The Love-Tiff | Page 6

times pitied you, because you were allured by expectations,
which could never be realized. It is a sin and a shame to deceive a
gentleman! But how the deuce, after all, did you find out the trick? For
when they plighted their faith to each other there were no witnesses but
night, myself, and two others; and the tying of the knot, which satisfies
the passion of our lovers, is thought to have been kept a secret till now.
ERAS. Ha! What do you say?
MASC. I say that I am amazed, sir, and cannot guess who told you, that
under this mask, which deceives you and everybody else, a secret
marriage unites their matchless love.
ERAS. You lie.

MASC. Sir, with all my heart.
ERAS. You are a rascal.
MASC. I acknowledge I am.
ERAS. And this impudence deserves a sound beating on the spot.
MASC. I am completely in your power,
ERAS. Ha! Gros-René.
GR.-RE. Sir?
ERAS, I contradict a story, which I much fear is but too true. (_To
Mascarille_). You wanted to run away.
MASC. Not in the least.
ERAS. What! Lucile is married to...
MASC. No, sir, I was only joking.
ERAS. Hey! you were joking, you wretch?
MASC. No, I was not joking.
ERAS. Is it true then?
MASC. No, I do not say that.
ERAS. What do you say then?
MASC. Alas! I say nothing, for fear of saying something wrong.
ERAS. Tell me positively, whether you have spoken the truth, or
deceived me.
MASC. Whatever you please. I do not come here to contradict you.
ERAS. (_Drawing his sword_). Will you tell me? Here is something
that will loosen your tongue without more ado.
MASC. It will again be saying some foolish speech or other. I pray you,
if you have no objection, let me quickly have a few stripes, and then
allow me to scamper off.
ERAS. You shall suffer death, unless you tell me the whole truth
without disguise.
MASC. Alas! I will tell it then; but perhaps, sir, I shall make you angry.
ERAS. Speak: but take great care what you are doing; nothing shall
save you from my just anger, if you utter but one single falsehood in
your narration.
MASC. I agree to it; break my legs, arms, do worse to me still, kill me,
if I have deceived you in the smallest degree, in anything I have said.
ERAS. It is true then that they are married?
MASC. With regard to this, I can now clearly see that my tongue
tripped; but, for all that, the business happened just as I told you. It was

after five visits paid at night, and whilst you were made use of as a
screen to conceal their proceedings, that they were united the day
before yesterday. Lucile ever since tries still more to hide the great love
she bears my master, and desires he will only consider whatever he
may see, and whatever favours she may show you, as the results of her
deep-laid scheme, in order to prevent the discovery of their secrets. If,
notwithstanding my protestations, you doubt the truth of what I have
told you, Gros-René may come some night along with me, and I will
show him, as I stand and watch, that we shall be admitted into her
house, after dark.
ERAS. Out of my sight, villain.
MASC. I shall be delighted to go; that is just what I want. (_Exit_).

SCENE V.--ÉRASTE, GROS-RENÉ.
ERAS. Well?
GR.-RE. Well! Sir, we are both taken in if this fellow speaks the truth.
ERAS. Alas! The odious rascal has spoken the truth too well. All that
he has said is very likely to have happened; Valère's behaviour, at the
sight of this letter, denotes that there is a collusion between them, and
that it is a screen to hide Lucile's love for him.

SCENE VI.--ÉRASTE, MARINETTE, GROS-RENÉ.
MAR. I come to tell you that this evening my mistress permits you to
see her in the garden.
ERAS. How dare you address me, you hypocritical traitress? Get out of
my sight, and tell your mistress not to trouble me any more with her
letters; that is the regard, wretch, I have for them. (_He tears the letter
and goes out_).
MAR. Tell me, Gros-René, what ails him?
GR.-RE. Dare you again address me, iniquitous female, deceitful
crocodile, whose base heart is worse than a satrap or a Lestrigon?
[Footnote: See Homer's Odyssey, X., v. 81-132.]
Go, go, carry your answer to your lovely mistress, and tell her short and
sweet, that in spite of all her cunning, neither my master nor I are any
longer fools, and that henceforth she and you may go to the devil
together. (_Exit_).

MAR. My poor Marinette, are you quite awake? What demon