ORGON Amen! I take you at your word. We'll see What tricks you have, and how you'll keep your promise. ELMIRE (to Dorine) Send him to me. DORINE (to Elmire) The man's a crafty codger, Perhaps you'll find it difficult to catch him. ELMIRE (to Dorine) Oh no! A lover's never hard to cheat, And self-conceit leads straight to self-deceit. Bid him come down to me. (To Cleante and Mariane) And you, withdraw. SCENE IV ELMIRE, ORGON ELMIRE Bring up this table, and get under it. ORGON What? ELMIRE One essential is to hide you well. ORGON Why under there? ELMIRE Oh, dear! Do as I say; I know what I'm about, as you shall see. Get under, now, I tell you; and once there Be careful no one either sees or hears you. ORGON I'm going a long way to humour you, I must say; but I'll see you through your scheme. ELMIRE And then you'll have, I think, no more to say. (To her husband, who is now under the table.) But mind, I'm going to meddle with strange matters; Prepare yourself to be in no wise shocked. Whatever I may say must pass, because 'Tis only to convince you, as I promised. By wheedling speeches, since I'm forced to do it, I'll make this hypocrite put off his mask, Flatter the longings of his shameless passion, And give free play to all his impudence. But, since 'tis for your sake, to prove to you His guilt, that I shall feign to share his love, I can leave off as soon as you're convinced, And things shall go no farther than you choose. So, when you think they've gone quite far enough, It is for you to stop his mad pursuit, To spare your wife, and not expose me farther Than you shall need, yourself, to undeceive you. It is your own affair, and you must end it When ... Here he comes. Keep still, don't show yourself. SCENE V TARTUFFE, ELMIRE; ORGON (under the table) TARTUFFE They told me that you wished to see me here. ELMIRE Yes. I have secrets for your ear alone. But shut the door first, and look everywhere For fear of spies. (Tartuffe goes and closes the door, and comes back.) We surely can't afford Another scene like that we had just now; Was ever anyone so caught before! Damis did frighten me most terribly On your account; you saw I did my best To baffle his design, and calm his anger. But I was so confused, I never thought To contradict his story; still, thank Heaven, Things turned out all the better, as it happened, And now we're on an even safer footing. The high esteem you're held in, laid the storm; My husband can have no suspicion of you, And even insists, to spite the scandal-mongers, That we shall be together constantly; So that is how, without the risk of blame, I can be here locked up with you alone, And can reveal to you my heart, perhaps Only too ready to allow your passion.