Dorante, a young man of honorable extraction, but poor, finds himself reduced to the position of steward or director in the house of Araminte, a rich young widow, to whose hand he is induced to aspire by Dubois, his former servant, now in her employ, who, by his profound knowledge of the feminine heart, aided by his master’s comeliness, succeeds in overcoming the prejudice of social standing in the mind of Araminte, and triumphantly marries her to Dorante, in spite of Madame Argante’s horror at the match and her enthusiastic support of the Count’s suit.

The intrigue is all to the credit of Dubois, who not only has to fan the flame of love in the heart of Araminte, but also finds himself obliged to rally his master’s failing courage, as when Dorante objects that she is too much above him, since he has neither rank nor wealth, and the valet replies:  “Point de bien! votre bonne mine est un Perou.  Tournez-vous un peu, que je vous considere encore; allons, monsieur, vous vous moquez; il n’y a point de plus grand seigneur que vous a Paris; voila une taille qui vaut toutes les dignites possibles, et notre affaire est infaillible absolument infaillible.”  His genius for intrigue is certainly admirable, and, were that a sufficient claim for glory, we would chime in with him in his final cry of victory, as the piece closes:  “Ouf! ma gloire m’accable.  Je meriterais bien d’appeler cette femme-la ma bru.”  The plot is complicated by the role of Mlle. Marton, companion to Araminte, who is led by M. Remy, Dorante’s uncle, to consider herself the object of the young man’s affection, and thus to second his ambition.  She is easily consoled for her disappointment, however, and all ends to the honor of Dorante, who frankly confesses to Araminte his share in the intrigue, but assures her that a desire for her hand and property has culminated in a more noble passion, and we have again the triumph of love.

Marivaux, made use of the same theme in a later comedy, le Prejuge vaincu, but the prejudice attacked was that of birth, instead of wealth, as here, where both parties belong to the world of the bourgeoisie.[121]

L’Epreuve has been called le chant du cygne of Marivaux.  It was the last play he gave to the Theatre-Italien, and was performed November 19, 1740.  It is a little comedy in one act, and belongs to the small number of those that were enthusiastically received on their “first night.”  Marivaux admits this characteristic of his plays in the Avertissement to les Serments indiscrets.  “Presque aucune des miennes n’a bien pris d’abord; leur succes n’est venu que dans la suite, et je l’aime bien autant venu de cette maniere-la.”

This time it is a question of a rich young man, Lucidor, who loses his heart to a poor girl, another Angelique, but, to test her love and to learn, if possible, whether her affection is for himself rather than for his wealth, he puts her to a cruel test.  He informs her that he has in mind for her a wealthy party and an intimate friend of his.  In her artlessness Angelique concludes from his description that he means himself.  In her joy she confides the matter to Lisette.