our house whose mien bodes me no good. I will sing a little to show some semblance of assur

ance.

(He sings; and, when Mercury speaks, his voice weakens, little by little.)

MERC. What rascal is this, who takes the unwarrantable licence of singing and deafening me like this? Does he wish me to curry his coat for him? Sos. Assuredly that fellow does not like music. MERC. For more than a week, I have not found any one whose bones I could break; my arm will lose its strength in this idleness. I must look out for some one's back to get my wind again.

Sos. What the deuce of a fellow is this? My heart thrills with clutching fear. But why should I tremble thus? Perhaps the rogue is as much afraid as I am, and talks in this way to hide his fear from me under a feigned audacity. Yes, yes, I will not allow him to think me a goose. If I am not bold, I will try to appear so. Let me seek courage by reason; he is alone, even as I am; I am strong, I have a good master, and there is our house.

MERC. Who, I?

Sos. I. Courage, Sosie!

MERC. Tell me, what is your condition?

Sos. To be a man, and to speak.

MERC. Are you a master, or a servant?

Sos. As fancy takes me.

MERC. Where are you going?
Sos. Where I intend to go.
MERC. Ah! this annoys me.
Sos. I am ravished to hear it.

MERC. Résolûment, par force ou par amour,
Je veux savoir de toi, traître,

Ce que tu fais, d'où tu viens avant jour,
Où tu vas, à qui tu peux être.

Sos. Je fais le bien et le mal tour à tour;

Je viens de là, vais là ; j'appartiens à mon maître. MERC. Tu montres de l'esprit, et je te vois en train De trancher avec moi de l'homme d'importance. Il me prend un désir, pour faire connaissance, De te donner un soufflet de ma main.

Sos. A moi-même ?

MERC. A toi-même: et t'en voilà certain.
(Mercure donne un soufflet.)
Sos. Ah! ah! c'est tout de bon !
MERC. Non ce n'est que pour rire,
Et répondre à tes quolibets.

Sos.

MERC.

Sos.

Tudieu! l'ami, sans vous rien dire,
Comme vous baillez des soufflets!

Ce sont là de mes moindres coups,
De petits soufflets ordinaires.
Si j'étais aussi prompt que vous,
Nous ferions de belles affaires.
MERC. Tout cela n'est encor rien,
Nous verrons bien autre chose;
Pour y faire quelque pause:
Poursuivons notre entretien.

Sos. Je quitte la partie.

MERC.

Sos.

MERC.

Sos.

(Il veut s'en aller.)

Où vas-tu?

Que t'importe?

Je veux savoir où tu vas.

Me faire ouvrir cette porte.

Pourquoi retiens-tu mes pas?

MERC. Si jusqu'à l'approcher tu pousses ton audace, Je fais sur toi pleuvoir un orage de coups

Sos.

Quoi? tu veux, par ta menace,
M'empêcher d'entrer chez nous ?

MERC. Comment, chez nous ?

Sos.

Oui, chez nous.

MERC.

O le traître !

Tu te dis de cette maison ?

MERC. By hook or by crook, I must definitely know all about you, you wretch; what you do, whence you come before the day breaks, where you are going, and who you may be.

Sos. I do good and ill by turns; I come from there; I go there; I belong to my master.

MERC. You show wit, and I see you think to play the man of importance for my edification. I feel inclined to make your acquaintance by slapping your face.

Sos. Mine?

MERC. Yours; and there you get it, sharp. (Mercury gives him a slap.)

Sos. Ah! ah! this is a fine game!

MERC. No; it is only a laughing matter, a reply to your quips.

Sos. Good heavens! friend, how you swing out your arm without any one saying anything to you.

MERC. These are my lightest clouts, little ordinary smacks.

Sos. If I were as hasty as you, we should have a fine ado.

MERC. All this is nothing as yet it is merely to fill up time; we shall soon see something else; but let us continue our conversation.

Sos. I give up the game. (He turns to go away.)
MERC. Where are you going?

Sos. What does it matter to you?

MERC. I want to know where you are going.

Sos. I am going to open that door.

detain me?

Why do you

MERC. If you dare to go near it, I shall rain down a storm of blows on you.

Sos. What? You wish to hinder me from entering our own house by threats?

MERC. What do you say, your house?

Sos. Yes, our house.

MERC. O, the scoundrel! You speak of that house?