À tout jamais: Une histoire de Cendrillon

Danielle: [indicating Maurice] I wish to address the issue of this gentleman. He is my servant, and I am here to pay the debt against him.

Cargomaster: You're too late, he's bought and paid for.

Danielle: [pulls out the pouch] I can pay you twenty gold francs.

Cargomaster: Madame, you can have me for twenty gold francs. Now drive on!

Danielle: I demand you release him at once, or I shall take this matter to the King!

Cargomaster: The King's the one who sold him. He's now the property of Cartier.

[Henry and Laurent arrive.]

Danielle: He is not property at *all*, you ill-mannered tub of guts! Do you honestly think it right to chain people like chattel? I demand you release him at once!

Cargomaster: [shouts] Get outta my way!

Henry: You dare raise your voice to a lady, sir?

Cargomaster: [flustered] Your Highness! F-forgive me, sire. I meant no disrespect. It's just, uh... I'm following orders here. It's my job to take these criminals and thieves to the coast.

Danielle: A servant is not a thief, your Highness, and those who are cannot help themselves.

Henry: Really! Well then by all means, enlighten us.

Danielle: If you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners corrupted from infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded, sire, but that you first make thieves and then punish them?

[Danielle pauses as the other courtiers look on approvingly.]

Henry: Well, there you have it. Release him.

Cargomaster: But, sire.

Henry: I said release him.

Cargomaster: Yes, sire.

[Maurice is released.]