Charles Rivière Dufresny

“ Fortune, on the contrary, is favoring you. It has determined to make
you happy.
Baron
Oh, oh!
Widow
For the money, and without any love, these days, the most noble marry
Lisettes.
Baron Right, one hundred thousand francs would pay off my debts. This motive and love will excuse all.
Widow
Yes, but you must marry instantly, before this lottery becomes known.
This is delicacy. She will believe she owes your tenderness more.
Lucas will get the Grand Prize, but while he is unaware of it, the
fool must be taken, so that he gives all his wealth to Lisette.
Wealth, present and to come. ”

“ Girard Let's renew our discussion and talk of Lisette again. Because, having so much power over her, being her neighbor, and a sort of surrogate parent, you are working hard to turn her into a coquette, instead of making her wiser.
Widow
Language of Paris. That's what will make her perfect.
Girard Some perfection! Alas, you make her worse, when you come here to refine her wit. You make her heart more false and more vain.
Widow At nine years, she was already a coquette in embryo. ”

“ Do I owe Lucas respect? He owes me some, perhaps. But now each of us rests on his pedestal, and for a collector to be the son-in-law of a farmer, it's by right of the game.
Widow Good. It's an old game. Regretfully, I see your scheme is in ruins. Lisette repents of having considered you, and she says she no longer intends to have Girard. Now, the proud father and daughter find that your fortune is too recent. Everywhere you find ungrateful hearts, as in the village, even with regrets. But, during some times, gamble, pilfer, respect, trim, clip, loot and loot again. ”

“ We shall try to please at first by simple attractions. A little affectation, lowering your gaze, being quiet, appearing embarrassed. A cold blooded man, seeing a great deal of simpering, will believe less what he sees. He will suspect, examine, and discover the pretence. But, when the dupe is taken—be affected without fear. The grossest kinds of affectation, far from quelling, charm his passions, and he seeks out the beauty of nature.
Lucas I don't understand half your fine preaching. (dumbfounded) But what you say must be good, for you amaze.
Widow
Lisette understand perfectly. ”

“ Lisette
To leave to find a master!
Lucas As you are growing up, it's a cruelty to stay here. In a village, you lose your time and your beauty. You can merchandise your youth better in the Paris marriage market. Yes, I will take you to Paris, and very soon, because time presses. Although a vertigo irritates me momentarily, what I want is only reasonable, and I shall be as bold as brass. ”

“ Widow
I am enraged.
Argon I know Lucas is ambitious. He prefers your wealth; for you're worth more to him. But, besides, I believe her—what likelihood is there that Lisette, who always says what she thinks, has spoken to you of love, when she loves me? ”

“ By the cleverest tricks and the most lively manners, she's figured out how to get love without giving any. She cold-bloodedly talks in the most tender way and pretends with effrontery to be timidly embarrassed. Tears which go right to the heart and which bother her not at all. She abuses his weakness and yours. In offering you one hand, she gives him the other. ”

“ Argon
Time presses. I have Lisette and the notary together. If Lucas appears
I will finish the business. In love, moments are precious to an older
person.
Widow If you marry, a quarter of an hour later, you will have time to be tired of Lisette and to repent a foolish act. Pardon the word, it's from friendship for you. My zeal is not mixed with any jealous transport. Better if you never marry me or the coquette. Be undeceived and I will be satisfied. Eh—can you remain blind. ”

“ Widow
Friendship without love. That's what we agree makes a good marriage.
Love is restless and bores itself in a household.
Baron
You would have had our wealth. You will be confounded.
Lucas
Let them say—then you will have three times more, four times more.
Lisette
Let's go quickly to Paris to be in abundance.
Lucas Between the land and our money—there's the difference. Their land and their chateau. It's nothing but a little plot. It will never increase, no, not even an abortion. But my money is in a great adventure. It will swell at first, and then like a river, it will increase. ”

“ Lisette
Alas, no.
Widow He must have thought it over. It's his day to be reasonable, his good day. But we will recapture him. To make him sign, it's only needful to make him wait. If something can hasten this happy day, it's pretence. Pretend a violent love.
Lisette
Alas, I will pretend badly.
Widow
Then, I am uneasy. I intend to marry as much as Lisette. Monsieur
Argon occupies me and I am going to see him. If he keeps his word, it
will be all over today. (exits)
Lucas You must pretend the widder lady says, and you don't know how to pretend a pretense. ”

“ One who profits from opportunity which she knows how to manage and uses her reason when we lose ours. A wise coquette is more knowing than anyone else because she is always exposed and always in a battle. One cannot deny that the strongest virtue is one that undergoes and survives the hardest tests. ”

“ Since he has seen the lottery, his sudden riches trouble his head, and have changed his type. He has nothing human remaining except his form and his pride. Grave, deciding with a wink of his eye, disdaining to speak or speaking by sentence. He believes people applaud his silence. Saluting with his big head, puffed up, swollen, Lucas has become subtly inflated with a contagious disease. He can be seen thrusting his paunch two steps ahead of himself.
Widow
In that case, Girard, we must— But Lisette is running this way. Mr.
Argon is following her. Things aren't turning out right. ”

“ The coquette has prerogatives much more beautiful than a prude's. That beautiful right is the right of being happy. A prude, in her life, marries, but once or twice, but the clever coquette never marries at all. She flatters, she raises hopes, she promises, but she never gives in—thus through her wisdom leaving each one to his love and desires, she makes pleasure last.
Girard In my opinion Lisette is making my pain too harsh. It's useless to complain to her father, alas, complaining is no good. He scorns me.
Widow Yes, because you are leaving your condition in life. ”

“ Lisette is waiting for us.
Lucas I'll have all this, indeed, for when one is very rich, one attracts all that for nothing.
Baron
You promised me—
Lucas (with an important air)
Huh!
Baron
To finish—
Lucas
What?
Baron
Our business.
Lucas
What business?
Baron Ours, I have had the notary there, to write the contract. He's waiting only for you. We are agreed between us.
Lucas Ah, I believe that I remember something of it. Damn, when one has so much business, one thinks only of the best. Yes, we spoke of marriage, but it cannot be. There's only, but a bit—
Girard
What do I hear? ”

“ I have only pointed her in her natural direction—so her beauty will not prove worthless and she will profit by a fine marriage. I only want Lisette to be wise. She's naturally exquisite, and I've simply added to her talents all that I have learned.
Girard
With so many perfections you will make her a prodigy of coquetry.
Widow So much the better, I tell you. That's what makes beauty and wit valued. We've argued about this so many times. By coquette I mean a girl who is very wise; who knows how to take advantage of other's foibles; who always exhibits sangfroid in the midst of dangers. ”

“ Girard You know all. We must lure our credulous, stupid, avaricious, and amorous Baron with this false lottery into offering Lisette marriage, and if she accepts, for Argon to see she's engaged.
Widow Lisette ought to give up Argon for the Baron. The Baron is rich and the trick is so good. ”

“ Girard The horses will soon be here at your orders. Wait for them here. Hola, lackey, hola, some chairs.
(Lackeys enter with chairs. Lucas exchanges greetings with the Baron and seats himself first.)
Lucas
Let's not have any manners while I'm here.
Baron
Let's talk about our business.
Lucas (not replying)
I've got a great idea just now.
Baron
We were discussing—
Lucas
In seeing me, all Paris is going to feast me. The one who won the
Grand Prize.
Baron
Before you leave—
Lucas All the world will be beggars except me, because my wealth will divert me. ”

“ No republication for profit in print or other media may be made without the express consent of the Copyright Holder. The Copyright Holder is especially concerned about performance rights in any media on stage, cinema, or television, or audio or any other media, including readings for which an entrance fee or the like is charge. ”