me. What is your offense then?

ARAMINTE: I believe it was you who asked first. What have you done to me?

BELISE: But you, too, sister?

ARAMINTE: Tell me your secrets.

BELISE: Open your heart to me.

ARAMINTE: Oh, well. You will doubtless have learned from the notary that I have taken this money.

BELISE: Your business. You are right to take your wealth. For each can dispose of hers as she pleases.

ARAMINTE: To place it elsewhere, I thought I had the right to take it.

BELISE: You don't owe me any accounting. I have taken mine as well.

ARAMINTE: So much the better, sister, so much the better. On that account I calm my curiosity.

BELISE: You have good sense. You are not being irritating.

ARAMINTE: One is liberal with you because you are charming.

BELISE: Alas, I never irritated you about anything. Except about marriage and that was for your good. If boredom at being a maiden made you do it, I would be compassionate, like a tender sister—for a weakness.

ARAMINTE: You will never have such a weakness. If you come to that— and the wisest have—far from condemning you I would be complaisant about it.

BELISE: Ah, be sure of my condescension.

ARAMINTE: Sometimes, we must be humane to each other.

BELISE: Alas, I, in getting married would authorize you to do so, without wishing you ill for it.

ARAMINTE: Yes, marry quickly, yes. I would be ravished, for then I could—

BELISE: What? Why?

ARAMINTE: But, sister—

BELISE: Could you have been capable of letting your heart be surprised?

ARAMINTE: And you?

BELISE: But you—

ARAMINTE: But you—

BELISE: Eh!

ARAMINTE: But yes.

BELISE: Me, too.

ARAMINTE: Embrace me, sis.

BELISE: Sis, how I love you. Yes, we are truly sisters today.

ARAMINTE: You know, good hearts are always made for love. You would have stayed a maid. What folly!

BELISE: Like you, I wonder how we made that imprudent vow thirty years ago.

ARAMINTE: The one you love, you have freely. Without doubt, dear sister, wise as you are, you have meditated over the choice that you've made.

BELISE: You whose taste is so fine, so exquisite, undoubtedly you made your choice with discernment.

ARAMINTE: Lively, playful, humorous. He's an amiable young man.

BELISE: The one that I love is young and yet respectable; wise, grave, self possessed.

ARAMINTE: Mine always has the air—

BELISE: A solidity—

ARAMINTE: Brilliant like a flash of lightning.

BELISE: Who rarely speaks but with weight and measure.

ARAMINTE: Mine talks ceaselessly and about everything. But always well.

BELISE: Like you, I see you and I have chosen our spouses according to our characters.

ARAMINTE: It's prudent.

BELISE: It's wisdom. Mine has wealth, birth, esteem. He's the Senechal
Groux.

ARAMINTE: That's a man who is known. Like you, I have found a noble spouse. But of ancient nobility. A distinguished man. He's the Chevalier Cique.

BELISE: They speak well of him. Your vote, sister, and the voice of the people honor him.

ARAMINTE: The public ought to praise us for our choices, But, in other respects, we've had strange obstacles. This forfeiture, for example—

BELISE: Yes, this forfeit, right.

ARAMINTE: Our promissory notes.

BELISE: Our promissory notes.

ARAMINTE: We've suffered a great wrong. To promise this nephew a hundred thousand francs each.

BELISE: I have just refused this importunate demand and I believe he's unaware of our plans. For a little money he will return our notes to us.

ARAMINTE: But to discharge them, what trick can we employ?

(Enter Geronte, Valere, Isabelle)

VALERE: (to Geronte) Take advantage of the opportunity. Better not wait. They are pushing their explanation a long way. (aloud) Isabelle didn't leave my aunts happily. And I've learned some good news.

GERONTE: I come to rejoice for the sake of Isabelle's love.

ISABELLE: I come with all my heart to congratulate you and I saw immediately it was in joking that you always declaimed against marriage, for you yourselves—

ARAMINTE: We ourselves—

BELISE: Ah, sis, what language—

VALERE: You are both going to get married.

ARAMINTE: (low) So as not to pay out, sister, we must deny it.

BELISE: The rumor is false.

ARAMINTE: Very false.

VALERE: Aunties, I believe it's true.

BELISE: What? You takes us for some extravagants? Us, marry! Us!

ARAMINTE: We, no, no. It's no longer time.

BELISE: No, don't think it. I am past forty.

VALERE: You're not.

ARAMINTE: And I am more than fifty.

VALERE: No.

BELISE: We are—

ISABELLE: No.

ARAMINTE: The dispute is funny. I believe we know our age better than you. He's joking. And, sister, the notes he has from us are worthless. Worth nothing. It's a vain hope.

BELISE: They are worth nothing. But, sister, Isabelle and Valere have a tender feeling for each other. Their legitimate flames make me pity them. Can they, like we, hate marriage? No. We must do something to their advantage. They move me.

ARAMINTE: Yes, we are moved.

VALERE: You will be moved. Your notes will be fine.

BELISE: Let's not joke further. We will give Valere 10,000 ecus in all.

ARAMINTE: Yes. That's what we must do.

VALERE: No, no. We will wait for it all.

BELISE: Huh?

ISABELLE: Nothing presses us.

ARAMINTE: Take advantage of the opportunity.

VALERE: We will wait for you.

ARAMINTE: Because I am generous: Fifty thousand franks.

BELISE: That's too much. But I will equal it from generosity.

VALERE: Fifty thousand ecus. We shall wait.

BELISE: Oh, I won't keep more for you.

ARAMINTE: My nephew, my nephew,

ISABELLE: Manage them Valere, because fifty thousand francs is enough for my father.

GERONTE: Yes, that's enough.

ARAMINTE: So as not to dispute further, give them.

BELISE: Come then, we will execute—

ARAMINTE: I have on me what I got from the notary.

BELISE: He has given me some to end this business.

VALERE: Let's see if by chance I don't have your promissory notes.
Yes, truly, I believe they are here.

GERONTE: The business seems to me easy to finish.

VALERE: Let's see.

BELISE: This is my note.

ARAMINTE: Here's my signature.

BELISE: Forty thousand francs on my banker and ten.

ARAMINTE: Thirty thousand in bills of exchange plus fourteen and six.