SCENE FROM "THE CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE." SIR JOHN MELVIL, and STERLING. Sir John. After having carried the negotiation between our families to so great a length; after having assented so readily to all your proposals, as well as received so many instances of your cheerful compliance with the demands made on our part, I am extremely concerned, Mr. Sterling, to be the involuntary cause of any uneasiness. Sterl. Uneasiness! what uneasiness?-Where1 business is transacted as it ought to be, and the parties understand one another, there can be no uneasiness. You agree, on such and such conditions, to receive my daughter for a wife; on the same conditions I agree to receive you as a son-in-law; and as to all the rest, it follows of course, you know, as regularly as the payment of a bill after acceptance.2 Sir John. Pardon me, sir, more uneasiness has arisen than you are aware of. I am myself, at this instant, in a state of inexpressible embarrassment; Miss Sterling. I know, is extremely disconcerted too; and unless you will oblige me with the assistance of your friendship, I foresee the speedy progress of discontent and animosity through the whole family. Sterl. What the deuce is all this?3 I don't understand a single syllable. Sir John. In one word then-it will be absolutely impossible for me to fulfil my engagements in regard to Miss Sterling. Sterl. How, Sir John! Do you mean to put an affront upon my family? What? refuse to Sir John. Be assured, sir, that I neither mean to affront, nor forsake your family.5 My only fear is, that you should 1 'When.' 2 d'une lettre de change acceptée. 3 Que diantre signifie tout celu? -The term diantre, which is still vulgar, is used (in the same way as the English word in the text) instead of another and strong desert me; for the whole happiness of my life depends on my being connected with your family, by the nearest and tenderest ties in the world.1 Sterl. Why, did not you tell me, but a moment ago, that it was absolutely impossible for you to marry my daughter? Sir John. True.—But you have another daughter, sir- Sir John. Who has obtained the most absolute dominion over my heart. I have already declared my passion3 to ner; nay, Miss Sterling herself is also apprised of it, and if you will but give a sanction to my present addresses, the uncommon merit of Miss Sterling will no doubt recommend her to a person of equal, if not superior rank 1 Turn, 'The whole happiness of my life depends on my being connected with you (de m'attacher à vous) by the ties, and my only fear is to see myself refused.' -We have used m'attacher à vous, not vous m'attacher: this case is similar to the one which I promised to explain, at p. 20, note 15, p. 29, n. 8, and p. 131, n. 17. The disjunctive, instead of the conjunctive personal pronouns must be used, in French, exceptionally, when the governing verb is either a reflective verb (pp .20 and 29, and also here), or any of the following recourir (to have recourse'), aller, courir (and also recourir, 'to run again'), accourir, venir, penser, renoncer, &c. Thus, at page 20, note 15, we could not have said, lui se plaignit; and thus we say je pense à lui, not je lui pense; &c. Observe, besides, that these disjunctive pronouns must follow the verb, whereas the conjunctive precede it, as a rule. The above rule, however, applies only to the case where persons, not things, are represented by the pronouns; for, with regard to things, the case is not altered here (we till use, as in all other cases, y, to it,' 'to them,' and en, of it,' of them,' before the verb). For those of my readers who might be puzzled by the words conjunctive and disjunctive pronouns, I shall put it in this way :-Whenever a personal pronoun, representing one or more persons, not things, is indirectly governed by any of the above mentioned verbs which requires after it the preposition à, or the preposition de, you must use, and place after the verb, one of the pronouns moi, toi, lui, elle, soi, nous, vous, eux, elles, soi, preceded immediately by the preposition (whether d or de). 2 Après ? 3 mes sentiments. 4 'Miss Sterling herself;' simply, sa sœur. According to French custom, had a Mr. Sterling even twenty daughters, they would each be "Miss Sterling," any one of them as well as any other, instead of this appellation being reserved exclusively for the eldest, and they would all be distinguished from each other by their Christian names solely. 5 but,' seulement, here. 6my present addresses;' sim. ply, 'them' (viz., mes sentiments”). votre fille aînée. to myself, and our families may still be allied by my union with Miss Fanny. Sterl. Mighty fine, truly! Why, what the plague do you make of us,2 Sir John? Do you come to market fo my daughters, like servants at a statute-fair? Do you think that I will suffer you, or any man in the world,4 to come into my house, like the Grand Signior, and throw the handkerchief first to one, and then to t'other, just as he pleases? Do you think I drive a kind of African slavetrade with them;5 and Sir John. A moment's patience,6 sir! Nothing but the excess of my passion for Miss Fanny should have induced me to take any step that had the least appearance of disrespect to any part of your family; and even now I am desirous to atone for my transgression, by making the most adequate compensation that lies in my power. Sterl. Compensation! what compensation can you possibly make in such a case as this, Sir John? 8 Sir John. Come,7 come, Mr. Sterling; I know you to be a man of sense, a man of business, a man of the world. I'll deal frankly with you; and you shall see that I don't desire a change of measures for my own gratification, without endeavouring to make it advantageous to you. Sterl. What advantage can your inconsistency be to me, Sir John? 1 'will easily make her find a person (un parti, here-'a match') of my rank, even a more considerable match. 2 Eh, pour qui nous prenez-vous donc. 3 Mes filles vous paraissent-elles une marchandise à l'essai, comme ces domestiques qui se louent à une fête de campagne? 4 Simply, n'importe qui. 5 trade' is, properly, in French, 8 que je fasse-pres. subj. (or, un homme qui entendez les afbetter, fais, pres. ind., i. e., that faires. The expression, homme I actually do drive,' that I ac- d'affaires is also sometimes used tually do carry on') ici une espèce in this sense; but it more comde commerce d'esclaves, comme un monly means an 'agent' (for gene marchand d'Afrique ? - 'Slave- ral, not for commercial affairs). Sir John. I'll tell you, sir.-You know that by the articles at present subsisting between us, on the day of my marriage with Miss Sterling, you agree to pay down the gross sum of eighty thousand pounds. Sterl. Well! Sir John. Now if you will but consent to my waiving that marriage2— Sterl. I agree to your waiving that marriage! Impossible, Sir John! Sir John. I hope not,3 sir; as on my part, I will agree to waive my right to thirty thousand pounds of the fortune I was to receive with her.4 Sterl. Thirty thousand, d'ye say? Sir John. Yes, sir; and accept of Miss Fanny with fifty thousand, instead of fourscore. Sterl. Fifty thousand Sir John. Instead of fourscore. [Pausing. Sterl. Why-why-there may be something in that 5— Let me see-Fauny with fifty thousand, instead of Betsy with fourscore.-But how can this be,7 Sir John? For you know I am to pay this money into the hands of my Lord Ogleby; who, I believe, between you and me, Sir John, is not overstocked with ready money at present; and threescore thousand of it, you know, is to go to pay off the present encumbrances on the estate,10 Sir John. Sir John. That objection is easily obviated. Ten of the twenty thousand, which would remain as a surplus of the fourscore, after paying off 12 the mortgage, was intended by his lordship for my use, that we might set off with some little état on our marriage; and the other ten for his own. Ten thousand pounds, therefore, I shall be able to pay you immediately; and for the remaining twenty thousand, you shall have a mortgage on that part of the estate which is to be made over to me,1 with whatever 2 security you shall require for the regular payment of the interest, till the principal is duly discharged. Sterl. Why to do3 you justice, Sir John, there is something fair and open in your proposal; and since I find you do not mean to put an affront upon the family Sir John. Nothing was ever farther from my thoughts,* Mr Sterling. And after all, the whole affair is nothing extraordinary-such things happen every day; and as the world has only heard generally of a treaty between the families, when this marriage takes place, nobody will be the wiser, if we have but discretion enough to keep our own counsel.7 Sterl. True, true; and since you only transfer from one girl to the other, it is no more than transferring so much stock, you know. Sir John. The very thing! Sterl. Odso! I had quite forgot.-We are reckoning without our host here 10-there is another difficultySir John. You alarm me. What can that be? Sterl. I can't stirll a step in this business without consulting my sister Heidelberg.-The family has very great expectations from her,12 and we must not give her any offence. 13 Sir John. But if you come into this measure,14 surely she will be so kind as to consent Steri. I don't know that 15-Betsy is her darling, and I |