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Pamela Giraud: A Play in Five Acts, a play by Honore de Balzac |
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Act 5 - Scene 5 |
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_ ACT V - SCENE FIFTH Dupre and Madame du Brocard.
MME. DU BROCARD. I have been here several times without being lucky enough to find you in. We are quite alone here? DUPRE. (smiling) Quite alone! MME. DU BROCARD. And so this harrowing affair has broken out afresh? DUPRE. It has, unhappily! MME. DU BROCARD. That wretched young man! If I had not superintended his education, I would disinherit him! My life at present is not worth living. Is it possible that I, whose conduct and principles have won the esteem of all, should be involved in all this trouble? And yet on this occasion the only thing that gives me any anxiety is my conduct towards the Girauds! DUPRE. I can well believe it, for it was you who led astray and who induced Pamela to act as she did! MME. DU BROCARD. I feel, sir, that it is always a mistake to associate with people of a certain class--say, with a Bonapartist--a man who has neither conscience nor heart. (DE VERBY. , who has been listening, shrinks back with a gesture of rage.) DUPRE. You always seemed to have such a high opinion of him! MME. DU BROCARD. His family was highly thought of! And the prospect of this brilliant marriage! I always dreamt of a distinguished future for my nephew. DUPRE. But you are forgetting the general's affection for you, his unselfishness. MME. DU BROCARD. His affection! His unselfishness! The general does not possess a sou, and I had promised him a hundred thousand francs, when once the marriage contract was signed. DUPRE. (coughs loudly, as he turns in the direction of De Verby) Oh! indeed! MME. DU BROCARD. I am come to you secretly, and in confidence, in spite of all that has been said by this M. de Verby, who avers that you are a half-rate lawyer! He has said the most frightful things about you, and I come now to beg that you will extricate me from this difficulty. I will give you whatever money you demand. DUPRE. What I wish above all is that you promise to let your nephew marry whom he chooses, and give him the fortune you had designed for him, in case he married Mlle. de Verby. MME. DU BROCARD. One moment; you said, whom he pleased? DUPRE. Give me your answer! MME. DU BROCARD. But I ought to know. DUPRE. Very well then, you must extricate yourself without my assistance. MME. DU BROCARD. You are taking advantage of my situation! Ah! some one is coming. DUPRE. (looking towards the newcomers) It is some of your own family! MME. DU BROCARD. (peering cautiously) It is my brother-in-law Rousseau--What is he up to now? He swore to me that he would keep quiet! DUPRE. You also took an oath. In fact, there has been a great deal of swearing in your family lately. MME. DU BROCARD. I hope I shall be able to hear what he has to say! (Rousseau appears with his wife. Mme. du Brocard conceals herself behind the curtain.) DUPRE. (looking at her) Very good! But if these two want to hide themselves, I don't know where I shall put them! _ |
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