>>> YOU ARE VIEWING A 200 LINE SAMPLE OF EBOOK# E06853 <<< TITLE: PAMELA GIRAUD AUTHOR: HONORE DE BALZAC EBOOK: E06853 (O'Briens Book Cellar) LANGUAGE: ENGLISH PAMELA GIRAUD by Honore de Balzac PAMELA GIRAUD A PLAY IN FIVE ACTS BY HONORE DE BALZAC Presented for the First Time at Paris at the Theatre de la Gaite, September 26, 1843 PERSONS OF THE PLAY General de Verby Dupre, a lawyer Rousseau, a wealthy merchant Jules Rousseau, his son Joseph Binet Giraud, a porter Chief of Special Police Antoine, servant to the Rousseaus Pamela Giraud Madame du Brocard, a widow; aunt of Jules Rousseau Madame Rousseau Madame Giraud Justine, chambermaid to Madame Rousseau Sheriff Magistrate Police Officers Gendarmes SCENE: Paris TIME: During the Napoleonic plots under Louis XVIII. (1815-1824) PAMELA GIRAUD ACT I SCENE FIRST (Setting is an attic and workshop of an artificial flower-maker. It is poorly lighted by means of a candle placed on the work-table. The ceiling slopes abruptly at the back allowing space to conceal a man. On the right is a door, on the left a fireplace. Pamela is discovered at work, and Joseph Binet is seated near her.) Pamela, Joseph Binet and later Jules Rousseau. Pamela Monsieur Joseph Binet! Joseph Mademoiselle Pamela Giraud! Pamela I plainly see that you wish me to hate you. Joseph The idea! What? And this is the beginning of our love--Hate me! Pamela Oh, come! Let us talk sensibly. Joseph You do not wish, then, that I should express how much I love you? Pamela Ah! I may as well tell you plainly, since you compel me to do so, that I do not wish to become the wife of an upholsterer's apprentice. Joseph Is it necessary to become an emperor, or something like that, in order to marry a flower-maker? Pamela No. But it is necessary to be loved, and I don't love you in any way whatever. Joseph In any way! I thought there was only one way of loving. Pamela So there is, but there are many ways of not loving. You can be my friend, without my loving you. Joseph Oh! Pamela I can look upon you with indifference-- Joseph Ah! Pamela You can be odious to me! And at this moment you weary me, which is worse! Joseph I weary her! I who would cut myself into fine pieces to do all that she wishes! Pamela If you would do what I wish, you would not remain here. Joseph And if I go away--Will you love me a little? Pamela Yes, for the only time I like you is when you are away! Joseph And if I never came back? Pamela I should be delighted. Joseph Zounds! Why should I, senior apprentice with M. Morel, instead of aiming at setting up business for myself, fall in love with this young lady? It is folly! It certainly hinders me in my career; and yet I dream of her--I am infatuated with her. Suppose my uncle knew it!--But she is not the only woman in Paris, and, after all, Mlle. Pamela Giraud, who are you that you should be so high and mighty? Pamela I am the daughter of a poor ruined tailor, now become a porter. I gain my own living--if working night and day can be called living--and it is with difficulty that I snatch a little holiday to gather lilacs in the Pres-Saint-Gervais; and I certainly recognize that the senior apprentice of M. Morel is altogether too good for me. I do not wish to enter a family which believes that it would thus form a mesalliance. The Binets indeed! Joseph But what has happened to you in the last eight or ten days, my dear little pet of a Pamela? Up to ten days ago I used to come and cut out your flowers for you, I used to make the stalks for the roses, and the hearts for the violets; we used to talk together, we sometimes used to go to the play, and have a good cry there--and I was "good Joseph," "my little Joseph"--a Joseph in fact of the right stuff to make your husband. All of a sudden--Pshaw! I became of no account. Pamela Now you must really go away. Here you are neither in the street, nor in your own house. Joseph Very well, I'll be off, mademoiselle--yes, I'll go away! I'll have a talk in the porter's lodge with your mother; she does not ask anything better than my entrance into the family, not she; she won't change her mind! Pamela All right! Instead of entering her family, enter her lodge, the porter's lodge, M. Joseph! Go and talk with my mother, go on!-- (Exit Joseph.) Perhaps he'll keep their attention so that M. Adolph can get up stairs without being seen. Adolph Durand! What a pretty name! There is half a romance in it! And what a handsome young man! For the last fifteen days he has absolutely persecuted me. I knew that I was rather pretty; but I never believed I was all he called me. He must be an artist, or a government official! Whatever he is, I can't help liking him; he is so aristocratic! But what if his appearance were deceitful, and there were anything wrong about him!--For the letter which he has just sent me has an air of mystery about it-- (She draws a letter from her bosom and reads it) "Expect me this evening. I wish to see you alone, and, if possible, to enter unnoticed by any one; my life is in danger, and oh! if you only knew what a terrible misfortune threatens me! Adolph Durand." He writes in pencil. His life is in danger--Ah! How anxious I feel! Joseph (returning) Just as I was going down stairs, I said to myself: "Why should Pamela" (Jules' head appears at the window.) Pamela Ah! Joseph What's the matter? (Jules disappears.) Pamela I thought I saw--I mean--I thought I heard a sound overhead. Just go into the garret. Some one perhaps has hidden there. You are not afraid, are you? Joseph No. <<< END OF SAMPLE... (THE FULL EBOOK HAS 111552 TOTAL CHARACTERS) >>>