Pamela Giraud: A Play in Five ActsBalzac, Honoré de
General
Pamela Giraud: A Play in Five Acts
Balzac, Honoré de
French drama -- 19th century -- Translations into English
Giraud
Sir, my daughter has no one with her but her future husband, M.--
The sheriff
Rousseau.
Pamela
M. Adolph Durand.
Giraud
Rousseau I don't know.--The gentleman I refer to is M. Adolph Durand.
Mme. Giraud
Son of a respectable merchant of Marseilles.
Joseph
Ah! you have been deceiving me! Ah!--That is the secret of your
coldness, and he is--
The sheriff (to the officer of the police)
This does not seem to be the man?
The officer
Oh, yes, I am sure of it! (to the gendarmes) Carry out my orders.
Jules
Monsieur, I am the victim of some mistake; my name is not Jules
Rousseau.
The officer
Oh! but you know his first name, which none of us has as yet
mentioned.
Jules
But I heard some one say it. Here are my papers, which are perfectly
correct.
The sheriff
Let me see them, please.
Giraud
Gentlemen, I assure you and declare to you--
The officer
If you go on in this way, and wish to make us believe that this
gentleman is Adolph Durand, son of a merchant of--
Mme. Giraud
Of Marseilles--
The officer
You may all be arrested as his accomplices, locked up in jail this
evening, and implicated in an affair from which you will not easily
get off. Have you any regard for the safety of your neck?
Giraud
A great deal!
The officer
Very well! Hold your tongue, then.
Mme. Giraud
Do hold your tongue, Giraud!
Pamela
Merciful heaven! Why did I not believe him at once!
The sheriff (to his agents)
Search the gentleman!
(The agent takes out Jules' pocket handkerchief.)
The officer
It is marked with a J and an R. My dear sir, you are not very clever!
Joseph
What can he have done? Have you anything to do with it, mademoiselle?
Pamela
You are the sole cause of the trouble. Never speak to me again!
The officer
Monsieur, here we have the check for your dinner--you dined at the
Palais Royal. While you were there you wrote a letter in pencil. One
of your friends brought the letter here. His name was M. Adolph
Durand, and he lent you his passport. We are certain of your identity;
you are M. Jules Rousseau.
Joseph
The son of the rich M. Rousseau, whose house we are furnishing?
The sheriff
Hold your tongue!
The officer
You must come with us.
Jules
Certainly, monsieur. (To Giraud and his wife) Forgive the annoyance I
have caused you--and you, Pamela, do not forget me! If you do not see
me again, you may keep what I gave into your hands, and may it bring
you happiness!
Giraud
O Lord!
Pamela
Poor Adolph!
The sheriff (to his agents)
Remain here. We are going to search this attic, and question every one
of these people.
Joseph (with a gesture of horror)
Ah!--she prefers a criminal to me!
(Jules is put in charge of the agents.)
Curtain to the First Act.
ACT II
SCENE FIRST
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account