The Suprise of Love

Pierre de Marivaux, Mike Alfreds

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781849431835
• eBook ISBN: 9781849437110
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Mezzi di comunicazione e arti performative
• Subtopic: Arti performative

The beautiful Marquise has been left a widow tragically young... The handsome Chevalier has been deserted by the love of his life who has decided to take holy orders... Both have sworn never to lose their hearts again... Neither had reckoned with the surprise of love.

SCENE 1

The MARQUISE enters sadly, unaware that LISETTE is following her.

MARQUISE:	(Coming to a halt with a sigh.) Ah!
LISETTE:	(Behind her.) Ah!
MARQUISE:	What’s that? Ha! it’s you?
LISETTE:	Yes, Madame.
MARQUISE:	What have you got to sigh about?
LISETTE:	Me? Nothing: You sighed, I took that for an attempt at conversation so I sighed back.
MARQUISE:	Oh, indeed; and who told you to follow me?
LISETTE:	Who? You called me, so I came; you wandered off, so I followed; now I’m waiting.
MARQUISE:	I did? I called you?
LISETTE:	Yes, Madame.
MARQUISE:	Off with you, you’ve been dreaming, back the way you came; I don’t need you.
LISETTE:	Back the way you came! Grief-stricken people shouldn’t be left alone.
MARQUISE:	This is no concern of yours; leave me be.
LISETTE:	It only increases the grief.
MARQUISE:	I find my grief gratifying.
LISETTE:	And it’s for those who love you to help you out of your grief; I shan’t be the one to let you die of despair.
MARQUISE:	I’d like to see how you go about that!
LISETTE:	Dear heaven! We’re supposed to use some common sense in life, which means not picking fights with people who care about us.
MARQUISE:	I have to say, your efforts are most effective: trying to take me out of my torment, you’ve managed to put me in a temper.
LISETTE:	At least it’s a distraction; better to quarrel than sigh.
MARQUISE:	Ah! leave me alone, I owe his memory a lifetime of sighs.
LISETTE:	Did you say ‘Owe him’! Oh! that’s a debt you’ll never pay; you’re far too young to start making vows for life.
MARQUISE:	What I said is true, true: there’s no longer any consolation for me, ever; after two years of the most tender courtship, to marry the man you love, the most lovable person in the world, to marry him, and after a month to lose him!
LISETTE:	A month! At least you’ve salvaged something. I know a woman who had her husband for just two days; now that really hurts.
MARQUISE:	I’ve lost everything, I tell you.
LISETTE:	Everything! You make me tremble: is every other man in the world dead?
MARQUISE:	Eh! what do I care about other men?
LISETTE:	Ah! Madame, listen to yourself! Heaven protect them! You should never turn up your nose at what’s available to you.
MARQUISE:	Available! To me, when all I want is to bury myself in my grief! To me, when I’m alive only by an effort of will!
LISETTE:	What d’you mean by an effort of will? I don’t believe that for a minute! For someone who’s pining away, you look remarkably fresh.
MARQUISE:	Lisette, I beg of you, no more jokes; you can be very amusing at times, but this isn’t one of them, I’m not in the mood.
LISETTE:	Ah, come, Madame, seriously, you’re looking more radiant than ever; look at it like this: when life was good to you, you weren’t perhaps quite so beautiful; now life’s treating you badly, you look so much livelier, your eyes are sparkling, they’re rebellious, I suggest you keep up your battle against life; that will do you more good than you can imagine.
MARQUISE:	You’re mad! I didn’t close my eyes all night.
LISETTE:	Maybe you fell asleep and dreamt you couldn’t sleep? If your complexion is anything to go by, you look wonderfully rested, a little tousled maybe. I’m of the opinion that your coiffure deserves a slight readjustment. (Calls off.) La Brie, bring Madame her dressing table.
MARQUISE:	What are you up to? I don’t want it.
LISETTE:	You don’t want it! You refuse your mirror, a mirror, Madame! D’you realise how much you’re frightening me! Let’s be serious and deal with this once and for all: I am not going to tell you how charming you are without some positive action on your part: I insist you look and see for yourself, it’ll make you feel so much better, you’ll recapture your pleasure in living. (The dressing tabl...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Characters
• Act 1
• Act 2
• Act 3