not say what she thinks. You will not believe much in what she says, if you take my advice. ÉLIS. Ah! How unkind you are to make this lady suspicious of me! Just think what will become of me if she believes what you tell her. Am I so unfortunate, Madam, that you think thus of me? CLIM. No, no, I do not take any notice of what she says; I think you more sincere than she insinuates. ÉLIS. Oh, you are quite right, Madam, and you do me justice, when you believe that I think you the most charming of people, that I sympathise with all your views, and am ravished with every expression you use. CLIM. Alas! I speak unaffectedly, Madam. ÉLIS. We can see that, Madam, quite well; everything about you is natural. Your words, the tone of your voice, your looks, your steps, your actions and your dress all possess a unique air of distinction which enchants people. I study you with eyes and ears; I am so taken up with you that I strive to ape you and imitate you in everything. CLIM. You are making fun of me, Madam. ÉLIS. Pardon me, Madam. Who would make game of you? CLIM. I am not a good model, Madam. ÉLIS. Oh! indeed you are, Madam. CLIM. You flatter me, Madam. ÉLIS. Not at all, Madam. CLIM. Spare me, Madam, I entreat. ÉLIS. I do spare you, Madam, I have not told half of what I think, Madam. CLIM. Come, let us stop now, I implore. You throw me into a fearful state of confusion. (To Uranie.) There, you see we are both against you; and obstinacy so ill becomes people of culture that.. SCÈNE IV LE MARQUIS, CLIMÈNE, GALOPIN, URANIE, ÉLISE GAL. Arrêtez, s'il vous plaît, Monsieur. LE MARQ. Tu ne me connais pas, sans doute. LE MARQ. Ah! que de bruit, petit laquais ! GAL. Cela n'est pas bien de vouloir entrer malgré les gens. LE MARQ. Je veux voir ta maîtresse. GAL. Elle n'y est pas, vous dis-je. LE MARQ. La voilà dans la chambre. GAL. Il est vrai, la voilà; mais elle n'y est pas. URAN. Qu'est-ce donc qu'il y a là? LE MARQ. C'est votre laquais, Madame, qui fait le sot. GAL. Je lui dis que vous n'y êtes pas, Madame, et il ne veut pas laisser d'entrer. URAN. Et pourquoi dire à Monsieur que je n'y suis pas? GAL. Vous me grondâtes, l'autre jour, de lui avoir dit que vous y étiez. URAN. Voyez cet insolent! Je vous prie, Monsieur, de ne pas croire ce qu'il dit. C'est un petit écervelé, qui vous a pris pour un autre. LE MARQ. Je l'ai bien vu, Madame; et, sans votre respect, je lui aurais appris à connaître les gens de qualité. ÉLIS. Ma cousine vous est fort obligée de cette défé rence. URAN. Un siége donc, impertinent. GAL. N'en voilà-t-il pas un? URAN. Approchez-le. (Le petit laquais pousse le siége rudement.) LE MARQ. Vote petit laquais, Madame, a du mépris pour ma personne. SCENE IV THE MARQUIS, CLIMÈNE, GALOPIN, URANIE, ÉLISE GAL. Stop, please, Monsieur. MARQ. Do you not know me? GAL. I know you well enough; but you shall not go in. MARQ. Ah! you make a deal of noise, you varlet. GAL. It is not right to try to get in against our orders. MARQ. I want to see your mistress. GAL. She is not at home, I tell you. MARQ. She is there in her room. GAL. It may be true she is there, but she is not at home. URAN. What is the matter there? MARQ. It is your page-boy, Madam, playing the fool. GAL. I told him you were not at home, Madam, but he will insist on coming in. URAN. And why did you tell the gentleman I was not at home? GAL. You scolded me the other day for telling him you were in. URAN. Did you ever see such an impertinent lad! I beg you, Monsieur, not to believe what he says. He is a little idiot and takes you for someone else. MARQ. I thought so, Madam, and, had it not been disrespectful to you, I would have taught him how to know people of rank. ÉLIS. My cousin is much indebted to you for this courtesy. URAN. Bring a chair, you impudent fellow. GAL. Is there not one there already? URAN. Put it nearer. (The page boy rudely pushes the chair.) MARQ. Your page-boy, Madam, holds me in contempt. ÉLIS. Il aurait tort, sans doute. LE MARQ. C'est peut-être que je paye l'intérêt de ma mauvaise mine: hay, hay, hay, hay. ÉLIS. L'âge le rendra plus éclairé en honnêtes gens. LE MARQ. Sur quoi en étiez-vous, Mesdames, lorsque je vous ai interrompues? URAN. Sur la comédie de l'École des femmes. LE MARQ. Je ne fais que d'en sortir. CLIM. Eh bien! Monsieur, comment la trouvez-vous, s'il vous plaît? LE MARQ. Tout à fait impertinente. LE MARQ. C'est la plus méchante chose du monde. des femmes, et que vous la condamnez avec justice. LE MARQ. Il ne s'est jamais fait, je pense, une si méchante comédie. URAN. Ah! voici Dorante que nous attendions. SCÈNE V DORANTE, LE MARQUIS, CLIMÈNE, ÉLISE, URANIE DOR. Ne bougez, de grâce, et n'interrompez point votre discours. Vous êtes là sur une matière qui, depuis quatre jours, fait presque l'entretien de toutes les maisons de Paris, et jamais on n'a rien vu de si plaisant que la diversité des jugements qui se font là-dessus. Car enfin j'ai ouï condamner cette comédie à certaines gens, par les mêmes choses que j'ai vu d'autres estimer le plus. URAN. Voilà Monsieur le Marquis qui en dit force mal. LE MARQ. Il est vrai, je la trouve détestable ÉLIS. That would be quite wrong of him. MARQ. Perhaps I must pay toll on my unpleasing looks: ha, ha, ha, ha. ÉLIS. Age will teach him better to recognise rank. MARQ. What were you discussing, ladies, when I interrupted you? URAN. The comedy The School for Wives. MARQ. I have only just come from it. CLIM. Indeed, Monsieur ! and what did you think of it, may I ask? MARQ. It is perfectly silly. CLIM. Ah, how delighted I am to hear you say so. MARQ. It is the most wretched play imaginable. I was Pray Deuce take it, I could hardly get a seat. I thought I should have been suffocated at the door. never so much trampled on in my life. look what a state my rolls and ribbons are in. ÉLIS. That certainly speaks volumes against The School for Wives you condemn it justly. MARQ. I do not think there was ever a poorer play. URAN. Ah! here is Dorante, whom we are expecting. SCENE V DORANTE, THE MARQUIS, CLIMÈNE, ÉLISE, URANIE DOR. Please do not rise, nor interrupt your conversation at all. You are engaged on a subject which has been the talk of every house in Paris for the last four days; and there has seldom been anything more amusing than the diversity of opinions upon it. For indeed I have heard this play condemned by certain people for the very things for which others praised it the most. URAN. Monsieur le Marquis, here, speaks very ill of it. MARQ. True, I thought it detestable; by Jove' |