The Forfeiture | Page 8

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