The Impostures of Scapin Part 16

GER. What! you here, Nerine?

NER. (_on her knees before_ GeRONTE). Ah! Mr. Pandolphe, how....

GER. Call me Geronte, and do not use the other name any more. The reasons which forced me to take it at Tarentum exist no longer.

NER. Alas! what sorrow that change of name has caused us; what troubles and difficulties in trying to find you out!

GER. And where are my daughter and her mother?

NER. Your daughter, Sir, is not far from here; but before I go to fetch her, I must ask you to forgive me for having married her, because of the forsaken state we found ourselves in, when we had no longer any hope of meeting you.

GER. My daughter is married?

NER. Yes, Sir.

GER. And to whom?

NER. To a young man, called Octave, the son of a certain Mr. Argante.

GER. O Heaven!

ARG. What an extraordinary coincidence.

GER. Take us quickly where she is.

NER. You have but to come into this house.

GER. Go in first; follow me, follow me, Mr. Argante.

SIL. (alone). Well, this is a strange affair.

SCENE IX.--SCAPIN, SILVESTRE.

SCA. Well, Silvestre, what are our people doing?

SIL. I have two things to tell you. One is that Octave is all right; our Hyacintha is, it seems, the daughter of Geronte, and chance has brought to pa.s.s what the wisdom of the fathers had decided.

The other, that the old men threaten you with the greatest punishments--particularly Mr. Geronte.

SCA. Oh, that's nothing. Threats have never done me any harm as yet; they are but clouds which pa.s.s away far above our heads.

SIL. You had better take care. The sons may get reconciled to their fathers, and leave you in the lurch.

SCA. Leave that to me. I shall find the means of soothing their anger, and....

SIL. Go away; I see them coming.

SCENE X.--GeRONTE, ARGANTE, HYACINTHA, ZERBINETTE, NeRINE, SILVESTRE.

GER. Come, my daughter; come to my house. My happiness would be perfect if your mother had been with you.

ARG. Here is Octave coming just at the right time.

SCENE XI.--ARGANTE, GeRONTE, OCTAVE, HYACINTHA, ZERBINETTE, NeRINE, SILVESTRE.

ARG. Come, my son, come and rejoice with us about the happiness of your marriage. Heaven....

OCT. No, father, all your proposals for marriage are useless. I must be open with you, and you have been told how I am engaged.

ARG. Yes; but what you do not know....

OCT. I know all I care to know.

ARG. I mean to say that the daughter of Mr. Geronte....

OCT. The daughter of Mr. Geronte will never be anything to me.

GER. It is she who....

OCT. (_to_ GeRONTE). You need not go on, Sir; I hope you will forgive me, but I shall abide by my resolution.

SIL. (_to_ OCTAVE). Listen....

OCT. Be silent; I will listen to nothing.

ARG. (_to_ OCTAVE). Your wife....

OCT. No, father, I would rather die than lose my dear Hyacintha (_crossing the theatre, and placing himself by_ HYACINTHA). Yes, all you would do is useless; this is the one to whom my heart is engaged. I will have no other wife.

ARG. Well! she it is whom we give you. What a madcap you are never to listen to anything but your own foolish whim.

HYA. (_showing_ GeRONTE). Yes, Octave, this is my father whom I have found again, and all our troubles are over.

GER. Let us go home; we shall talk more comfortably at home.

HYA. (_showing_ ZERBINETTE). Ah! father, I beg of you the favour not to part me from this charming young lady. She has n.o.ble qualities, which will be sure to make you like her when you know her.

GER. What! do you wish me to take to my house a girl with whom your brother is in love, and who told me to my face so many insulting things?

ZER. Pray forgive me, Sir; I should not have spoken in that way if I had known who you were, and I only knew you by reputation.