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May I； then； trust that you will not reject my alliance？
I offer you my hand and heart。
Pauline ＇aside。＇ He has the air of a man who confers a
favor！＇Aloud。＇ Sir； you are very condescendingI thank you humbly；
but； being duly sensible of my own demerits； you must allow me
to decline the honor you propose。 ＇Curtsies； and turns away。
Beau。 Decline！ Impossible！you are not serious！Madam； suffer me
to appeal to you。 I am a suitor for your daughter's hand
the settlements shall be worthy of her beauty and my station。
May I wait on M。 Deschappelles？
Mme。 Deschap。 M。 Deschappelles never interferes in the domestic
arrangements；you are very obliging。 If you were still a marquis；
or if my daughter were intended to marry a commoner；why； perhaps；
we might give you the preference。
Beau。 A commoner！we are all commoners in France now。
Mme。 Deschap。 In France； yes； but there is a nobility still left
in the other countries in Europe。 We are quite aware of your
good qualities； and don't doubt that you will find some lady more
suitable to your pretensions。 We shall be always happy to see you
as an acquaintance； M。 Beauseant！My dear child； the carriage
will be here presently。
Beau。 Say no more； madam！say no more！＇Aside。＇ Refused！ and by a
merchant's daughter！refused！ It will be all over Lyons before sunset！
I will go and bury myself in my chateau； study philosophy；
and turn woman…hater。 Refused！ they ought to be sent to a madhouse！
Ladies； I have the honor to wish you a very good morning。 ＇Exit。
Mme。 Deschap。 How forward these men are！I think； child；
we kept up our dignity。 Any girl； however inexperienced；
knows how to accept an offer； but it requires a vast deal
of address to refuse one with proper condescension and disdain。
I used to practise it at school with the dancing…master。
Enter DAMAS。
Damas。 Good morning； cousin Deschappelles。Well； Pauline； are you
recovered from last night's ball？So many triumphs must be
very fatiguing。 Even M。 Glavis sighed most piteously when you departed；
but that might be the effect of the supper。
Pauline。 M。 Glavis； indeed！
Mme。 Deschap。 M。 Glavis？as if my daughter would think of M。 Glavis！
Damas。 Hey…day！why not？His father left him a very pretty fortune；
and his birth is higher than yours； cousin Deschappelles。 But perhaps
you are looking to M。 Beauseant；his father was a marquis
before the Revolution。
Pauline。 M。 Beauseant！Cousin； you delight in tormenting me！
Mme。 Deschap。 Don't mind him； Pauline！Cousin Damas； you have
no susceptibility of feeling；there is a certain indelicacy
in all your ideas。M。 Beauseant knows already that he is no match
for my daughter！
Damas。 Pooh！ pooh！ one would think you intended your daughter
to marry a prince！
Mme。 Deschap。 Well； and if I did？what then？Many a foreign prince
Damas ＇interrupting her＇。 Foreign prince！foreign fiddlestick！
you ought to be ashamed of such nonsense at your time of life。
Mme。 Deschap。 My time of life！That is an expression never
applied to any lady till she is sixty…nine and three…quarters；
and only then by the clergyman of the parish。
Enter Servant。
Servant。 Madame； the carriage is at the door。 ＇Exit。
Mme。 Deschap。 Come； child； put on your bonnetyou really have a very
thorough…bred airnot at all like your poor father。＇Fondly＇。 Ah；
you little coquette！ when a young lady is always making mischief；
it is a sure sign that she takes after her mother！
Pauline。 Good day； cousin Damasand a better humor to you。＇Going
back to the table and taking the flowers＇。 Who could have sent me
these flowers？ ＇Exeunt PAULINE and MADAME DESCHAPPELLES。
Damas。 That would be an excellent girl if her head had not been turned。
I fear she is now become incorrigible！ Zounds； what a lucky fellow I
am to be still a bachelor！ They may talk of the devotion of the sex
but the most faithful attachment in life is that of a woman in love
with herself。 ＇Exit。
SCENE II。
The exterior of a small Village Innsign； the Golden LionA few
leagues from Lyons； which is seen at a distance。
Beau。 ＇behind the scenes。＇ Yes； you may bait the horses； we shall
rest here an hour。
Enter BEAUSEANT and GLAVIS。
Gla。 Really； my dear Beauseant； consider that I have promised to spend
a day or two with you at your chateau； that I am quite at your mercy
for my entertainment；and yet you are as silent and as gloomy
as a mute at a funeral； or an Englishman at a party of pleasure。
Beau。 Bear with me！the fact is that I am miserable。
Gla。 Youthe richest and gayest bachelor in Lyons？
Beau。 It is because I am a bachelor that I am miserable。Thou knowest
Paulinethe only daughter of the rich merchant； Mons。 Deschappelles？
Gla。 Know her？who does not？as pretty as Venus； and as proud as Juno。
Beau。 Her taste is worse than her pride。＇Drawing himself
up。＇ Know； Glavis； she has actually refused me！
Gla。 ＇aside＇。 So she has me！very consoling！ In all cases
of heart…ache； the application of another man's disappointment
draws out the pain and allays the irritation。＇Aloud。＇ Refused
you！ and wherefore？
Beau。 I know not； unless it be because the Revolution swept away
my father's title of Marquis；and she will not marry a commoner。
Now； as we have no noblemen left in France；as we are all
citizens and equals； she can only hope that； in spite of the war；
some English Milord or German Count will risk his life； by coming
to Lyons； that this fille du Roturier may condescend to accept him。
Refused me； and with scorn！By Heaven； I'll not submit to it tamely：
I'm in a perfect fever of mortification and rage。Refuse me； indeed！
Gla。 Be comforted； my dear fellow；I will tell you a secret。
For the same reason she refused ME！
Beau。 You！that's a very different matter！ But give me your hand；
Glavis；we'll think of some plan to humble her。 Mille diables！
I should like to see her married to a strolling player！
Enter Landlord and his Daughter from the Inn。
Land。 Your servant； citizen Beauseant；servant； Sir。 Perhaps you
will take dinner before you proceed to your chateau； our larder
is most plentifully supplied。
Beau。 I have no appetite。
Gla。 Nor I。 Still it is bad travelling on an empty stomach。
What have you got？ ＇Takes and looks over the bill of fare。＇
＇Shout without。＇ 〃Long live the Prince！Long live the Prince！〃
Beau。 The Prince！what Prince is that？ I thought we had no princes
left in France。
Land。 Ha； ha！ the lads always call him Prince。 He has just won the prize
in the shooting…match； and they are taking him home in triumph。
Beau。 Him！ and who's Mr。 Him？
Land。 Who should he be but the pride of the village；
Claude Melnotte？Of course you have heard of Claude Melnotte？
Gla。 ＇giving back the bill of fare。＇ Never had that honor。
Soupragout of hareroast chicken； and； in short； all