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The Follies of Love

Chapter 9: CURTAIN
By Jean-François Regnard
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About This Book

A comic stage piece follows a young woman chafing under a jealous guardian's control, who plots disguise and escape to pursue a returning suitor. Domestic servants observe and provoke misunderstandings while the guardian patrols obsessively; mistaken identities, ambushes, and a dueling confrontation escalate as lovers scheme and servants outwit authority. The action alternates witty banter, farce, and satirical portrayals of jealousy, pride, and romantic folly, building through acts of disguise, quarrel, and farcical reversals to expose social restraints and the absurd lengths people go to for love and reputation.

Arabella
Heaven—what heavy cloud is lifting from my eyes?

Worthy
What somber vapor is obscuring things around here?

Arabella
What a calm replacing trouble has come over my spirit.

Worthy What confused tumult redoubles in my feelings? What profound abyss opens under my feet? What dragon pursues me? Ah, traitor, you will die—I intend to purge the world of a monster like you.

(Worthy chases Albert about, sword in hand.)

Scratch (coming between them) Ah, sir, avoid his furious rage. Save yourself, save yourself. Let me draw some blood and poison from his side. (holding Worthy) From the violent access with which he's transported, I can see I've given him too strong a dose.

Worthy
I intend to sacrifice him to my just fury.

Scratch Don’t you have some strong liquor or spirits to calm this fury? He's going to escape me.

Albert (drawing his key) Yes, I have what he needs. Jenny, take my key, go, run upstairs, take the viol—

Jenny
I'm afraid I'm too upset to do it properly. You'd better go instead.

Scratch Run—quickly. Would you let a man who has offered to die for you perish?

Jenny (pushing Albert)
Go, quick—go now!

Albert
I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!

(Exit Albert. As soon as Albert leaves, everybody stops and there is a moment of absolute quiet.)

Worthy Don't lose any time—let's get out of here. Head for the woods. Albert won't know which way love has headed us.

Arabella
I put my life and my fate in your hands.

Scratch Live, live, Scratch—and long live Folly. Let's run cross-country to meet our fate—and leave Albert all alone here to pour out his rage.

(Exit Worthy, Arabella, Scratch, and Jenny in a wild burst of speed.
After a moment, enter Albert with a phial in his hand.)

Albert I bring an elixir of astonishing strength.— But, I don't see anybody. What suspicion overwhelms me. Jenny! Arabella! Oh, heaven! All is deaf to my cries. What's become of them? What road have they taken? Where to run? Thief— Police! Help! I stagger, I faint, I fall—for this feigned folly has seduced me, and I alone have lost my wits today. Here's the ridiculous end of my love. Ah, cursed bottle (throws the phial) and credulous old man. Come, follow their steps, we won't give up. Traitorous ravishers—you will be hanged! And you, deceitful sex— more to be feared than fire, plague, famine, and war—you ought to be cursed by all men. I consign you forever to the devil. Let him take you!

CURTAIN

End of Project Gutenberg's The Follies of Love, by Jean-Francois Regnard