THeReSE. What d'you do when you leave the works? You go to the saloon?

VINCENT [_losing control of himself and becoming violent and coa.r.s.e_]

That's yer game, is it! You take me for a regler soaker. That's a bit too thick, that is. You can go and ask for yourself in all the saloons round here. Blimey, sometimes I don't drink nothing but water for a week on end! Can you find anybody as has ever seen me blue-blind-paralytic--eh? I'm one of the steady ones, I am. I has a tiddley in the morning, like every man as is a man, to keep out the fog; then I has a Vermouth before lunch, and a drop of something short after, just to oil the works like--and that's the bloomin' lot. Of course you're bound to have a Pernod before dinner to get your appet.i.te up; and if I go for a smoke and a wet after supper, well, it's for the sake of a bit of company.

THeReSE [_who has been jotting down figures with a pencil while he has been talking_] Well, that's a franc a day you might have saved.

VINCENT. A franc.

THeReSE [_holding out the paper to him_] Add it up.

VINCENT [_a little confused_] Oh, I'll take your word for it. I ain't much good at sums.

THeReSE. With that franc you might have put a fine lot of b.u.t.ter on every round of bread.

VINCENT. Well, look here, I want a bicycle.

THeReSE. Why? You live five minutes' walk from here.

VINCENT. Yes, but I want to get about a bit on Sundays.

THeReSE. There's one thing you haven't thought of. You have two little children. Who'll look after them if your wife comes to work here?

VINCENT. Don't you worry about that. You takes 'em all dirty to the creche every morning and gets 'em back in the evenin' all tidied up.

THeReSE. And who's going to get supper ready?

VINCENT [_navely_] Why, the old woman when she comes back from work.

THeReSE. While you take your little drink?

VINCENT [_the same tone_] Oh, yes; I shan't hurry her up too much.

THeReSE. Who'll mend your clothes?

VINCENT. Why, the old woman of course.

THeReSE. When?

VINCENT. On Sundays.

THeReSE. While you go off for a run on the bicycle?

VINCENT. Yes; it'll be a change for her. And at night I'll take her to see me play billiards. [_With a change of tone_] That's all settled, ain't it?

THeReSE. Indeed, it's not.

VINCENT. Why not? Aren't you going to open a new workroom?

THeReSE. Your wife has no need to work.

VINCENT. What's that got to do with you? You're taking on the others.

THeReSE. The others are in want.

VINCENT. That's nothing to me. You ought to take the wives of the chaps as works here first.

THeReSE. All I can do is to mention her name at the next meeting of our Union.

VINCENT. Oh, d.a.m.n your Union--it's a fair nuisance!

THeReSE. A Union is always a nuisance to somebody.

VINCENT. And you'll ask your Union not to take my old woman?

THeReSE. I certainly shall.

VINCENT [_rather threateningly_] Very well. Things was more comfortable here before you come from Paris, you know.

THeReSE [_quietly_] I'm sorry.

VINCENT. And they'll be more comfortable when you take your hook back.

THeReSE. That won't be for a good while yet.

VINCENT. I ain't so d.a.m.ned sure about that! Good-afternoon.

THeReSE. Good-afternoon.

_He goes out._

LUCIENNE. You've made an enemy, my dear.

THeReSE. I don't care as long as I'm able to prevent women being driven to work to pay for their husbands' idleness and drunkenness.

_Feliat and Gueret come in. Lucienne goes out._

FeLIAT. Tell me, Mademoiselle, if there was a strike here, could you count upon your workwomen?

THeReSE. I'm sure I could.

FeLIAT. Are you certain none of them would go back on you?

THeReSE. Two or three married women might if their husbands threatened them.

FeLIAT. Will you try, in a quiet way, to find out about that?

THeReSE. Yes, certainly. [_She makes a movement to go out_]

FeLIAT. Look here, it seems that Duriot has just had a visit from two delegates from the Central Committee in Paris, who were sent down to protest against the engagement of women. I'm afraid we're going to have trouble here.