the lady of lyons-第2节
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very fatiguing。 Even M。 Glavis sighed most piteously when you departed；
but that might be the effect of the supper。
Pauline。 M。 Glavis； indeed！
Mme。 Deschap。 M。 Glavis？as if my daughter would think of M。 Glavis！
Damas。 Hey…day！why not？His father left him a very pretty fortune；
and his birth is higher than yours； cousin Deschappelles。 But perhaps
you are looking to M。 Beauseant；his father was a marquis
before the Revolution。
Pauline。 M。 Beauseant！Cousin； you delight in tormenting me！
Mme。 Deschap。 Don't mind him； Pauline！Cousin Damas； you have
no susceptibility of feeling；there is a certain indelicacy
in all your ideas。M。 Beauseant knows already that he is no match
for my daughter！
Damas。 Pooh！ pooh！ one would think you intended your daughter
to marry a prince！
Mme。 Deschap。 Well； and if I did？what then？Many a foreign prince
Damas ＇interrupting her＇。 Foreign prince！foreign fiddlestick！
you ought to be ashamed of such nonsense at your time of life。
Mme。 Deschap。 My time of life！That is an expression never
applied to any lady till she is sixty…nine and three…quarters；
and only then by the clergyman of the parish。
Enter Servant。
Servant。 Madame； the carriage is at the door。 ＇Exit。
Mme。 Deschap。 Come； child； put on your bonnetyou really have a very
thorough…bred airnot at all like your poor father。＇Fondly＇。 Ah；
you little coquette！ when a young lady is always making mischief；
it is a sure sign that she takes after her mother！
Pauline。 Good day； cousin Damasand a better humor to you。＇Going
back to the table and taking the flowers＇。 Who could have sent me
these flowers？ ＇Exeunt PAULINE and MADAME DESCHAPPELLES。
Damas。 That would be an excellent girl if her head had not been turned。
I fear she is now become incorrigible！ Zounds； what a lucky fellow I
am to be still a bachelor！ They may talk of the devotion of the sex
but the most faithful attachment in life is that of a woman in love
with herself。 ＇Exit。
SCENE II。
The exterior of a small Village Innsign； the Golden LionA few
leagues from Lyons； which is seen at a distance。
Beau。 ＇behind the scenes。＇ Yes； you may bait the horses； we shall
rest here an hour。
Enter BEAUSEANT and GLAVIS。
Gla。 Really； my dear Beauseant； consider that I have promised to spend
a day or two with you at your chateau； that I am quite at your mercy
for my entertainment；and yet you are as silent and as gloomy
as a mute at a funeral； or an Englishman at a party of pleasure。
Beau。 Bear with me！the fact is that I am miserable。
Gla。 Youthe richest and gayest bachelor in Lyons？
Beau。 It is because I am a bachelor that I am miserable。Thou knowest
Paulinethe only daughter of the rich merchant； Mons。 Deschappelles？
Gla。 Know her？who does not？as pretty as Venus； and as proud as Juno。
Beau。 Her taste is worse than her pride。＇Drawing himself
up。＇ Know； Glavis； she has actually refused me！
Gla。 ＇aside＇。 So she has me！very consoling！ In all cases
of heart…ache； the application of another man's disappointment
draws out the pain and allays the irritation。＇Aloud。＇ Refused
you！ and wherefore？
Beau。 I know not； unless it be because the Revolution swept away
my father's title of Marquis；and she will not marry a commoner。
Now； as we have no noblemen left in France；as we are all
citizens and equals； she can only hope that； in spite of the war；
some English Milord or German Count will risk his life； by coming
to Lyons； that this fille du Roturier may condescend to accept him。
Refused me； and with scorn！By Heaven； I'll not submit to it tamely：
I'm in a perfect fever of mortification and rage。Refuse me； indeed！
Gla。 Be comforted； my dear fellow；I will tell you a secret。
For the same reason she refused ME！
Beau。 You！that's a very different matter！ But give me your hand；
Glavis；we'll think of some plan to humble her。 Mille diables！
I should like to see her married to a strolling player！
Enter Landlord and his Daughter from the Inn。
Land。 Your servant； citizen Beauseant；servant； Sir。 Perhaps you
will take dinner before you proceed to your chateau； our larder
is most plentifully supplied。
Beau。 I have no appetite。
Gla。 Nor I。 Still it is bad travelling on an empty stomach。
What have you got？ ＇Takes and looks over the bill of fare。＇
＇Shout without。＇ 〃Long live the Prince！Long live the Prince！〃
Beau。 The Prince！what Prince is that？ I thought we had no princes
left in France。
Land。 Ha； ha！ the lads always call him Prince。 He has just won the prize
in the shooting…match； and they are taking him home in triumph。
Beau。 Him！ and who's Mr。 Him？
Land。 Who should he be but the pride of the village；
Claude Melnotte？Of course you have heard of Claude Melnotte？
Gla。 ＇giving back the bill of fare。＇ Never had that honor。
Soupragout of hareroast chicken； and； in short； all you have！
Beau。 The son of old Alelnotte； the gardener？
Land。 Exactly soa wonderful young man。
Beau。 How； wonderful？Are his cabbages better than other people's
Land。 Nay； he don't garden any more； his father left him well off。
He's only a genus。
Gla。 A what？
Land。 A genus！a man who can do everything in life except anything
that's usefulthat's a genus。
Beau。 You raise my curiosity；proceed。
Land。 Well； then； about four years ago； old Melnotte died； and left
his son well to do in the world。 We then all observed that a great
change came over young Claude： he took to reading and Latin；
and hired a professor from Lyons； who had so much in his head
that he was forced to wear a great full…bottom wig to cover it。
Then he took a fencing…master； and a dancing…master； and a music…master；
and then he learned to paint； and at last it was said that
young Claude was to go to Paris； and set up for a painter。
The lads laughed at him at first； but he is a stout fellow；
is Claude； and as brave as a lion； and soon taught them to laugh
the wrong side of their mouths； and now all the boys swear by him；
and all the girls pray for him。
Beau。 A promising youth； certainly！ And why do they call him Prince？
Land。 Partly because he is at the head of them all； and partly
because he has such a proud way with him； and wears such fine clothes
and； in short； looks like a prince。
Beau。 And what could have turned the foolish fellow's brain？
The Revolution； I suppose？
Land。 Yesthe revolution that turns us all topsy…turvy
the revolution of Love。
Beau。 Romantic young Corydon！ And with whom is he in love？
Land。 Whybut it is a secret； gentlemen。
Beau。 Oh！ certainly。
Land。 Why； then； I hear from his mother； good soul！ that it is no
less a person than the Beauty of Lyons； Pauline Deschappelles。
Beau。 and Glavis。 Ha； ha！Capital！
Land。 You may laugh； but it is as true as I stand here。
Beau。 And what does the Beauty of Lyons say to his suit？
Land。 Lord； sir； she never even condescended to look at him；
though when he was a boy he worked in her father's garden。
Beau。 Are you sure of that？
Land。 His mother says that Mademoiselle does not know him by sight。
Beau。 ＇taking Glavis aside＇。 I have hit it；I have it；
here is our revenge！ Here is a prince for our haughty damsel。
Do you take me？
Gla。 Deuce take me if I do！
Beau。 Blockhead！it's as clear as a map。 What if we could
make this elegant clown pass himself off as a foreign prince？
lend him money； clothes； equipage for the purpose？make him propose
to Pauline？marry Pauline？ Would it not be delicious？
Gla。 Ha； ha！Excellent！ But how shall we support the necessary
expenses of his highness？
Beau。 Pshaw！ Revenge is worth a much larger sacrifice than a few hundred
louis；… …as for details； my valet is the trustiest fellow； in the world；
and shall have the appointment of his highness's establishment。
Let's go to him at once； and see if he be really this Admirable Crichton。
Gla。 With all my heart；but the dinner？
Beau。 Always thinking of dinner！ Hark ye； landlord； how far is it
to young Melnotte's cottage？ I should like to see such a prodigy。
Land。 Turn down the lane；then strike across the common；
and you will see his mother's cottage。
Beau。 True； he lives with his mother。＇Aside。＇ We will not trust
to an old woman's discretion； better send for him hither。
I'll just step in and write a note。 Come； Glavis。
Gla。 Yes；Beauseant； Glavis； and Co。； manufacturers of princes；
wholesale and retail；an uncommonly genteel line of business。
But why so grave？
Beau。 You think only of the sport；I of the revenge。
＇Exeunt within the Inn。
SCENE III。
The interior of MELNOTTE'S cottage； flowers placed here and there；
a guitar on an oaken table； with a portfolio； etc。； a picture on an easel；
