Harpagon. What, hangdog, it is you who abandon yourself to these culpable extravagances.

Cléante. What! it is you, father, who lend yourself to these shameful deeds!

(Master Simon runs away, and La Flèche hides himself).

Scene III.—Harpagon, Cléante.

Harpagon. It is you who wish to ruin yourself by such censurable loans?

Cléante. It is you who seek to enrich yourself by such criminal usury?

Harpagon. Can you dare, after this, to appear before me?

Cléante. Can you dare, after this, to show your face to the world.

Harpagon. Are you not ashamed, tell me to practice this sort of excess, to rush into these dreadful expenses, and to dissipate so shamefully the property which your parents have amassed for you by the sweat of their brow?

Cléante. Do you not blush to dishonour your station by the trade you are engaged in; to sacrifice glory and reputation to the insatiable desire of piling crown upon crown, and to surpass, in matters of interest, the most infamous tricks that were ever invented by the most notorious usurers?

Harpagon. Begone out of my sight, scoundrel! begone out of my sight!

Cléante. Who, think you, is the more criminal—he who buys the money of which he is in need, or he who steals money for which he has no use?

Harpagon. Begone, I say, and do not break the drums of my ears. (Alone). After all, I am not so vexed about this adventure; it will be a lesson to me to keep more than ever an eye upon his proceedings.

Scene IV.—Frosine, Harpagon.

Frosine. Sir.

Harpagon. Wait a moment: I shall be back directly to speak to you. (Aside). I had better go and take a look at my money.

Scene V.—La Flèche, Frosine.

La Flèche (without seeing Frosine). The adventure is altogether funny! He must have somewhere a large store of furniture; for we could recognize nothing here from what is in the memorandum.

Frosine. Eh! is it you, my poor La Flèche! How comes this meeting?

La Flèche. Ah! ah! it is you, Frosine! What brings you here?

Frosine. The same that brings me everywhere else; to fetch and carry, to render myself serviceable to people, and to profit as much as possible by the small talents of which I am possessed. You know that in this world we must live by our wits, and that to persons like me, Heaven has given no other income than intrigue and industry.

La Flèche. Have you any dealings with the master of this house?

Frosine. Yes. I am arranging some small matter for him, for which I expect a reward.