The World's Greatest Books [Volumes 1-15, 17-20]

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me! (aloud) If you please, Madame Elmire desires to have a talk with you in this room.

Tartuffe : Is she coming soon ?

Dorine : I think I hear her. Yes, here she is. I will leave you together.

[Elmire enters. Dorine departs.

Tartuffe: May Heaven, madame, graciously bestow upon you health of both body and soul. Has your feverish headache gone?

Elmire (sitting down) : I am now quite well, thank you.

Tartuffe (sitting beside her) : I have been praying all day long for Heaven to cure you. And oh, how sweet it is for me to be at last alone with you! How often have I begged in my prayers to be granted this opportunity!

Elmire: No doubt, you are concerned for my salvation, as well as for my husband's.

Tartuffe (taking her hand) : Oh, if you could onl) guess what an interest I take in you!

Elmire: You squeeze my hand too hard! Now, I want to talk seriously to you. I hear that my husband wishes to give you his daughter in marriage. Is this really so?

Tartuffe: He has said something about it; but to speak truly, my dear lady, that is not the happiness for which I long.

Elmire: Oh, a very religious man like you has no thought of earthly joys!

Tartuffe : Believe me, my heart is not made of stone. I am a man, and I feel like a man. Oh, you perfect creature, how could I see you without admiring in you the author of nature? I love you, and I cannot help loving you!

Elmire (laughing) : Oh dear, what would my husband say if he heard you!

Damis (springing from behind the curtain) : Now,

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madame, we can confound this villain! I have been listening behind the curtain, so both of us can testify against him. Joy! he arrives just in time.

[Orgon enters.

Orgon : Whatever is the matter ?

Damis: I have just surprised this pious man in the act of making love to your wife.

Elmire : Yes, it is true. But I am sorry, my dear husband, that Damis should have interfered. I am able to look after myself. [She goes out.

Orgon : I cannot believe it! The thing is impossible.

Tartuffe : My dear brother, I am a miserable sinner, and if it is the wish of Heaven that I should be now punished, I am ready to submit to the mortification. Believe what is said against me ! Hunt me like a criminal from your house! My life is full of iniquities, and I humbly confess that no man can charge me with more crimes than I daily accuse myself of.

Orgon (to his soti) : How dare you slander this saintlike, humble-minded man?

Tartuffe: No, let him speak on! You go too much, my brother, by appearances. (To Damis) Speak, my dear son, speak! Call me a liar, a thief, a murderer. I will not contradict you. Let me on my knees endure all this ignominy as a punishment for the sins of my life.

Orgon (to Damis) : You scoundrel! I shall at once disinherit you. Out of my house!

Tartuffe: Forgive him, brother, forgive him. On my two knees I plead with you to forgive him.

Orgon (lifting him up and speaking to his son) : Are you not moved, you scoundrel, by his extraordinary goodness ?

Tartuffe (rising to his feet) : No. It is I who must depart. Now that the shadow of scandal rests on this godly household, I must in your own interests, my brother, hasten away.

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Orgon: No, no! You are more to me than wife and children. You shall become my son-in-law, and I will make you my sole heir.

Act III

Scene.—The same room in Orgon's house. Dorine and Mariane are talking; Elm ire enters.

Dorine (to Elmire) : For pity's sake, madame, come to the help of Mariane! Your husband has resolved to marry her to Tartuffe this evening. She will kill herself rather than submit to such an outrage.

[Orgon enters zvith a document.

Orgon : Here is the marriage contract, Mariane. Read it, and you will see that I am asking no more from you than I am willing to do myself. I am surrendering this house and all my estate to Tartuffe. He shall no longer be my guest: I will be his.

Mariane (throwing herself at his feet) : Your kindnesses to him do not hurt me, father. If all your property is not enough for him, give him mine also. Only let me end my life in a convent; that is all that I now ask you.

Orgon : What! You wish to be a nun! Just because I go against your idle fancy! Get up at once. If you were really religious-minded you would be ready to mortify yourself by carrying out your father's wishes.

Elmire (to Orgon) : I really don't know what to say. It is certain there are none so blind as those who will not see. After the scene here this morning

Orgon : My rascal of a son was always a favourite of yours, and you had not the courage to disavow the vile trick he tried to play on the poor, simple, pious man. But I saw through it at once. You were too quiet and unmoved. If it had really been true I should have seen by your face how upset you were.

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Elmire: Do you think I should be disturbed if a man like that tried to make love to me? My dear husband, it only made me laugh! Suppose I prove to you now that your son was speaking the truth? And I will! Dorine, tell Tartuffe that I want to see him here at once alone.

Dorine : He is very cunning. I am afraid he will not let you outwit him again.

Elmire: A man in love is always easily outwitted. Go and give him my message. (To Orgon) Get underneath this table.