Part 10 (2/2)

MR. POUR. What debts?

ORO. It is of no use to affect ignorance. I have seen the Flemish merchant who with other creditors obtained a decision against you eight months ago.

MR. POUR. What Flemish merchant? What creditors? What decision obtained against me?

ORO. You know perfectly well what I mean.

SCENE VIII.--MR. DR POURCEAUGNAC, ORONTE, LUCETTE.

LUC. (_pretending to be a woman from Languedoc_).[12] Oh, yeu be yur, be'e! an' I've avoun thee to las, arter all this yur traepsin' vurwurd an' backward. Cans thee now, yeu rascal; cans leuk me in the fae-as?

MR. POUR. What is it this woman wants?

LUC. What do I want o' thee, yeu villun! Thee's mak wise neet to know me, disn? an' thee disn turn rid nuther, eempodent oseburd that thee art! What! thee witn turn colour vur to leuk me in the fae-as! (_To_ ORONTE) I baent saaf, Maister, nif'tis yeu that they do zay 'ee weeshth vur to marry wi' the darter o'? but 'owsomever I zwear to yeu, I be the weiv o' un, an' that zeben yur agone when 'ee was a travellin' drue Pezenas, he made out, we' 'iz falseness, that 'ee knowth zo wul 'ow vur act vur to come over my 'art, an' zo by one way or tother vur to git me vur to gee unmy 'an vur to marry un.

ORO. Oh! oh!

LUC. The rascal lef me dree yur arterwurds, purtendin' that 'eed agot some bizness vur to deu in 'iz own country, an' ivur sinz I 'ant ayeard no news at all o' un; but when I wadn thinkin' nothin' 'tall 'bout 'ee, I yeard 'em say as 'ow 'ee was acomin' yur, into this yur town, vur to be amarried agee'an wi' another young ummun, that her father an' mother 'd apromised teu un athout knowin' nothin' 'ow that 'ee was amarried avore. Zo I starts toracly, an' I be acome yur to this yur place so zeun's ivur I pausible keud, vur to staup this yur wicked marridge, an' vur to show op, avore all the wurld, the very wissest man that iver was.

MR. POUR. What wonderful impudence!

LUC. Eempurence! Baent yeu ashee'amd o' yurzul vur to mak sport o'

me, 'stid o' bein' abroke down wi' eenward feelins, that thee wicked 'art aurt vur to gee thee?

MR. POUR. Do you mean to say that I am your husband?

LUC. Villun! dis dare to zay tidn zo? Ah! thee's know wul 'nuf, wiss luck to me, that tis all zo treu's the Gauspel; an' I weesh to Heben twadn zo, an' that thee'ds alef me so eenocent an' so quiet like eens I used to be, avore thy charms an' thy trumpery, bad luck, made me vur to 'sake it all! I nivur sheudn abin abrought down vur to be the pour weesh thing that I be now--vur to zee my man, cruel like, mak a laughin' sport of all the love that I've a 'ad vorn, an' lef me athout one beet o' pity, vur the mortal pain I've abeared, 'bout the shee'amful way 'eev asard me.

ORO. Really, I feel quite ready to weep. Go! you are a wicked man!

SCENE IX.--MR. DE POURCEAUGNAC, NeRINE, LUCETTE, ORONTE.

NER. (_pretending to be from Picardy_).[13] Oh! Aa can stand nowt more; aa'm rait winded! Ah! good for nowt, thou's made me run well for it; thou'lt not 'scape me now. Joostice! Joostice! Aa forbid the weddin. (_To_ ORONTE) He's my ain man, Mast-ther, and as sh'd joost loik to ave him stroong up, the precious hang-dog there.

MR. POUR. Another!

ORO. What a devil of a man!

LUC. An' what be yeu a-tullin' o', wai yur vurbeedin' an' yur 'angin'? Thiki man's yo-ur uzban, is ur?

NER. You're rait, Missis, an aa'm joost his woif.

LUC. That's a lie then; 'tis me that's the rail weiv o' un; an eef 'ee ought vur to be a'anged, why 'tis me that ought vur to 'ave it adeud.

NER. Me; aa can mak nowt o' that soort o' talk.

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