TOI. Quite right. (_To_ BÉRALDE) Will you let me convince you; and to show you at once how my mistress loves my master. (_To_ ARGAN) Sir, allow me to undeceive him, and to show him his mistake. ARG. How? TOI. My mistress will soon come back. Stretch yourself full-length in this arm-chair, and pretend to be dead. You will see what grief she will be in when I tell her the news. ARG. Very well, I consent. TOI. Yes; but don’t leave her too long in despair, for she might die of it. ARG. Trust me for that. TOI. (_to_ BÉRALDE). Hide yourself in that corner. SCENE XVII.—ARGAN, TOINETTE. ARG. Is there no danger in counterfeiting death? TOI. No, no. What danger can there be? Only stretch yourself there. It will be so pleasant to put your brother to confusion. Here is my mistress. Mind you keep still. SCENE XVIII.—BÉLINE, ARGAN (_stretched out in his chair_), TOINETTE. TOI. (_pretending not to see_ BÉLINE). Ah heavens! Ah! what a misfortune! What a strange accident! BEL. What is the matter, Toinette? TOI. Ah! Madam! BEL. What ails you? TOI. Your husband is dead. BEL. My husband is dead? TOI. Alas! yes; the poor soul is gone. BEL. Are you quite certain? TOI. Quite certain. Nobody knows of it yet. I was all alone here when it happened. He has just breathed his last in my arms. Here, just look at him, full-length in his chair. BEL. Heaven be praised. I am delivered from a most grievous burden. How silly of you, Toinette, to be so afflicted at his death. TOI. Ah! Ma’am, I thought I ought to cry. BEL. Pooh! it is not worth the trouble. What loss is it to anybody, and what good did he do in this world? A wretch, unpleasant to everybody; of nauseous, dirty habits; always a clyster or a dose of physic in his body. Always snivelling, coughing, spitting; a stupid, tedious, ill-natured fellow, who was for ever fatiguing people and scolding night and day at his maids and servants. TOI. An excellent funeral oration! BEL. Toinette, you must help me to carry out my design; and you may depend upon it that I will make it worth your while if you serve me. Since, by good luck, nobody is aware of his death, let us put him into his bed, and keep the secret until I have done what I want. There are some papers and some money I must possess myself of. It is not right that I should have passed the best years of my life with him without any kind of advantage. Come along, Toinette, first of all, let us take all the keys. ARG. (_getting up hastily_). Softly. BEL. Ah! ARG. So, my wife, it is thus you love me? TOI. Ah! the dead man is not dead. ARG. (_to_ BÉLINE, _who goes away_) I am very glad to see how you love me, and to have heard the noble panegyric you made upon me. This is a good warning, which will make me wise for the future, and prevent me from doing many things. SCENE XIX.—BÉRALDE (_coming out of the place where he was hiding_), ARGAN, TOINETTE. BER. Well, brother, you see....