The Village Coquette; Or, The Supposed Lottery Part 1

The Village Coquette.

by Riviere Dufresny.

CHARACTERS: The Baron The Widow, his neighbor Argon, another neighbor Girard Lucas, farmer Lisette, the coquette

ACT I

Girard (holding two letters and reading them) From Paris. To Monsieur Le Baron of Hamlet. Let's take care of this letter for him. He's not at home. (putting the Baron's letter in his pocket, he opens the other letter) And the other's for me, Girard. I dare to hope that the list of winning lottery numbers is in this letter. Right, my cousin, the master printer in Paris, favors the role I've taken. Love is my guide in this roguery. With this false lottery list I am going to obtain Lucas' daughter as my wife.

Widow (entering) I am waiting for Mr. Argon. Why hasn't he come?

Girard (reading the letter) From Paris. "My dear cousin, before having distributed the list of lottery winners, I've sent you a false list, as you asked me to do, so you can have a big joke in your village. You can make your rival believe that Farmer Lucas won the grand prize of one hundred thousand francs." With this, I hope to obtain my Lisette. Lucas, believing his fortune made, will cede me his lease on the farm. He's the type to be caught in such a snare. At bottom, it's for his own good. By making me his son-in-law, he can't lose. (to Widow) But, why are you standing around dreaming?

Widow Because Mr. Argon is supposed to come find me.

Girard He'll be here soon. He's still in the chateau.

Widow I'm getting impatient.

Girard What for? You're not excited by a tender love. It's an old lover, and you should wait without impatience, coldly.

Widow Shut up, Girard. Shut up. You know how I value him.

Girard To believe an old man is an old grey beard is no big crime. I honor him more, being his collector. The collection is small and for you, with all my heart, I wish I could pay him a one hundred thousand francs of income.

Widow That would be too much for me, a former maid. That's what I was when I was in Paris. But here I have a higher rank which I obtained from my late husband, a head magistrate. Thus, I've been enn.o.bled in this village, a fine n.o.bility at bottom and which is worth a good bit, a n.o.bility that one can take to Paris.

Girard Let's renew our discussion and talk of Lisette again. Because, having so much power over her, being her neighbor, and a sort of surrogate parent, you are working hard to turn her into a coquette, instead of making her wiser.

Widow Language of Paris. That's what will make her perfect.

Girard Some perfection! Alas, you make her worse, when you come here to refine her wit. You make her heart more false and more vain.

Widow At nine years, she was already a coquette in embryo. I have only pointed her in her natural direction--so her beauty will not prove worthless and she will profit by a fine marriage. I only want Lisette to be wise. She's naturally exquisite, and I've simply added to her talents all that I have learned.

Girard With so many perfections you will make her a prodigy of coquetry.

Widow So much the better, I tell you. That's what makes beauty and wit valued. We've argued about this so many times. By coquette I mean a girl who is very wise; who knows how to take advantage of other's foibles; who always exhibits sangfroid in the midst of dangers. One who profits from opportunity which she knows how to manage and uses her reason when we lose ours. A wise coquette is more knowing than anyone else because she is always exposed and always in a battle. One cannot deny that the strongest virtue is one that undergoes and survives the hardest tests. The coquette has prerogatives much more beautiful than a prude's. That beautiful right is the right of being happy. A prude, in her life, marries, but once or twice, but the clever coquette never marries at all. She flatters, she raises hopes, she promises, but she never gives in--thus through her wisdom leaving each one to his love and desires, she makes pleasure last.

Girard In my opinion Lisette is making my pain too harsh. It's useless to complain to her father, alas, complaining is no good. He scorns me.

Widow Yes, because you are leaving your condition in life. You are soliciting my relative and you are only a flat foot.

Girard Very flat-footed, right. But, without belittling myself. Do I owe Lucas respect? He owes me some, perhaps. But now each of us rests on his pedestal, and for a collector to be the son-in-law of a farmer, it's by right of the game.

Widow Good. It's an old game. Regretfully, I see your scheme is in ruins.

Lisette repents of having considered you, and she says she no longer intends to have Girard. Now, the proud father and daughter find that your fortune is too recent. Everywhere you find ungrateful hearts, as in the village, even with regrets. But, during some times, gamble, pilfer, respect, trim, clip, loot and loot again. By force of conceit, you will come to listen.

Girard Today my love appears bold to you, you blame my scheme. Listen, what is the mystery? I have, for more than a month, prowled, spun around, run about. And in my absence, alas, what has happened? My eyes are opening at last. Lucas is coming. I leave you. Until we meet again.

(Exit Girard.)

Widow Go to whatever hurries you.

(Enter Lucas.)

Lucas O fortune, fortune, when will I catch you? You always fly from me.

Widow Always fortune on the brain?

Lucas Yes, for it hates me. I do this, I do that--labor all my life. Labor for this one, labor for that one. I work for thirty years. After thirty years, here I am. To labor for another, it's small palliative.

To work for oneself, that takes courage. To even everything up wouldn't it be right for the others, in their turn, to work for me?

Widow Lucas wishes to reach the heights.

Lucas Suddenly, yes, to find myself there, as in a miracle. I've got the character for it--no matter how hazardous. I gamble, win some, lose some, it's only that it doesn't make one happy. I've played double or nothing out of boredom. I have forty tickets for this lottery.

Widow That's a very prudent way to place money.

Lucas Yeah. Because I love big lotteries. I am going to make my fortune that way.

Widow You will make your fortune through your daughter. The Baron loves her more and more.

Lucas He's becoming hot. But my daughter lacks the feeling to marry him.

Widow She's shrewd and subtle.

Lucas It's beginning to make him keen.

Widow And, the Baron, who's only a village Baron, hasn't, as you know, much brains.

Lucas Not necessary to say he's a stupid, because all the world knows it well. But Lisette can hear us. Come on, daughter, come on. Madame and I were talking about how your wit satisfies her. She said you were so subtle, said you were so knowing.

(Enter Lisette, listening.)

Lisette (pretending naivete) Father, I don't know what she thinks of me.

Lucas So much the worse, my daughter, so much the worse.

Widow Today, you've joined some ornament to your simple country dress.

Lisette It's to please the Baron, as you advised me. I am making myself over to be loved. I am obedient, and I intend, to please you, that he marry me quickly. So, that's why I added to my costume today.

Widow You'd have made him love you, that's already done. But to make him marry you, you must double dose him with sighs, looks and little manners. Put to work my recent lessons. We shall try to please at first by simple attractions. A little affectation, lowering your gaze, being quiet, appearing embarra.s.sed. A cold blooded man, seeing a great deal of simpering, will believe less what he sees. He will suspect, examine, and discover the pretence. But, when the dupe is taken--be affected without fear. The grossest kinds of affectation, far from quelling, charm his pa.s.sions, and he seeks out the beauty of nature.