery is 。 。 。 (KISSES HIS FINGER…TIPS。  EXIT CHARLES)。 
And now; what is a policeman?

BERTRAND。  A bobby。


SCENE VI

MACAIRE; BERTRAND; TO WHOM ALINE WITH TRAY; AND AFTERWARDS MAIDS

ALINE (ENTERING WITH TRAY; AND PROCEEDING TO LAY TABLE; L。)  My 
men; you are in better luck than usual。  It isn't every day you
go shares in a wedding feast。

MACAIRE。  A wedding?  Ah; and you're the bride。

ALINE。  What makes you fancy that?

MACAIRE。  Heavens; am I blind?

ALINE。  Well; then; I wish I was。

MACAIRE。  I take you at the word:  have me。

ALINE。  You will never be hanged for modesty。

MACAIRE。  Modesty is for the poor:  when one is rich and nobly 
born; 'tis but a clog。  I love you。  What is your name?

ALINE。  Guess again; and you'll guess wrong。  (ENTER THE OTHER 
SERVANTS WITH WINE BASKETS。)  Here; set the wine down。  No; that
is the old Burgundy for the wedding party。  These gentlemen must
put up with a different bin。  (SETTING WINE BEFORE MACAIRE AND 
BERTRAND; WHO ARE AT TABLE; L。)

MACAIRE (DRINKING)。  Vinegar; by the supreme Jove!

BERTRAND。  Sold again!

MACAIRE。  Now; Bertrand; mark me。  (BEFORE THE SERVANTS HE 
EXCHANGES THE BOTTLE FOR THE ONE IN FRONT OF DUMONT'S PLACE AT
THE HEAD OF THE OTHER TABLE。)  Was it well done?

BERTRAND。  Immense。

MACAIRE (EMPTYING HIS GLASS INTO BERTRAND'S)。  There; Bertrand;
you may finish that。  Ha! music?


SCENE VII

To these; from the inn; L。 U。 E。; DUMONT; CHARLES; the CURATE;
the NOTARY jigging:  from the inn; R。 U。 E。; FIDDLERS playing and
dancing; and through door L。 C。; GORIOT; ERNESTINE; PEASANTS;
dancing likewise。  Air:  'Haste to the Wedding。'  As the parties 
meet; the music ceases。

DUMONT。  Welcome; neighbours! welcome friends!  Ernestine; here
is my Charles; no longer mine。  A thousand welcomes。  O the gay
day!  O the auspicious wedding!  (CHARLES; ERNESTINE; DUMONT;
GORIOT;  CURATE; AND NOTARY SIT TO THE WEDDING FEAST; PEASANTS;
FIDDLERS;  AND MAIDS; GROUPED AT BACK; DRINKING FROM THE BARREL。) 
O; I must have all happy around me。

GORIOT。  Then help the soup。

DUMONT。  Give me leave:  I must have all happy。  Shall these poor
gentlemen upon a day like this drink ordinary wine?  Not so:  I 
shall drink it。  (TO MACAIRE; WHO IS JUST ABOUT TO FILL HIS
GLASS)   Don't touch it; sir!  Aline; give me that gentleman's
bottle and take him mine:  with old Dumont's compliments。

MACAIRE。  What?

BERTRAND。  Change the bottle?

MACAIRE。  Bitten!          } ASIDE。

BERTRAND。  Sold again。     }

DUMONT。  Yes; all shall be happy。

GORIOT。  I tell 'ee; help the soup!

DUMONT (BEGINS TO HELP SOUP。  THEN; DROPPING LADLE。)  One word: 
a matter of detail:  Charles is not my son。  (ALL EXCLAIM。)  O
no; he is not my son。  Perhaps I should have mentioned it before。

CHARLES。  I am not your son; sir?

DUMONT。  O no; far from it。

GORIOT。  Then who the devil's son be he?

DUMONT。  O; I don't know。  It's an odd tale; a romantic tale:  it
may amuse you。  It was twenty years ago; when I kept the GOLDEN 
HEAD at Lyons:  Charles was left upon my doorstep in a covered 
basket; with sufficient money to support the child till he should

come of age。  There was no mark upon the linen; nor any clue but 
one:  an unsigned letter from the father of the child; which he 
strictly charged me to preserve。  It was to prove his identity:  
he; of course; would know the contents; and he only; so I keep it
safe in the third compartment of my cash…box; with the ten
thousand  francs I've saved for his dowry。  Here is the key; it's
a patent key。  To…day the poor boy is twenty…one; to…morrow to be
married。  I did perhaps hope the father would appear:  there was
a Marquis coming; he wrote me for a room; I gave him the best;
Number Thirteen; which you have all heard of:  I did hope it
might be he; for a Marquis; you know; is always genteel。  But no;
you see。  As for me; I take you all to witness I'm as innocent of
him as the  babe unborn。

MACAIRE。  Ahem!  I think you said the linen bore an M?

DUMONT。  Pardon me:  the markings were cut off。

MACAIRE。  True。  The basket white; I think?

DUMONT。  Brown; brown。

MACAIRE。  Ah! brown … a whitey…brown。

GORIOT。  I tell 'ee what; Dumont; this is all very well; but in 
that case; I'll be danged if he gets my daater。  (GENERAL 
CONSTERNATION。)

DUMONT。  O Goriot; let's have happy faces!

GORIOT。  Happy faces be danged!  I want to marry my daater; I
want your son。  But who be this?  I don't know; and you don't
know; and he don't know。  He may be anybody; by Jarge; he may be
nobody!   (EXCLAMATIONS。)

CURATE。  The situation is crepuscular。

ERNESTINE。  Father; and Mr。 Dumont (and you too; Charles); I wish
to say one word。  You gave us leave to fall in love; we fell in 
love; and as for me; my father; I will either marry Charles; or
die a maid。

CHARLES。  And you; sir; would you rob me in one day of both a 
father and a wife?

DUMONT (WEEPING)。  Happy faces; happy faces!

GORIOT。  I know nothing about robbery; but she cannot marry
without my consent; and that she cannot get。

DUMONT。  O dear; O dear!             }

ALINE。  What spoil the wedding?      }   TOGETHER。

ERNESTINE。  O father!                }

CHARLES。  Sir; sir; you would not …  }

GORIOT (EXASPERATED)。  I wun't; and what's more I shan't。

NOTARY。  I donno if I make myself clear?

DUMONT。  Goriot; do let's have happy faces!

GORIOT。  Fudge! Fudge!!  Fudge!!!

CURATE。  Possibly on application to this conscientious jurist; 
light may be obtained。

ALL。  The Notary; yes; yes; the Notary!

DUMONT。  Now; how about this marriage?

NOTARY。  Marriage is a contract; to which there are two 
constracting parties; John Doe and Richard Roe。  I donno if I
make  myself clear?

ALINE。  Poor lamb!

CURATE。  Silence; my friend; you will expose yourself to 
misconstruction。

MACAIRE (TAKING THE STAGE)。  As an entire stranger in this
painful scene; will you permit a gentleman and a traveller to
interject one word?  There sits the young man; full; I am sure;
of pleasing qualities; here the young maiden; by her own
confession bashfully consenting to the match; there sits that
dear old gentleman; a lover of bright faces like myself; his own
now dimmed with sorrow;  and here … (may I be allowed to add?) …
here sits this noble Roman; a father like myself; and like myself
the slave of duty。  Last you  have me … Baron Henri…Frederic de
Latour de Main de la Tonnerre de Brest; the man of the world and
the man of delicacy。  I find you all … permit me the expression …
gravelled。  A marriage and an obstacle。  Now; what is marriage? 
The union of two souls; and; wha is possibly more romantic; the
fusion of two dowries。  What is  an obstacle? the devil。  And
this obstacle? to me; as a man of family; the obstacle seems
grave; but to me; as a man and a brother; what is it but a word? 
O my friend (TO GORIOT); you whom I single out as the victim of
the same noble failings with myself … of pride of birth; of pride
of honesty … O my friend; reflect。  Go now apart with your
dishevelled daughter; your tearful son…in…law; and let their
plaints constrain you。  Believe me; when you come to die; you
will recall with pride this amiable weakness。

GORIOT。  I shan't; and what's more I wun't。  (CHARLES AND
ERNESTINE LEAD HIM UP STAGE; PROTESTING。  ALL RISE; EXCEPT
NOTARY。)

DUMONT (FRONT R。; SHAKING HANDS WITH MACAIRE)。  Sir; you have a 
noble nature。  (MACAIRE PICKS HIS POCKET。)  Dear me; dear me; and
you are rich。

MACAIRE。  I own; sir; I deceived you:  I feared some wounding 
offer; and my pride replied。  But to be quite frank with you; you
behold me here; the Baron Henri…Frederic de Latour de Main de la 
Tonnerre de Brest; and between my simple manhood and the infinite
these rags are all。

DUMONT。  Dear me; and with this noble pride; my gratitude is 
useless。  For I; too; have delicacy:  I understand you could not 
stoop to take a gift。

MACAIRE。  A gift? a small one? never!

DUMONT。  And I will never wound you by the offer。

MACAIRE。  Bitten。         }

BERTRAND。  Sold again。    } ASIDE。

GORIOT (TAKING THE STAGE)。  But; look'ee here; he can't marry。

MACAIRE。  Hey?          }

DUMONT。  Ah!            }

ALINE。  Hey day!        }

CURATE。  Wherefore?     } TOGETHER。

ERNESTINE。  Oh!         }

CHARLES。  Ah!           }

GORIOT。  Not without his veyther's consent!  And he hasn't got
it;  and what's more; he can't get it:  and what's more; he
hasn't got a veyther to get it from。  It's the law of France。

ALINE。  Then the law of France ought to be ashamed of itself。 

ERNESTINE。  O; couldn't we ask the Notary again?

CURATE。  Indubitably you may ask him。

MACAIRE。  Can

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