CLE. He is perfectly shocked at your refusal.

HAR. (_aside, to his son_). Ah! traitor!

CLE. (_to_ MARIANNE). You see he is in despair.

HAR. (_aside, to his son, threatening him_). You villain!

CLE. Really, father, it is not my fault. I do all I can to persuade her to accept it; but she is obstinate.

HAR. (_in a rage, aside to his son_). Rascal!

CLE. You are the cause, Madam, of my father scolding me.

HAR. (_aside, with the same looks_). Scoundrel!

CLE. (_to_ MARIANNE). You will make him ill; for goodness' sake, hesitate no longer.

FRO. (_to_ MARIANNE). Why so much ceremony? Keep the ring, since the gentleman wishes you to.

MAR. (_to_ HARPAGON). I will keep it now, Sir, in order not to make you angry, and I shall take another opportunity of returning it to you.

SCENE XIII.--HARPAGON, MARIANNE, eLISE, VALeRE, FROSINE, BRINDAVOINE.

BRIND. Sir, there is a gentleman here who wants to speak to you.

HAR. Tell him that I am engaged, and that I cannot see him to-day.

BRIND. He says he has some money for you.

HAR. (_to_ MARIANNE). Pray, excuse me; I will come back directly.

SCENE XIV.--HARPAGON, MARIANNE, eLISE, CLeANTE, FROSINE, LA MERLUCHE.

LA MER. (_comes in running, and throws_ HARPAGON _down_). Sir....

HAR. Oh! he has killed me.

CLE. What's the matter, father? Have you hurt yourself?

HAR. The wretch must have been bribed by some of my debtors to break my neck.

VAL. (_to_ HARPAGON). There is nothing serious.

LA MER. (_to_ HARPAGON). I beg your pardon, Sir; I thought I had better run fast to tell you....

HAR. What?

LA MER. That your two horses have lost their shoes.

HAR. Take them quickly to the smith.

CLE. In the meantime, father, I will do the honours of the house for you, and take this lady into the garden, where lunch will be brought.

SCENE XV.--HARPAGON, VALeRE.

HAR. Valere, look after all this; and take care, I beseech you, to save as much of it as you can, so that we may send it back to the tradesman again.

VAL. I will.

HAR. (_alone_). Miscreant! do you mean to ruin me?

ACT IV.

SCENE I.--CLeANTE, MARIANNE, eLISE, FROSINE.

CLE. Let us come in here; we shall be much better. There is no one about us that we need be afraid of, and we can speak openly.

ELI. Yes, Madam, my brother has told me of the love he has for you. I know what sorrow and anxiety such trials as these may cause, and I a.s.sure you that I have the greatest sympathy for you.

MAR. I feel it a great comfort in my trouble to have the sympathy of a person like you, and I entreat you, Madam, ever to retain for me a friendship so capable of softening the cruelty of my fate.

FRO. You really are both very unfortunate not to have told me of all this before. I might certainly have warded off the blow, and not have carried things so far.

CLE. What could I do? It is my evil destiny which has willed it so.

But you, fair Marianne, what have you resolved to do? What resolution have you taken?

MAR. Alas! Is it in my power to take any resolution? And, dependent as I am, can I do anything else except form wishes?

CLE. No other support for me in your heart? Nothing but mere wishes?

No pitying energy? No kindly relief? No active affection?

MAR. What am I to say to you? Put yourself in my place, and judge what I can possibly do. Advise me, dispose of me, I trust myself entirely to you, for I am sure that you will never ask of me anything but what is modest and seemly.

CLE. Alas! to what do you reduce me when you wish me to be guided entirely by feelings of strict duty and of scrupulous propriety.

MAR. But what would you have me do? Even if I were, for you, to divest myself of the many scruples which our s.e.x imposes on us, I have too much regard for my mother, who has brought me up with great tenderness, for me to give her any cause of sorrow. Do all you can with her. Strive to win her. I give you leave to say and do all you wish; and if anything depends upon her knowing the true state of my feelings, by all means tell her what they are; indeed I will do it myself if necessary.

CLE. Frosine, dear Frosine, will you not help us?

FRO. Indeed, I should like to do so, as you know. I am not naturally unkind. Heaven has not given me a heart of flint, and I feel but too ready to help when I see young people loving each other in all earnestness and honesty. What can we do in this case?

CLE. Try and think a little.