where to borrow money for this attempt; if you are in similar circumstances to mine, dear sister, and it chances that our father opposes our desires, we will both leave him and free ourselves from the tyranny his insupportable avarice has so long exercised over us. ÉL. You are quite right; every day does he give us more and more cause to regret the death of our mother, and . . . CL. I hear his voice. Let us go a little further off, to finish our plans; we will then join our forces and attack his hard heart. SCENE III HARPAGON, LA FLÈCHE HARP. Get out of my sight instantly, and let me have no more of your tongue. Now then, be off with you, you arrant thief, you cursed gallows bird. LA F. I never saw anyone so wicked as this accursed old scoundrel. I verily believe he is possessed by the devil. HARP. What are you growling at? LA F. Why are you turning me out of the house? HARP. It's just like you, you hangdog, to bandy words with me: be off, sharp, or I will knock you down. LA F. What have I done to you? HARP. Sufficient to make me wish to see no more of you. LA F. Your son, my master, ordered me to wait for him. HARP. Go and wait in the road, and not in my house, planted upright like a post to watch what is going on and make your profit out of everything. I do not want to have a rascal always spying on me with espion de mes affaires, un traître, dont les yeux maudits assiégent toutes mes actions, dévorent ce que je possède, et furettent de tous côtés pour voir s'il n'y a rien à voler. LA F. Comment diantre voulez-vous qu'on fasse pour vous voler? Etes-vous un homme volable, quand vous renfermez toutes choses, et faites sentinelle jour et nuit? HARP. Je veux renfermer ce que bon me semble, et faire sentinelle comme il me plaît. Ne voilà pas de mes mouchards, qui prennent garde à ce qu'on fait? Je tremble qu'il n'ait soupçonné quelque chose de mon argent. Ne serais-tu point homme à aller faire courir le bruit que j'ai chez moi de l'argent caché? LA F. Vous avez de l'argent caché? HARP. Non, coquin, je ne dis pas cela. (A part.) J'enrage. Je demande si malicieusement tu n'irais point faire courir le bruit que j'en ai. LA F. Hé! que nous importe que vous en ayez ou que vous n'en ayez pas, si c'est pour nous la même chose? HARP. Tu fais le raisonneur. Je te baillerai de ce raisonnement-ci par les oreilles. (Il lève la main pour lui donner un soufflet.) Sors d'ici, encore une fois. LA F. Hé bien ! je sors. HARP. Attends. Ne m'emportes-tu rien? LA F. Que vous emporterais-je? HARP. Viens çà, que je voie. LA F. Les voilà. LA F. Les autres? HARP. Oui. LA F. Les voilà. Montre-moi tes mains. HARP. N'as-tu rien mis ici dedans? LA F. Voyez vous-même. HARP. (II tâte le bas de ses chausses.) Ces grands hautsde-chausses sont propres à devenir les recéleurs des choses qu'on dérobe; et je voudrais qu'on en eût fait pendre quelqu'un. a pair of cursed eyes peering at everything I do, a scoundrel who covets all I possess and ferrets in every corner to see if there is anything he can steal. LA F. How the deuce could anyone rob you of anything? You shut up everything and stand watch night and day: you are no catch. HARP. I will lock up what I think fit, and stand guard as pleases me. This is one of the spies set to watch everything I do. I am afraid he has his suspicions where my money is. Are you going to tell people I have money hid in my house? LA F. You have money hid in your house? HARP. No, villain, I did not say that. (Aside.) I shall go mad. Are you going to make mischief by telling tales about my having some? LA F. Ah! what does it matter to us whether you have any or you have not? it is all the same to us. HARP. You chatterbox. I will give you something on your ears to talk about. (He lifts his hand to give him a blow.) Once more, go out of my sight. LA F. All right, I will go. HARP. Stop. Are you taking anything away with you? LA F. What could I take away? HARP. Come here, that I may see. hands. LA F. There they are. HARP. The others. Show me your 1 LA F. The others? HARP. Yes. LA F. There they are. HARP. Have you nothing hid down below? LA F. Look yourself. HARP. (He feels the lower part of his breeches.) These fine bags are just the things to receive stolen goods; I wish people could be hung for wearing them. |