Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales

Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales
Guy de Maupassant

Guy de Maupassant

Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales

LA PAIX DU MÉNAGE

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MONSIEUR DE SALLUS

JACQUES DE RANDOL

MADAME DE SALLUS

Time: Paris, 1890

ACT I

SCENE I

Mme. de Sallus in her drawing-room, seated in a corner by the fireplace. Enter Jacques de RANDOL noiselessly; glances to see that no one is looking, and kisses Mme. de Sallus quickly upon her hair. She starts; utters a faint cry, and turns upon him.

MME. DE SALLUS

Oh! How imprudent you are!

JACQUES DE RANDOL

Don’t be afraid; no one saw me.

MME. DE SALLUS

But the servants!

JACQUES DE RANDOL

Oh, they are in the outer hall.

MME. DE SALLUS

How is that? No one announced you

JACQUES DE RANDOL

No, they simply opened the door for me.

MME. DE SALLUS

But what will they think?

JACQUES DE RANDOL

Well, they will doubtless think that I don’t count.

MME. DE SALLUS

But I will not permit it. I must have you announced in future. It does not look well.

JACQUES DE RANDOL [laughs]

Perhaps they will even go so far as to announce your husband —

MME. DE SALLUS

Jacques, this jesting is out of place.

JACQUES DE RANDOL

Forgive me. [Sits.] Are you waiting for anybody?

MME. DE SALLUS

Yes – probably. You know that I always receive when I am at home.

JACQUES DE RANDOL

I know that I always have the pleasure of seeing you for about five minutes – just enough time to ask you how you feel, and then some one else comes in – some one in love with you, of course, – who impatiently awaits my departure.

MME. DE SALLUS [smiles]

Well, what can I do? I am not your wife, so how can it be otherwise?

JACQUES DE RANDOL

Ah! If you only were my wife!

MME. DE SALLUS

If I were your wife?

JACQUES DE RANDOL

I would snatch you away for five or six months, far from this horrible town, and keep you all to myself.

MME. DE SALLUS

You would soon have enough of me.