ORGON No, no.
TARTUFFE So let me quickly go away And thus remove all cause for such attacks.
ORGON No, you shall stay; my life depends upon it.
TARTUFFE Then I must mortify myself. And yet, If you should wish ...
ORGON No, never!
TARTUFFE Very well, then; No more of that. But I shall rule my conduct To fit the case. Honour is delicate, And friendship binds me to forestall suspicion, Prevent all scandal, and avoid your wife.
ORGON No, you shall haunt her, just to spite them all.
"Tis my delight to set them in a rage; You shall be seen together at all hours And what is more, the better to defy them, I"ll have no other heir but you; and straightway I"ll go and make a deed of gift to you, Drawn in due form, of all my property.
A good true friend, my son-in-law to be, Is more to me than son, and wife, and kindred.
You will accept my offer, will you not?
TARTUFFE Heaven"s will be done in everything!
ORGON Poor man!
We"ll go make haste to draw the deed aright, And then let envy burst itself with spite!
ACT IV
SCENE I
CLEANTE, TARTUFFE
CLEANTE Yes, it"s become the talk of all the town, And make a stir that"s scarcely to your credit; And I have met you, sir, most opportunely, To tell you in a word my frank opinion.
Not to sift out this scandal to the bottom, Suppose the worst for us--suppose Damis Acted the traitor, and accused you falsely; Should not a Christian pardon this offence, And stifle in his heart all wish for vengeance?
Should you permit that, for your petty quarrel, A son be driven from his father"s house?
I tell you yet again, and tell you frankly, Everyone, high or low, is scandalised; If you"ll take my advice, you"ll make it up, And not push matters to extremities.
Make sacrifice to G.o.d of your resentment; Restore the son to favour with his father.
TARTUFFE Alas! So far as I"m concerned, how gladly Would I do so! I bear him no ill will; I pardon all, lay nothing to his charge, And wish with all my heart that I might serve him; But Heaven"s interests cannot allow it; If he returns, then I must leave the house.
After his conduct, quite unparalleled, All intercourse between us would bring scandal; G.o.d knows what everyone"s first thought would be!
They would attribute it to merest scheming On my part--say that conscious of my guilt I feigned a Christian love for my accuser, But feared him in my heart, and hoped to win him And underhandedly secure his silence.
CLEANTE You try to put us off with specious phrases; But all your arguments are too far-fetched.
Why take upon yourself the cause of Heaven?
Does Heaven need our help to punish sinners?
Leave to itself the care of its own vengeance, And keep in mind the pardon it commands us; Besides, think somewhat less of men"s opinions, When you are following the will of Heaven.
Shall petty fear of what the world may think Prevent the doing of a n.o.ble deed?
No!--let us always do as Heaven commands, And not perplex our brains with further questions.
TARTUFFE Already I have told you I forgive him; And that is doing, sir, as Heaven commands.
But after this day"s scandal and affront Heaven does not order me to live with him.
CLEANTE And does it order you to lend your ear To what mere whim suggested to his father, And to accept gift of his estates, On which, in justice, you can make no claim?
TARTUFFE No one who knows me, sir, can have the thought That I am acting from a selfish motive.
The goods of this world have no charms for me; I am not dazzled by their treacherous glamour; And if I bring myself to take the gift Which he insists on giving me, I do so, To tell the truth, only because I fear This whole estate may fall into bad hands, And those to whom it comes may use it ill And not employ it, as is my design, For Heaven"s glory and my neighbours" good.
CLEANTE Eh, sir, give up these conscientious scruples That well may cause a rightful heir"s complaints.
Don"t take so much upon yourself, but let him Possess what"s his, at his own risk and peril; Consider, it were better he misused it, Than you should be accused of robbing him.
I am astounded that unblushingly You could allow such offers to be made!
Tell me--has true religion any maxim That teaches us to rob the lawful heir?
If Heaven has made it quite impossible Damis and you should live together here, Were it not better you should quietly And honourably withdraw, than let the son Be driven out for your sake, dead against All reason? "Twould be giving, sir, believe me, Such an example of your probity ...
TARTUFFE Sir, it is half-past three; certain devotions Recall me to my closet; you"ll forgive me For leaving you so soon.
CLEANTE (alone) Ah!
SCENE II
ELMIRE, MARIANE, CLEANTE, DORINE
DORINE (to Cleante) Sir, we beg you To help us all you can in her behalf; She"s suffering almost more than heart can bear; This match her father means to make to-night Drives her each moment to despair. He"s coming.
Let us unite our efforts now, we beg you, And try by strength or skill to change his purpose.
SCENE III
ORGON, ELMIRE, MARIANE, CLEANTE, DORINE
ORGON So ho! I"m glad to find you all together.
(To Mariane) Here is the contract that shall make you happy, My dear. You know already what it means.
MARIANE (on her knees before Orgon) Father, I beg you, in the name of Heaven That knows my grief, and by whate"er can move you, Relax a little your paternal rights, And free my love from this obedience!
Oh, do not make me, by your harsh command, Complain to Heaven you ever were my father; Do not make wretched this poor life you gave me.
If, crossing that fond hope which I had formed, You"ll not permit me to belong to one Whom I have dared to love, at least, I beg you Upon my knees, oh, save me from the torment Of being possessed by one whom I abhor!
And do not drive me to some desperate act By exercising all your rights upon me.
ORGON (a little touched) Come, come, my heart, be firm! no human weakness!
MARIANE I am not jealous of your love for him; Display it freely; give him your estate, And if that"s not enough, add all of mine; I willingly agree, and give it up, If only you"ll not give him me, your daughter; Oh, rather let a convent"s rigid rule Wear out the wretched days that Heaven allots me.
ORGON These girls are ninnies!--always turning nuns When fathers thwart their silly love-affairs.