AGNES from “The School for Wives”

Age: 20s

The ward of Arnolphe and an innocent young girl, Agnès falls in love with Horace, instead of her guardian, Arnolphe.

AGNES

I was sewing, out on the balcony, in the breeze,

When I noticed someone strolling under the trees.

It was a fine young man, who caught my eye

And made me a deep bow as he went by.

I, not convicted of a lack

Of manners, very quickly nodded back.

At once, the young man bowed to me again,

Ibowed to him a second time, and then

It wasn’t very long until he made

A third deep bow, which I of course repaid.

He left, but kept returning , and as he passed,

He’d bow,, each time, more gracefully than the last,

While I, observing as he came and went,

Gave each new bow a fresh acknowledgement,

Indeed, had night not fallen, I declare

I think that I might still be sitting there,

And bowing back each time he bowed to me

For fear he’d think me less polite than he.