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Pamela Giraud: A Play in Five Acts, a play by Honore de Balzac |
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Act 4 - Scene 8 |
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_ ACT IV - SCENE EIGHTH The same persons and Jules (brought in by his mother and his aunt and followed by his friends).
JULES. O mother! Dear aunt! And my father! Here I am, restored to liberty again! (To General de Verby and the friends who have come with him) Let me thank you, general, and you, my friends, for your kind sympathy. (After general handshaking the friends depart.) MME. ROUSSEAU. And so my son has at last come back to me! It seems too good to be true. JOSEPH. (to Pamela) Well, and what of you? He hasn't said a word to you, and you are the only one he hasn't seen. PAMELA. Silence, Joseph, silence! (Pamela retires to the end of the stage.) DE VERBY. Not only have you been acquitted, but you have also gained a high place in the esteem of those who are interested in the affair! You have exhibited both courage and discretion, such as have gratified us all. ROUSSEAU. Everybody has behaved well. Antoine, you have done nobly; you will end your life in this house. MME. ROUSSEAU. (to Jules) Let me express my gratitude to M. Adolph Durand. (Jules presents his friend.) JULES. Yes, but my real deliverer, my guardian angel is poor Pamela! How well she understood my situation and her own also! What self-sacrifice she showed! Can I ever forget her emotion, her terror!--and then she fainted! (Mme. Rousseau, who has been thinking of nothing else but her son, now looks around for Pamela, sees her, and brings her up to Jules.) Ah, Pamela! Pamela! My gratitude to you shall be eternal! PAMELA. Ah, M. Jules! How happy I feel. JULES. We will never part again? Will we, mother? She shall be your daughter! DE VERBY. (to Rousseau with vehemence) My sister and my niece are expecting an answer; you will have to exercise your authority, sir. This young man seems to have a lively and romantic imagination. He is in danger of missing his career through a too scrupulous sense of honor, and a generosity which is tinged with folly! ROUSSEAU. (in embarrassment) The fact is-- DE VERBY. But I have your word. MME. DU BROCARD. Speak out, brother! JULES. Mother, do you answer them, and show yourself on my side? ROUSSEAU. (taking Jules by the hand) Jules! I shall never forget the service which this young girl has done us. I understand the promptings of your gratitude; but as you are aware the Comte de Verby has our promise; it is not right that you should lightly sacrifice your future! You are not wanting in energy, you have given sufficient proof of that! A young conspirator should be quite able to extricate himself from such an affair as this. DE VERBY. (to Jules) Undoubtedly! And our future diplomat will have a splendid chance. ROUSSEAU. Moreover my wishes in the matter-- JULES. O father! DUPRE. (appearing) Jules, I still have to take up your defence. PAMELA and JOSEPH. M. Dupre! JULES. My friend! MME. DU BROCARD. It is the lawyer. DUPRE. I see! I am no longer "my dear Monsieur Dupre"! MME. DU BROCARD. Oh, you are always that! But before paying our debt of gratitude to you, we have to think about this young girl. DUPRE. (coldly) I beg your pardon, madame. DE VERBY. This man is going to spoil everything. DUPRE. (to Rousseau) I heard all you said. It transcends all I have ever experienced. I could not have believed that ingratitude could follow so soon on the acceptance of a benefit. Rich as you are, rich as your son will be, what fairer task have you to perform than that of satisfying your conscience? In saving Jules, this girl has brought disgrace upon herself! Can it be possible that the fortune which you have so honorably gained should have killed in your heart every generous sentiment, and that self-interest alone-- (He sees Mme. du Brocard making signs to her brother.) Ah! that is right, madame! It is you that give the tone in this household! And I forgot while I was pleading to this gentleman, that you would be at his elbow when I was no longer here. MME. DU BROCARD. We have pledged our word to the Count and Countess of Verby! Mlle. Pamela, whose friend I shall be all my life, did not effect the deliverance of my nephew on the understanding that she should blight his prospects. ROUSSEAU. There ought to be some basis of equality in a union by marriage. My son will some day have an income of eighty thousand francs. JOSEPH. (aside) That suits me to a T. I shall marry her now. But this fellow here, he talks more like a Jewish money-changer than a father. DE VERBY. (to Dupre) I think, sir, that your talent and character are such as to claim our highest admiration and esteem. The Rousseau family will always preserve your name in grateful memory; but these private discussions must be carried on without witnesses from outside. M. Rousseau has given me his word and I keep him to his promise! (To Jules) Come, my young friend, come to my brother's house; my niece is expecting you. To-morrow we will sign the marriage contract. (Pamela falls senseless on her chair.) JOSEPH. Ah, what have you done! Mlle. Pamela! DUPRE AND JULES. (darting towards her) Good heavens! DE VERBY. (taking Jules by the hand) Come--come-- DUPRE. Stop a moment! I should have been glad to think that I was not the only protector that was left her! But listen, the matter is not yet ended! Pamela will certainly be arrested as a false witness! (Seizes the hand of De Verby.) And you will all be ruined. (Dupre leads off Pamela.) JOSEPH. (hiding behind a sofa) Don't tell anybody that I am here!
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