The Impostures of Scapin | Page 6

Have I not on my side the rights of a father, and can I not
have satisfaction for the violence done to my son?
SCA. This is a thing he will not consent to.
ARG. He will not consent to it?
SCA. No.
ARG. My son?
SCA. Your son. Would you have him acknowledge that he was
frightened, and that he yielded by force to what was wanted of him? He
will take care not to confess that; it would be to wrong himself, and
show himself unworthy of a father like you.
ARG. I don't care for all that.
SCA. He must, for his own honour and yours, say that he married of his
own free will.
ARG. And I wish for my own honour, and for his, that he should say
the contrary.
SCA. I am sure he will not do that.
ARG. I shall soon make him do it.
SCA. He will not acknowledge it, I tell you.
ARG. He shall do it, or I will disinherit him.
SCA. You?
ARG. I.
SCA. Nonsense!
ARG. How nonsense?
SCA. You will not disinherit him.
ARG. I shall not disinherit him?
SCA. No.
ARG. No?

SCA. No.
ARG. Well! This is really too much! I shall not disinherit my son!
SCA. No, I tell you.
ARG. Who will hinder me?
SCA. You yourself.
ARG. I?
SCA. Yes; you will never have the heart to do it.
ARG. I shall have the heart.
SCA. You are joking.
ARG. I am not joking.
SCA. Paternal love will carry the day.
ARG. No, it will not.
SCA. Yes, yes.
ARG. I tell you that I will disinherit him.
SCA. Rubbish.
ARG. You may say rubbish; but I will.
SCA. Gracious me, I know that you are naturally a kind-hearted man.
ARG. No, I am not kind-hearted; I can be angry when I choose. Leave
off talking; you put me out of all patience. (To SYLVESTRE) Go, you
rascal, run and fetch my son, while I go to Mr. Géronte and tell him of
my misfortune.
SCA. Sir, if I can be useful to you in any way, you have but to order
me.
ARG. I thank you. (_Aside_) Ah! Why is he my only son? Oh! that I
had with me the daughter that Heaven has taken away from me, so that
I might make her my heir.

SCENE VII.--SCAPIN, SYLVESTRE.
SIL. You are a great man, I must confess; and things are in a fair way
to succeed. But, on the other hand, we are greatly pressed for money,
and we have people dunning us.
SCA. Leave it to me; the plan is all ready. I am only puzzling my
brains to find out a fellow to act along with us, in order to play a
personage I want. But let me see; just look at me a little. Stick your cap
rather rakishly on one side. Put on a furious look. Put your hand on
your side. Walk about like a king on the stage. [Footnote: Compare the
'Impromptu of Versailles'.] That will do. Follow me. I possess some

means of changing your face and voice.
SIL. I pray you, Scapin, don't go and embroil me with justice.
SCA. Never mind, we will share our perils like brothers, and three
years more or less on the galleys are not sufficient to check a noble
heart.

ACT II.
SCENE I.--GÉRONTE, ARGANTE.
GER. Yes, there is no doubt but that with this weather we shall have
our people with us to-day; and a sailor who has arrived from Tarentum
told me just now that he had seen our man about to start with the ship.
But my daughter's arrival will find things strangely altered from what
we thought they would be, and what you have just told me of your son
has put an end to all the plans we had made together.
ARG. Don't be anxious about that; I give you my word that I shall
remove that obstacle, and I am going to see about it this moment.
GER. In all good faith, Mr. Argante, shall I tell you what? The
education of children is a thing that one could never be too careful
about.
ARG. You are right; but why do you say that?
GER. Because most of the follies of young men come from the way
they have been brought up by their fathers.
ARG. It is so sometimes, certainly; but what do you mean by saying
that to me?
GER. Why do I say that to you?
ARG. Yes.
GER. Because, if, like a courageous father, you had corrected your son
when he was young, he would not have played you such a trick.
ARG. I see. So that you have corrected your own much better?
GER.