Monsieur de Pourceaugnac | Page 4

campagne.]
SBRI. Truly, it becomes you better than it does all our courtiers.
MR. POUR. Exactly what my tailor told me. The coat is suitable and
rich; it will tell here among these people.
SBRI. You will go to the Louvre, no doubt?
MR. POUR. Yes; I must go and pay my court.
SBRI. The king will be charmed to see you.
MR. POUR. I believe so.
SBRI. Have you fixed upon rooms?
MR. POUR. No; I was going to look for some.
SBRI. I shall be very glad to go with you; I know all this city well.
SCENE VI.--ÉRASTE, MR. DE POURCEAUGNAC, SBRIGANI.
ERA. Ah, who is this? What do I see? What a happy meeting! Mr. de
Pourceaugnac! How delighted I am to see you! What! anyone would
think that you find it difficult to remember me!
MR. POUR. Sir, I am your servant.
ERA. Is it possible that five or six years can have made you forget me?
Do you not remember the best friend of the de Pourceaugnacs?
MR. POUR. Yes, yes. (Aside to SBRIGANI) Deuce take me if I know
who he is.
ERA. There is not one of the de Pourceaugnacs of Limoges that I do
not know, from the greatest to the smallest; I visited only them during
my stay there, and I had the honour of seeing you every day.
MR. POUR. The honour was mine, Sir.
ERA. You do not remember my face?
MR. POUR. Yes, yes. (To SBRIGANI) I don't know him a bit.
ERA. You do not remember that I had the pleasure of drinking with
you I don't know how many times?

MR. POUR. Excuse me. (To SBRIGANI) I don't know anything about
it.
ERA. What is the name of that pastrycook who cooks such capital
dinners?
MR. POUR. Petit-Jean.
ERA. Just so. We used often to go there together to enjoy ourselves.
How do you call that place where people go for a walk?
MR. POUR. The cemetery of the Arènes.
ERA. Exactly. It is there I enjoyed so many happy hours of your
pleasant talk. Don't you remember it all now?
MR. POUR. Pardon me; yes, I remember. (To SBRIGANI) Deuce take
me if I do.
SBRI. (aside to MR. DE POURCEAUGNAC). There are a hundred
things like that which one is apt to forget altogether.
ERA. Let us embrace, I pray, and renew our former friendship.
SBRI. (to MR. DE POURCEAUGNAC). This man seems to have a
great affection for you.
ERA. Tell me some news of all the family. How is that gentleman
your ... he who is such an honest man?
MR. POUR. My brother the sheriff? [Footnote: Consul in the south
equalled _échevin_ in the north. Both words are obsolete in this sense.]
ERA. Yes.
MR. POUR. He is as well as can be.
ERA. I am delighted to hear it. And that good tempered man? You
know, your....
MR. POUR. My cousin, the assessor?
ERA. Exactly.
MR. POUR. Always gay and hearty.
ERA. It gives me much pleasure to hear it. And your uncle, the....
MR. POUR. I have no uncle.
ERA. But you had one in those days?
MR. POUR. No; only an aunt....
ERA. Ah! it's what I meant; your aunt; Mrs.... How is she?
MR. POUR. She died six months ago.
ERA. Alas! poor woman. She was so good, too!
MR. POUR. We have also my nephew, the canon, who almost died of
the smallpox.

ERA. What a pity if it had happened!
MR. POUR. Do you know him also?
ERA. Indeed I do; a tall handsome fellow.
MR. POUR. Not so very tall.
ERA. No; but well-shaped.
MR. POUR. Yes, yes.
ERA. He's your nephew, isn't he?
MR. POUR. Yes.
ERA. Son of your brother or your sister?
MR. POUR. True.
ERA. A canon of the church of.... How do you call it?
MR. POUR. Saint Stephen.
ERA. Just so; I don't know any other.
MR. POUR. (to SBRIGANI). He knows all my relations.
SBRI. He knows you better than you think.
MR. POUR. You must have lived a long time in our town, I see.
ERA. Two whole years.
MR. POUR. You were there, then, when our governor was godfather to
my cousin the assessor's child?
ERA. To be sure; I was one of the first invited.
MR. POUR. The thing was well done.
ERA. Very.
MR. POUR. The dinner was well got up.
ERA. Yes, indeed.
MR. POUR. Then you must remember the quarrel I had with that
gentleman from Périgord.
ERA. Yes.
MR. POUR. He met with his match, eh?
ERA. Ah! ah!
MR. POUR. He slapped my face; but I paid him back handsomely.
ERA. Very handsomely, By the bye, I shall not allow you to go to any
other house but mine.
MR.