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Pamela Giraud: A Play in Five Acts, a play by Honore de Balzac |
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Act 1 - Scene 5 |
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_ ACT I - SCENE FIFTH The same persons, a sheriff, a police officer and gendarmes.
JOSEPH. Yes, what right have you--? THE SHERIFF. Young man, don't you worry about our right!--A few moments ago you were very friendly and slowed us where the unknown might be found, but now you have suddenly changed your tune. PAMELA. Bit what are you looking for? What do you want? THE SHERIFF. You seem to be well aware that we are looking for somebody. GIRAUD. Sir, my daughter has no one with her but her future husband, M.-- THE SHERIFF. Rousseau. PAMELA. M. Adolph Durand. GIRAUD. Rousseau I don't know.--The gentleman I refer to is M. Adolph Durand. MME. GIRAUD. Son of a respectable merchant of Marseilles. JOSEPH. Ah! you have been deceiving me! Ah!--That is the secret of your coldness, and he is-- THE SHERIFF. (to the officer of the police) This does not seem to be the man? THE OFFICER. Oh, yes, I am sure of it! (to the gendarmes) Carry out my orders. JULES. Monsieur, I am the victim of some mistake; my name is not Jules Rousseau. THE OFFICER. Oh! but you know his first name, which none of us has as yet mentioned. JULES. But I heard some one say it. Here are my papers, which are perfectly correct. THE SHERIFF. Let me see them, please. GIRAUD. Gentlemen, I assure you and declare to you-- THE OFFICER. If you go on in this way, and wish to make us believe that this gentleman is Adolph Durand, son of a merchant of-- MME. GIRAUD. Of Marseilles-- THE OFFICER. You may all be arrested as his accomplices, locked up in jail this evening, and implicated in an affair from which you will not easily get off. Have you any regard for the safety of your neck? GIRAUD. A great deal! THE OFFICER. Very well! Hold your tongue, then. MME. GIRAUD. Do hold your tongue, Giraud! PAMELA. Merciful heaven! Why did I not believe him at once! THE SHERIFF. (to his agents) Search the gentleman! (The agent takes out Jules' pocket handkerchief.) THE OFFICER. It is marked with a J and an R. My dear sir, you are not very clever! JOSEPH. What can he have done? Have you anything to do with it, mademoiselle? PAMELA. You are the sole cause of the trouble. Never speak to me again! THE OFFICER. Monsieur, here we have the check for your dinner--you dined at the Palais Royal. While you were there you wrote a letter in pencil. One of your friends brought the letter here. His name was M. Adolph Durand, and he lent you his passport. We are certain of your identity; you are M. Jules Rousseau. JOSEPH. The son of the rich M. Rousseau, whose house we are furnishing? THE SHERIFF. Hold your tongue! THE OFFICER. You must come with us. JULES. Certainly, monsieur. (To Giraud and his wife) Forgive the annoyance I have caused you--and you, Pamela, do not forget me! If you do not see me again, you may keep what I gave into your hands, and may it bring you happiness! GIRAUD. O Lord! PAMELA. Poor Adolph! THE SHERIFF. (to his agents) Remain here. We are going to search this attic, and question every one of these people. JOSEPH. (with a gesture of horror) Ah!--she prefers a criminal to me! (Jules is put in charge of the agents.)
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