Part 2 (1/2)
(To Cleante) Just wait a bit, please, brother-in-law.
Let me allay my first anxiety By asking news about the family.
(To Dorine) Has everything gone well these last two days?
What's happening? And how is everybody?
DORINE Madam had fever, and a splitting headache Day before yesterday, all day and evening.
ORGON And how about Tartuffe?
DORINE Tartuffe? He's well; He's mighty well; stout, fat, fair, rosy-lipped.
ORGON Poor man!
DORINE At evening she had nausea And couldn't touch a single thing for supper, Her headache still was so severe.
ORGON And how About Tartuffe?
DORINE He supped alone, before her, And unctuously ate up two partridges, As well as half a leg o' mutton, deviled.
ORGON Poor man!
DORINE All night she couldn't get a wink Of sleep, the fever racked her so; and we Had to sit up with her till daylight.
ORGON How About Tartuffe?
DORINE Gently inclined to slumber, He left the table, went into his room, Got himself straight into a good warm bed, And slept quite undisturbed until next morning.
ORGON Poor man!
DORINE At last she let us all persuade her, And got up courage to be bled; and then She was relieved at once.
ORGON And how about Tartuffe?
DORINE He plucked up courage properly, Bravely entrenched his soul against all evils, And to replace the blood that she had lost, He drank at breakfast four huge draughts of wine.
ORGON Poor man!
DORINE So now they both are doing well; And I'll go straightway and inform my mistress How pleased you are at her recovery.
SCENE VI
ORGON, CLEANTE
CLEANTE Brother, she ridicules you to your face; And I, though I don't want to make you angry, Must tell you candidly that she's quite right.
Was such infatuation ever heard of?
And can a man to-day have charms to make you Forget all else, relieve his poverty, Give him a home, and then ... ?
ORGON Stop there, good brother, You do not know the man you're speaking of.
CLEANTE Since you will have it so, I do not know him; But after all, to tell what sort of man He is ...
ORGON Dear brother, you'd be charmed to know him; Your raptures over him would have no end.
He is a man ... who ... ah! ... in fact ...a man Whoever does his will, knows perfect peace, And counts the whole world else, as so much dung.
His converse has transformed me quite; he weans My heart from every friends.h.i.+p, teaches me To have no love for anything on earth; And I could see my brother, children, mother, And wife, all die, and never care--a snap.
CLEANTE Your feelings are humane, I must say, brother!
ORGON Ah! If you'd seen him, as I saw him first, You would have loved him just as much as I.