God, my friend—how nice you look. Ah, let me admire you at my ease.
MARQUIS
And you, Adelaide, how do you like me?
ADELAIDE
Marvelous for a courtier.
MARQUIS
Come on, now my tests begin already. I find myself situated, first of all between vanity and philosophy!
COUNTESS
You are going to see the court and all our great ladies.
ADELAIDE (sighing)
And all the great ladies.
COUNTESS
Up till now, relegated to a country estate you must force yourself to take the air and the tone of our brilliant youth.
MARQUIS
Ah, I’ve already frequented our fashionable young folks, and now at the recital, the role of a man of my sort—get up at noon, dress in the ravishing creations of a dream enchanter, to find oneself face to face with a hair-dresser who will envelop you in the atmosphere of odorous powder, and sets himself to render you the coolness of the morn, to let oneself fall softly into the hands of valets, who load you down with velours and lace, judge their cleverness in pressing the fold of a shirt-frill under your finger loaded with diamonds—at lunch to find yourself with rich friends in pleasant parties, to pass in review the deeds of the day—the Abbé de Voisenon, Madame Favart, and Marshal de Saxe—dine with the Prince of Warsaw, in the evening to play comedy with folks of quality, to sup at a cabaret, to sleep at two in the morning, the next day to be present at a hunt of the sovereign, to launch a bullet in the neck of a goat, and swear by the great gods that the King hit it—to admire his beautiful outfit on horse, to display wit with men, grace with the women—that’s what a marquis of twenty-five must do, and you will see auntie, if I don’t acquit myself marvelously.
COUNTESS
Now that ravishes me.
ADELAIDE
As for me, it pains me.
MARQUIS
I already have a large number of friends. How not to be refined by our epoch in which the bankruptcy of law made deep impressions. I come surrounded by gold; my carriages are admired by all—hardly do they mention in Paris a new furnishing, which has already changed—There’s a crowd each day in my salons to find out who will be at my little supper.
ADELAIDE
That they accept and don’t show up at—
COUNTESS
What do you know about it, Miss?
MARQUIS
As to that, Auntie, she’s right. For the rest, here’s my plan: In our château at Brunoy, my education is divided into two parts. You, Auntie, carefully inspired a love of etiquette in me, as well as respect for our ancient chivalry. For his part, my father taught me to meditate on the philosophers of our time—Rousseau, Diderot, d’Alembert—
COUNTESS
Eh, what names you are saying there.
MARQUIS
Don’t be afraid—these gentlemen attack each other and our titles, and would like to overthrow us.
COUNTESS
The mountebanks.
MARQUIS
I have measured their weapons—and most are dangerous because they are just. Here’s my plan: to raise up the idol they wish to strike down—to deliver my gold to young people of the court to attach them to my following.
COUNTESS
Do you want to ruin yourself?
MARQUIS
To enrich myself with the advice and the example of our illustrious ones, strong from their experience, to dominate my disciples, to make them adopt reason under the mantle of pleasure, to gently vanquish their frivolity which must ruin us, to propose virtue for future old age. Thus I shall save the nobility and the monarchy. That’s my goal. I didn’t come to Versailles to unfurl my pride there. I came as a man who loves his country. Nobility doesn’t consist merely to display it’s pomp in the panels of a carriage—its true place is in the court! Lead me there, Auntie, I am ready to follow you.
COUNTESS (aside)
He’s got an exaltation in ideas which will ruin him.
MARQUIS
Well, Adelaide, are you still annoyed to see me at the court?
ADELAIDE
I would prefer to see you with us.
MARQUIS
I will return often.
SERVANT (announcing)
The carriage is ready.
COUNTESS
Let’s leave, nephew.
(The Marquis gives his arm to the Countess and they leave.)
ROSINE
Come on, Miss. Once the Marquis is installed at court, solitude is promised to us. We shall return to Brunoy.
ADELAIDE
Ah, my God! What a sad place. How bored I’m going to be there.
ROSINE
You call the most beautiful estate in France a sad place?
ADELAIDE
Yes, it’s true, but despite all sorts of magnificence, I don’t see my cousin that I love so much.
ROSINE
And what about him—does he love you?
ADELAIDE
I will confide in you, but you mustn’t tell anyone, because a young lady isn’t supposed to seek to know such things.—I think he loves me a little.
ROSINE
In that case, what are you worried about?
ADELAIDE
What am I worried about? Think that he will be far from me at the court—that he’ll see all the great ladies—some are so pretty. Madame du Barry, for example.
ROSINE
You don’t know her.
ADELAIDE
