MOUZON. My respects. [_He goes out_]

DOORKEEPER. Monsieur the deputy is here, your honor. Monsieur the deputy says that your honor is waiting for him.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. That is so. Ask him to come in.

_Enter Mondoubleau. The Attorney-General advances towards him and shakes hands with him._

SCENE VI:--_Mondoubleau, Attorney-General._

MONDOUBLEAU. Good-day, my dear Attorney-General.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Good-day, my dear deputy.

MONDOUBLEAU. I'm delighted to see you. I've come from Paris. I had lunch yesterday with my friend the Keeper of the Seals. The Government is badly worried just at the moment.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. About what?

MONDOUBLEAU. They're afraid of an interpellation. Just a chance--I'll tell you about it. Tell me--it seems you have a young a.s.sistant here who has been playing pranks.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Monsieur Ardeuil?

MONDOUBLEAU. Ardeuil, yes, that's the man. Eugene follows matters very closely.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Eugene?

MONDOUBLEAU. Eugene--my friend Eugene--the Keeper of the Seals. He said to me, "I expect your Attorney-General to understand how to do his duty."

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. I ask nothing better, but let me know what my duty is.

MONDOUBLEAU. That's just what one wants to avoid. But look here, my friend, you are a very mysterious person!

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. I?

MONDOUBLEAU. You are asking for a change of appointment.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Who told you that?

MONDOUBLEAU. Who do you suppose? He is the only one who knows.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Eug--[_Quickly_] The Keeper of the Seals?

MONDOUBLEAU. You want to be appointed to Orleans? Am I correctly informed?

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Quite true. We have relations there.

MONDOUBLEAU. I fancy you are concerned in the movement now in preparation.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Is there a movement in preparation?

MONDOUBLEAU. There is. As for Monsieur Ardeuil, the Minister confined himself to saying that he had confidence in your firmness and zeal.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. The Keeper of the Seals may rely on me. I shall have to show considerable severity in several directions here, and I shall lack neither determination nor zeal, I can a.s.sure you.

MONDOUBLEAU. Yes, but above all, tact! Eugene repeated a dozen times, "Above all, no prosecutions, no scandals. At the present moment less than ever. We are being watched. So everything must be done quietly."

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. You needn't be alarmed. There's the matter of Mouzon.

MONDOUBLEAU. Mouzon! Mouzon the examining magistrate!

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Yes.

MONDOUBLEAU. Of Mauleon?

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Precisely.

MONDOUBLEAU. You aren't thinking of--One of my best friends--very well disposed--a capital fellow--an excellent magistrate, full of energy and discernment. I mentioned his name to Eugene in connection with the vacant post of Councillor.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. [_offering him the report_] You've picked the wrong man. I am going to show you a doc.u.ment about him. Besides, the post is promised to Monsieur Vagret.

MONDOUBLEAU. What is wrong?

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Here. I shall have to report him to the Superior Council of the Magistracy or proceed against him in the Court of Appeal.

MONDOUBLEAU. What has he done?

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Read it.

MONDOUBLEAU [_after casting a glance over the doc.u.ment which the other has handed to him_] Of course. But really--there's nothing in that. If you keep quiet about it, no one will know anything. No scandal. The magistracy is suffering from too many attacks already just now, without our providing our enemies with weapons.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Unfortunately Coire knows of it, and he threatens to tell the whole story in his paper unless Monsieur Mouzon is sent away from Mauleon.

MONDOUBLEAU. The devil! [_He begins to laugh_]

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. What are you laughing at?

MONDOUBLEAU. Nothing--an extravagant idea, a jest. [_He laughs_] Tell me--but you won't be annoyed?--it's only a joke--

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Well?

MONDOUBLEAU. I was thinking--I tell you, it's a grotesque idea. But after all--after all, if you propose Mouzon for the Councillor's chair at Pau, you will be pleasing everyone!

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. My dear deputy--

MONDOUBLEAU. A joke--of course, merely a joke--but what's so amusing about it is that if you did so it would please Coire, it would please me, it would please Mouzon, and it would please Eugene, who doesn't want any scandal.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. But it would be a--