Act 3 scene 1 Flashcards
Toi. (to Argan). Indeed, Monsieur, I am of your opinion now, and I unsay all that I said yesterday. Downstairs
are Monsieur Diafoirus the father, and Monsieur Diafoirus the son, who are coming to visit you. How well
provided with a son-in-law you will be! You will see the best-made young soul in the world, and the most
intellectual. He said but two words to me, it is true, but I was struck with them, and your daughter will be delighted
with him.
He is the son of a clever doctor, and the marriage will take place in four days.
Toi. Come, get ready; here they are.
Monsieur Diafoirus has forbidden me to
uncover my head. You belong to the profession, and know what would be the consequence if I did so.
Monsieur Dia. We are bound in all our visits to bring relief to invalids, and not to injure them.
I recieve monsiuer with extreme joy the honour you do me, and I would have wished to be able to call on you to assure you of it, but you know monsieur, how it is to be a poor invalid, but I can do no better than to assure that I will waste no opportunity to prove to you, monsieur, that I am entirely at your service. Yes. Absolutely.
Monsieur Dia. Optime.
Come, curtsy to monsieur.
T. Dia. (to Angélique). Madam, it is with justice that heaven has given you the name of stepmother, since we
see in you the dainty steps towards the perfect beauty of motherhood which….
It is not to my wife, but to my daughter, that you are speaking.
T. Dia. Where is your wife?
She will be here soon.
Toi. Ah! See what it is to study, and how one learns to say such fine and fancy things!
Well! what do you say to that?
Toi. Certainly, it will be something admirable if his cures are as wonderful as his speeches.
Now, quick, my chair; and seats for everybody. (Servants bring chairs.) Sit down here, my daughter.
(To Monsieur Diafoirus) You see, Monsieur, that everybody admires your son; and I think you very fortunate in
being the father of such a fine young man.
Monsieur Dia. Moreover, I would like to stress that in respect to the elements required for marriage and for
propagation and so forth, I assure you that according to the latest medical opinion he has everything in that way
that you could desire to a prolific degree and that he has the necessary temperament to engender and indeed
procreate children of the highest quality.
Do you not intend, Monsieur, to push his way at court, and obtain for him the post of physician there?
Monsieur Dia. Quite so. We are only bound to treat people according to the rules of medicine.
My love, here is the son of Monsieur Diafoirus.
Monsieur Dia. Keep it for another time.
I wish, my dear, that you had been here just now.
Toi. Ah! Madam, how much you have lost by not being at the second father, the statue of Memnon, and the
flower styled heliotrope.
Come, my daughter, shake hands with this monsieur, and pledge him your troth.
Ang. Father!
Well? What do you mean by “Father”?
Ang. I am not so quick as you are, Monsieur, and I must own that your merits have not, as yet, altogether
overwhelmed me.
Oh! nonsense! There will be time enough for the impression to be made after you are married.
Ang. If I had, Madam, it would be such as reason and honour allow.
This is making me look like a total fool!
Ang. If my father will not give me a husband I like, at least I beseech him not to force me to marry one I can
never love.
Messieurs, I beg your pardon for all this.
Ang. All this is pointless, Madam. I shall hold my tongue; and to take away from you all hope of succeeding
in what you wish, I will withdraw from your presence.
Listen my girl that is all very well but the fact is that you have four days to make the right choice or
you will be sent to a nunnery. Do not be anxious Orante. She will do as she is told.
O. Yes my dear. A wilful child. Listen, I am sorry to leave you, sweet one; but I have some important business
which calls me to town. I shall soon be back.
Go, my darling; call upon the notary, and tell him to be quick about you know what.
O. Good-bye, my baby.
Good-bye, my sweetest love.
Arg. You see how much this woman loves me? it is perfectly incredible.
Monsieur Dia. We shall now take our leave of you, Monsieur.
Before you leave I beg of you, Monsieur, to tell me how I am.
Monsieur Dia. Quite right.
It cannot be, for Monsieur Purgon says that it is my liver.
Monsieur Dia. Certainly; he who says parenchyma says both one and the other. He no doubt orders you to
eat plenty of roast-meat.
No; nothing but boiled meat.
Monsieur Dia. Yes, yes; roast or boiled, it is all the same; he orders very wisely, and you could not have
fallen into better hands.
Monsieur, tell me how many grains of salt I ought to put to an egg?
Monsieur Dia. Six, eight, ten, by even numbers; just as in medicines by odd numbers.
Good-bye, Monsieur; I hope soon to have the pleasure of your services again.
