Betrothal — Act 2
CURTAIN
ACT II SCENE II
_Outside the Door_ _The curtain represents a huge double door surmounted with a flattened arch.
The door is old, thick and massive, unyielding, bound and studded with iron bars and nails.
In the middle of the door is a formidable lock_.
(_Enter_ THE FAIRY _and_ TYLTYL, _who carries an empty wallet over his shoulder_.
) THE FAIRY
This is the Miser's door.
TYLTYL
Where are my sweethearts?
THE FAIRY
At home, in my palace; they'll wait there for you and will be quite safe....
Be quick and come back soon.
TYLTYL
What about Destiny?
I thought he would never leave me again?
THE FAIRY
That's true; it's curious.
But it's not our business to run after him;
it's his own affair; he's by no means indispensable.
TYLTYL
Are you coming with me to the Miser?
THE FAIRY
No, it's better that you should see him alone....
You're not frightened, are you?
TYLTYL
Not a bit; but I don't quite know what I am to do.
THE FAIRY
It's very simple: when you're in there, you turn the sapphire; and he'll give you anything you want.
TYLTYL
He won't attack me?
I've no weapons, you know.
THE FAIRY
On the contrary, he will be delighted to be of service.
TYLTYL
How shall I get in?
There's no bell and no knocker.
Am I to tap at the door?
THE FAIRY
Do nothing of the sort!
That would be giving him a hint; and he would become unmanageable....
But this also is quite simple.
I will touch the big lock with my wand; the doors will slide back to right and left; and you will suddenly be on the other side, that is to say, right inside the cave, before he even suspects it.
Once there, you can keep quiet in your corner for a moment and watch him playing with his gold, if that amuses you; and it will amuse you, for it's rather curious.
Then, when you've had enough, turn the sapphire.
Get over there, on the left, against the wall of the arch, so that you can slip into his den at once, without making a noise....
Look out!
The door will disappear!
And I'll take myself off this way!...
(_She touches the great lock with her wand_.
) SCENE III
_The Miser's Cave_ (_The heavy doors open in the middle, slide right and left and disappear in the slips, revealing the whole of_ THE MISER'S _den, an immense cave with low arches in which are piled large sacks bursting with gold, silver and copper coins.
The only light comes from a wretched smoking candle_.
TYLTYL _hides himself as well as he can in a dark corner_.
THE MISER, _an old, hook-nosed man, with a dirty white beard and long, scanty hair, is dressed in a sort of squalid, patched dressing-gown.
On the floor is an old carpet, with three sacks bulging with gold at one corner_.
) THE MISER
To-day I shall count the contents of these three sacks all over again.
I
must have made a mistake in my last reckoning.
There are three louis missing.
Three louis are sixty francs, which make a considerable difference in a total of six hundred thousand francs.
It's quite impossible to sleep with that anxiety on one's mind.
Each of these three sacks ought to hold two hundred thousand francs, the first and second in louis of twenty francs and the third in ten-franc pieces.
I shall empty them on the carpet first to see what a lovely heap they make....
(_He empties the contents of the first sack on the carpet_.
) How they sparkle, how they sparkle!...
What a lot of them there are!...
When you see the gold spreading itself out, it's impossible to believe that it all could go into one sack!...
Let's have another....
This is the sack with the little ten-franc pieces....
(_He empties a second sack_.
) They are as lovely as the big ones....
They are younger, that's all, and there are more of them....
Now let's see what the third holds....
(_He empties the third sack.
A few gold coins roll of the carpet.
He throws himself flat on the floor to catch them_.
) Oh, no, oh, no, children!...
This won't do!...
You mustn't run away like that!...
Nothing is allowed to leave this cave!...
Trying to hide yourselves, are you?
To go where, pray?
Don't you know that there's no place like home?...
Fancy running away like that from daddy!
I should never have thought it of you!
This way, children, this way, darlings.
This way, my pretty ones!
Back to the heap, back to the cradle, then you'll be happy!...
(_He picks up a coin which has rolled farther than the rest_.
) Don't do it again, you: you're always making off; you're a little torment and you set a bad example.
Beg my pardon, or I'll punish you.
You shall be the first to be spent;
I'll give you to a beggar, do you hear?...
(_Kissing it_.
) No, no, I'm only pretending....
There, there, don't cry!...
I was merely frightening you....
I love you all the same, but don't do it again!...
Here, here, here, they're here, in front of me and all around me....
It will take me quite a fortnight to count them all and to weigh them in my scales....
What a lot of them, what a lot of them!
And how pretty they are!...
I
know them every one, I could call them by their names....
They would need a hundred and twenty thousand different names; and each of those names stands for a treasure!...
(_He rolls on the carpet amidst the gold_.
) I love to see them close!...
Oh, what a cosy bed!
And what a joy it is to be among one's daughters!...
For they are my daughters: I brought them into the world; I have nurtured them, protected them from harm, fondled and pampered them; I know their history, the trouble they've given me, but all is forgotten: they love me, I love them and we shall never part again!...
Oh, what a fine thing happiness is!...
(_He fills his two hands with the gold, makes it trickle over his heart, on his forehead and in his heard and utters little sighs of pleasure which gradually swell into roars of delight.
Suddenly, he shudders, starts and springs up, thinking that he has heard a sound_.
) What is it?...
Who's there?...
(_Reassuring himself_.
) No, no, it's nothing ...
no one would dare....
(_He sees_ TYLTYL _and gives a shout_.
) A thief!...
A thief!...
A thief!...
You here!...
You here!...
(_With his hands clutching like claws, terrified and terrifying, he rushes upon_ TYLTYL, _who jumps back and quickly turns the sapphire_.
THE MISER _stops short.
After an inward struggle which seems violent and lasts for some seconds, his hands drop to his sides, his face brightens and loses its hardness.
He seems to wake from a bad dream and tries to wipe the memory of it from his forehead.
He gazes with astonishment at the gold spread over the carpet, feels and pushes it with his foot, seems not to know what it is and then addresses_ TYLTYL _in a very calm and gentle voice_.
) THE MISER
You must have awakened me....
How did you get here?...
What have you come for?...
TYLTYL
I've come to ask you to lend me a little money....
I understand that I want some in order to discover my bride....
THE MISER
Have you anything to put it in?
TYLTYL
I've brought this wallet.
THE MISER
I shall be delighted to fill it for you; but I warn you that gold is very heavy and that you won't be able to carry it away.
TYLTYL
You must put in just what you think fit.
THE MISER
(_Pouring the gold by handfuls into the wallet_.
) Help me, will you?...
We'll fill it to the brim and see how that does....
We can easily lighten it afterwards, if it's too heavy....
TYLTYL
Oh, you're giving me too much, I don't want all that!...
So you're not a miser, as they told me?
THE MISER
I?
Not at all.
Why should I be?...
I have only a few weeks to live and am not in need of anything....
I hardly eat at all; and I drink nothing but water.
TYLTYL
Why were you lying on your gold when I came in, kissing it and calling it by pet names?
You seemed to worship it.
THE MISER
Oh, I don't know!
It amuses me.
When a man grows old, he has to amuse himself as best he can....
But it isn't I who do it.
All that is only a sort of dream.
I am thinking of something very different....
All men are like that at my age.
They are not often where you see them; they are not often doing what they appear to do; and every one lives in one of those dreams which have nothing to do with the truth....
But this is not the moment to explain things to you....
There, your wallet it full.
Can you lift it?
TYLTYL
(_Making an effort_.
) No, really, it is a bit too heavy....
Let's take some of it out....
THE MISER
(_Emptying part of the wallet_.
) I daresay that's better.
TYLTYL
Oh, look here, you're taking it all!...
There won't be enough left....
I
must put a little of it back....
THE MISER
I say, are you becoming a miser now?
TYLTYL
No, but I don't know that I shall have a chance of coming back again....
Just help me lift the wallet on my shoulder....
THE MISER
(_Helping him with the wallet_.
) There you are!
TYLTYL
(_Staggering under the load_.
) I say, what a weight gold is!
THE MISER
Don't I know it?...
Have you far to go?
TYLTYL
I really can't tell.
THE MISER
What's the weather like outside?
TYLTYL
It was bright sunshine.
THE MISER
One wouldn't think it in here....
Fancy, it's years since I've looked at the sky or the green trees!...
But you can't breathe under the weight of your bag, you poor little man!...
Come, kiss me good-bye: there's no knowing when we shall meet again....
Thanks for the pleasant time you have given me and especially for waking me up....
I shall make the most of my remaining days....
TYLTYL
Which is the way out?
THE MISER
That way, I suppose.
(TYLTYL _steps forward through the arch.
The doors at once slide and close behind him and he is left standing alone, in the dark, in front of the great shut door_.
) TYLTYL
It's dark....
I'm all alone....
Where am I?...
Where am I to go?
DESTINY
(_Looming up out of the shadow_.
) This way!
TYLTYL
Hullo!
You're there, are you?
I thought you had deserted me....
DESTINY
(_Grasping his hand_.
) I was here all the time....
I never lose sight of you....
TYLTYL
Yes, but, I say, don't walk so fast!...
My bag's frightfully heavy....
It would be much kinder of you if you helped me to carry it a little, instead of making me rush along like this....
DESTINY
I am not man's servant....
Forward, forward, forward!...
(_They go out_.
) SCENE IV
_A Closet in the Fairy's Palace_ _A sort of waiting-room or lumber-room containing the principal accessories of the Tales of Mother Goose: Cinderella's pumpkin and glass slipper; Red Ridinghood's cake and bowl; Hop-o'-my-Thumb's pebbles; the Ogre's daughters' golden crowns; the Sleeping Beauty's distaff and snake-tub; the Giant's seven-leagued hoots; Blue Beard's key; the Blue Bird in his silver cage; and, hanging from the wall, Catskin's weather-coloured, moon-coloured and sun-coloured dresses.
All these things look rather tawdry in the grey and unbecoming light_.
TYLTYL'S _seven little friends are locked up in this room.
In the same unsympathetic light they look much less pretty than when they entered the cottage and they seem rather tired, discontented and glum, except_ THE VEILED GIRL, _who stands on one side, motionless, impassive and unrevealing_.
BELLINE
Where have they brought us?
ROSARELLE
I don't know; but I must say that it's not a nice place in which to keep young ladies waiting.
BELLINE
Yes, it looks like a lumber-room where they've stored all the odds and ends and litter of the house.
ROSARELLE
(_Touching the various objects in disgust_.
) What's this?
A distaff?
Bless me, what for?...
A pumpkin, a cake, an old bowl and goodness knows what else!...
A tub full of dead eels!
Gracious, how they smell!...
It's all disgracefully kept....
And that lot of old fly-blown, spun-glass dresses!...
My dear, how horrible!...
What sort of place can this be?
A
potting-shed, a rag-and-bone shop, a pawn-broker's, or a thieves' kitchen?
Whom can it belong to?
A receiver of stolen goods?
(_Touching the more bizarre dresses_.
) Or a Hottentot dressmaker?
BELLINE
There's something of everything ...
except a broom and a duster.
ROSARELLE
One wouldn't be enough.
BELLINE
And nothing to sit on but an old wooden bench....
ROSARELLE
But it's carved, my love!...
BELLINE
Yes, carved in dust.
ROSARELLE
Reach me one of those hideous rags and let me wipe it....
BELLINE
(_Eagerly and obsequiously_.
) Wait, miss, I'll do that....
(_She takes the moon-coloured dress and dusts the seat with it_.
) There, that's a little better; that's at least one corner nearly clean enough to sit on.
ROSARELLE
(_Sitting down_.
) I'm tired out!
BELLINE
(_Sitting down beside her_.
) So am I; my feet are dreadfully sore.
ROSARELLE
(_Looking around through her lorgnette_.
) But what I want to know is where have we got to?
