Part 17 (1/2)

Vautrin Your grat.i.tude! Ah, senorita, if we are to reckon accounts I should consider myself in debt to your ill.u.s.trious father, after having the happiness to see you.

Lafouraille Jo.

Vautrin Caracas, y mouli joro, fistas, ip souri.

Lafouraille Souri, joro.

Vautrin (to the ladies) Ladies, here are your letters. (Aside to Lafouraille) Go round from the antechamber to the court, close your lips, open your ears; hands off, eye on the watch.

Lafouraille Ja, mein herr.

Vautrin (angrily) Souri joro, fistas.

Lafouraille Joro. (whispering) There are the de Langeac papers.

Vautrin I am not for the emanc.i.p.ation of the negroes! When there are no more of them, we shall have to do with whites.

Inez (to her mother) Mother, allow me to go and read my father's letter. (To Vautrin) General-- (She bows.)

Vautrin She is charming, may she be happy!

(Exit Inez, accompanied to the door by her mother.)

SCENE THIRD.

The d.u.c.h.ess and Vautrin.

Vautrin (aside) If Mexico saw herself represented in this way, the government would be capable of condemning me to emba.s.sades for life. (Aloud) Pray excuse me, madame. I have so many things to think about.

The d.u.c.h.ess If absent-mindedness may be excused in any one, it is in a diplomat.

Vautrin Yes, to civil diplomats, but I mean to remain a frank soldier. The success which I derive must be the result of candor. But now that we are alone, let us talk, for I have more than one delicate mission to discharge.

The d.u.c.h.ess Have you any news which my daughter should not hear?

Vautrin It may be so. Let me come to the point; the senorita is young and beautiful, she is rich and n.o.ble born; she probably has four times as many suitors as any other lady. Her hand is the object of rivalry.

Well, her father has charged me to find whether she has singled out any one in particular.

The d.u.c.h.ess With a frank man, general, I will be frank. Your question is so strange that I cannot answer it.

Vautrin Take care, for we diplomats, in our fear of being deceived, always put the worst interpretation on silence.

The d.u.c.h.ess Sir, you forget that we are talking of Inez de Christoval!

Vautrin She is in love with no one. That is good; she will be able then to carry out the wishes of her father.

The d.u.c.h.ess How has Monsieur de Christoval disposed of his daughter's hand?

Vautrin You see my meaning, and your anxiety tells me that she has made her choice. I tremble to ask further, as much as you do to answer. Ah! if only the young man whom your daughter loves were a foreigner, rich, apparently without family, and bent on concealing the name of his native land!