TOI. (_going away_). And I will disinherit her if she obeys you. ARG. (_throwing himself into his chair_). Ah! I am done for. It is enough to kill me! SCENE VI.—BÉLINE, ARGAN. ARG. Ah! come near, my wife. BEL. What ails you, my poor, dear husband? ARG. Come to my help. BEL. What is the matter, my little darling child? ARG. My love. BEL. My love. ARG. They have just put me in a rage. BEL. Alas! my poor little husband! How was that, my own dear pet? ARG. That jade of yours, Toinette, has grown more insolent than ever. BEL. Don’t excite yourself. ARG. She has put me in a rage, my dove. BEL. Gently, my child. ARG. She has been thwarting me for the last hour about everything I want to do. BEL. There, there; never mind. ARG. And has had the impudence to say that I am not ill. BEL. She is an impertinent hussy. ARG. You know, my soul, what the truth is? BEL. Yes, my darling, she is wrong. ARG. My own dear, that jade will be the death of me. BEL. Now, don’t, don’t. ARG. She is the cause of all my bile. BEL. Don’t be so angry. ARG. And I have asked you ever so many times to send her away. BEL. Alas! my child, there is no servant without defects. We are obliged to put up at times with their bad qualities on account of their good ones. The girl is skilful, careful, diligent, and, above all, honest; and you know that in our days we must be very careful what people we take into our house. I say, Toinette. SCENE VII.—ARGAN, BÉLINE, TOINETTE. TOI. Madam. BEL. How is this? Why do you put my husband in a passion? TOI. (_in a soft tone_). I, Madam? Alas! I don’t know what you mean, and my only aim is to please master in everything. ARG. Ah! the deceitful girl! TOI. He said to us that he wished to marry his daughter to the son of Mr. Diafoirus. I told him that I thought the match very advantageous for her, but that I believed he would do better to put her in a convent. BEL. There is not much harm in that, and I think that she is right. ARG. Ah! deary, do you believe her? She is a vile girl, and has said a hundred insolent things to me. BEL. Well, I believe you, my dear. Come, compose yourself; and you, Toinette, listen to me. If ever you make my husband angry again, I will send you away. Come, give me his fur cloak and some pillows, that I may make him comfortable in his arm-chair. You are all anyhow. Pull your night-cap right down over your ears; there is nothing that gives people such bad colds as letting in the air through the ears. ARG. Ah, deary! how much obliged I am to you for all the care you take of me. BEL. (_adjusting the pillows, which she puts round him_). Raise yourself a little for me to put this under you. Let us put this one for you to lean upon, and this one on the other side; this one behind your back, and this other to support your head. TOI. (_clapping a pillow rudely on his head_). And this other to keep you from the evening damp.