The Forfeiture, Charles Dufresny [books to read this summer TXT] 📗

flash of lightning.

BELISE: Who rarely speaks but with weight and measure.

ARAMINTE: Mine talks ceaselessly and about everything. But always well.

BELISE: Like you, I see you and I have chosen our spouses according to our characters.

ARAMINTE: It's prudent.

BELISE: It's wisdom. Mine has wealth, birth, esteem. He's the Senechal Groux.

ARAMINTE: That's a man who is known. Like you, I have found a noble spouse. But of ancient nobility. A distinguished man. He's the Chevalier Cique.

BELISE: They speak well of him. Your vote, sister, and the voice of the people honor him.

ARAMINTE: The public ought to praise us for our choices, But, in other respects, we've had strange obstacles. This forfeiture, for example--

BELISE: Yes, this forfeit, right.

ARAMINTE: Our promissory notes.

BELISE: Our promissory notes.

ARAMINTE: We've suffered a great wrong. To promise this nephew a hundred thousand francs each.

BELISE: I have just refused this importunate demand and I believe he's unaware of our plans. For a little money he will return our notes to us.

ARAMINTE: But to discharge them, what trick can we employ?

(Enter Geronte, Valere, Isabelle)

VALERE: (to Geronte) Take advantage of the opportunity. Better not wait. They are pushing their explanation a long way. (aloud) Isabelle didn't leave my aunts happily. And I've learned some good news.

GERONTE: I come to rejoice for the sake of Isabelle's love.

ISABELLE: I come with all my heart to congratulate you and I saw immediately it was in joking that you always declaimed against marriage, for you yourselves--

ARAMINTE: We ourselves--

BELISE: Ah, sis, what language--

VALERE: You are both going to get married.

ARAMINTE: (low) So as not to pay out, sister, we must deny it.

BELISE: The rumor is false.

ARAMINTE: Very false.

VALERE: Aunties, I believe it's true.

BELISE: What? You takes us for some extravagants? Us, marry! Us!

ARAMINTE: We, no, no. It's no longer time.

BELISE: No, don't think it. I am past forty.

VALERE: You're not.

ARAMINTE: And I am more than fifty.

VALERE: No.

BELISE: We are--

ISABELLE: No.

ARAMINTE: The dispute is funny. I believe we know our age better than you. He's joking. And, sister, the notes he has from us are worthless. Worth nothing. It's a vain hope.

BELISE: They are worth nothing. But, sister, Isabelle and Valere have a tender feeling for each other. Their legitimate flames make me pity them. Can they, like we, hate marriage? No. We must do something to their advantage. They move me.

ARAMINTE: Yes, we are moved.

VALERE: You will be moved. Your notes will be fine.

BELISE: Let's not joke further. We will give Valere 10,000 ecus in all.

ARAMINTE: Yes. That's what we must do.

VALERE: No, no. We will wait for it all.

BELISE: Huh?

ISABELLE: Nothing presses us.

ARAMINTE: Take advantage of the opportunity.

VALERE: We will wait for you.

ARAMINTE: Because I am generous: Fifty thousand franks.

BELISE: That's too much. But I will equal it from generosity.

VALERE: Fifty thousand ecus. We shall wait.

BELISE: Oh, I won't keep more for you.

ARAMINTE: My nephew, my nephew,

ISABELLE: Manage them Valere, because fifty thousand francs is enough for my father.

GERONTE: Yes, that's enough.

ARAMINTE: So as not to dispute further, give them.

BELISE: Come then, we will execute--

ARAMINTE: I have on me what I got from the notary.

BELISE: He has given me some to end this business.

VALERE: Let's see if by chance I don't have your promissory notes. Yes, truly, I believe they are here.

GERONTE: The business seems to me easy to finish.

VALERE: Let's see.

BELISE: This is my note.

ARAMINTE: Here's my signature.

BELISE: Forty thousand francs on my banker and ten.

ARAMINTE: Thirty thousand in bills of exchange plus fourteen and six.

VALERE: What happiness.

ISABELLE: I breathe.

VALERE: With great pleasure I tear up your forfeitures.

(Enter Frontin with a cape, a short wig and a cap like Pasquin)

FRONTIN: Our lovers are satisfied. We must amuse them.

ARAMINTE: Oh, it's you Chevalier. Why are you dressed like that?

BELISE: Oh. It's the Senechal. What is this mystery? Why aren't you wearing your usual clothes?

FRONTIN: Here I am only a servant-chevalier.

ARAMINTE: He's playful.

BELISE: But Senechal--

FRONTIN: Although Senechal, I often wear livery.

BELISE: Have you gone mad?

ARAMINTE: Drunk on pleasures, my sister sees in you her lover, the Senechal, dear Chevalier.

BELISE: Sister we are misunderstanding each other. He's the Senechal Groux.

ARAMINTE: But I think you are dreaming. He's my Chevalier Cique.

FRONTIN: Yes, from complacency to please the younger, I am playful, lively and to please the elder, stern. But unable to be two except in appearance I must admit that Frontin is neither Cique nor Groux.

BELISE: What?

ARAMINTE: How's that?

VALERE: It's Frontin himself.

BELISE: Where are we?

VALERE: A scoundrel of a valet to pretend to be such a person.

ARAMINTE: A valet?

BELISE: A valet.

GERONTE: The wisest thing would be to ask us about this matter in private.

ISABELLE: Pardon the nephew for the valet's sake.

BELISE: Oh, sister.

ARAMINTE: Oh, sis, let's hide our shame from them.

(Exit Araminte and Belise)

VALERE: The fear they have of making the subject of a fine story perhaps may make them less unjust to me.

FRONTIN: In comic moral, it is, I believe, permitted, for Frontin to punish the aunts' avarice and to make fun of these broken down lovers.

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Publication Date: 05-20-2010

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