Cyrano De Bergerac Part 2

SWEETMEAT VENDER Lacrima?10 ... ...

LIGNIeRE Stop! [To CHRISTIAN] I will tarry a bit.... Let us see this lacrima? [Sits down at the sweetmeat stand. The [Sits down at the sweetmeat stand. The VENDER VENDER pours him a gla.s.s of lacrima pours him a gla.s.s of lacrima] [Shouts among [Shouts among the the audience at the entrance of a little, merry-faced, roly-poly man.] audience at the entrance of a little, merry-faced, roly-poly man.]

AUDIENCE Ah, Ragueneau! ...

LIGNIERE [to CHRISTIAN] Ragueneau, who keeps the great cookshop.

RAGUENEAU [attired like like a pastrycook in his Sunday best, coming quickly toward a pastrycook in his Sunday best, coming quickly toward LIGNIERE] Monsieur, have you seen Monsieur de Cyrano? LIGNIERE] Monsieur, have you seen Monsieur de Cyrano?

LIGNIERE [presenting [presenting RAGUENEAU RAGUENEAU to to CHRISTIAN] The pastrycook of poets and of players! CHRISTIAN] The pastrycook of poets and of players!

RAGUENEAU [abashed] Too much honor....

LIGNIERE No modesty! ... Mecaenas! ...

RAGUENEAU It is true, those gentlemen are among my customers ...

LIGNIERE Debitors! ... A considerable poet himself.... RAGUENEAU It has been said! ...

LIGNIERE Daft on poetry! ...

RAGUENEAU It is true that for an ode...

LIGNIERE You are willing to give at any time a tart! RAGUENEAU ... let. A tart-let.

LIGNIERE Kind soul, he tries to cheapen his charitable acts! And for a triolet# were you not known to give ... ?

RAGUENEAU Rolls. Just rolls.

LIGNIERE [severely] b.u.t.tered!... And the play, you are fond of the play?

RAGUENEAU It is with me a pa.s.sion!

LIGNIERE And you settle for your entrance fee with a pastry currency. Come now, among ourselves, what did you have to give today for admittance here?

RAGUENEAU Four custards... eighteen lady-fingers. [He looks all around] Monsieur de Cyrano is not here. I wonder at it.

LIGNIERE And why?

RAGUENEAU Montfleury is billed to play.

LIGNIERE So it is, indeed. That ton of man will to-day entrance us in the part of Phdo ... Phoedo!11 ... But what is that to Cyrano? ... But what is that to Cyrano?

RAGUENEAU Have you not heard? He interdicted Montfleury, whom he has taken in aversion, from appearing for one month upon the stage.

LIGNIERE [who is at his fourth gla.s.s [who is at his fourth gla.s.s] Well?

RAGUENEAU Montfleury is billed to play.

CUIGY [who has drawn near with his companions] [who has drawn near with his companions] He cannot be prevented. He cannot be prevented.

RAGUENIEAU He cannot? ... Well, I am here to see!

FIRST MARQUIS What is this Cyrano?

CUIGY A crack-brain!

SECOND MARQUIS Of quality?

CUIGY Enough for daily uses. He is a cadet in the Guards. [Pointing out a gentleman who is coming and going about the pit, as if in search of somebody [Pointing out a gentleman who is coming and going about the pit, as if in search of somebody] But his friend Le Bret can tell you. [Calling] Le Bret! ...

[LE BRET comes toward them comes toward them] . You are looking for Bergerac?

LE BRET Yes. I am uneasy.

CUIGY Is it not a fact that he is a most uncommon fellow?

LE BRET [affectionately] The most exquisite being he is that walks beneath the moon!

RAGUENEAU Poet!

CUIGY Swordsman!

BRISSAILLE Physicist!

LE BRET. Musician!

LIGNIERE And what an extraordinary aspect he presents!

RAGUENEAU I will not go so far as to say that I believe our grave Philippe de Champaigne12 will leave us a portrait of him; but, the bizarre, excessive, whimsical fellow that he is would certainly have furnished the late Jacques Callot with a type of madcap fighter for one of his masques. will leave us a portrait of him; but, the bizarre, excessive, whimsical fellow that he is would certainly have furnished the late Jacques Callot with a type of madcap fighter for one of his masques.13 Hat with triple feather, doublet with twice-triple skirt, cloak which his interminable rapier lifts up behind, with pomp, like the insolent tail of a c.o.c.k; prouder than all the Artabans that Gascony ever bred, Hat with triple feather, doublet with twice-triple skirt, cloak which his interminable rapier lifts up behind, with pomp, like the insolent tail of a c.o.c.k; prouder than all the Artabans that Gascony ever bred, he goes about in his stiff Punchinello ruff, airing a nose.... Ah, gentlemen, what a nose is that! One cannot look upon such a specimen of the nasigera without exclaiming, "No! truly, the man exaggerates," ... After that, one smiles, one says: "He will take it off." ... But Monsieur de Bergerac never takes it off at all. he goes about in his stiff Punchinello ruff, airing a nose.... Ah, gentlemen, what a nose is that! One cannot look upon such a specimen of the nasigera without exclaiming, "No! truly, the man exaggerates," ... After that, one smiles, one says: "He will take it off." ... But Monsieur de Bergerac never takes it off at all.

LE BRET [shaking his head] He wears it always... and cuts down whoever breathes a syllable in comment.

RAGUENEAU [proudly] [proudly] His blade is half the shears of Fate! His blade is half the shears of Fate!

FIRST MARQUIS [shrugging his shoulders] [shrugging his shoulders] He will not come! He will not come!

RAGUENEAU He will. I wager you a chicken a la Ragueneau.

FIRST MARQUIS [laughing] Very well! [Murmur of admiration in the house. ROXANE has appeared in her box. She takes a seat in the front, her duenna at the back. CHRISTIAN, engaged in paying the sweetmeat vender, does not look.] [Murmur of admiration in the house. ROXANE has appeared in her box. She takes a seat in the front, her duenna at the back. CHRISTIAN, engaged in paying the sweetmeat vender, does not look.]

SECOND MARQUIS [uttering a series of small squeals] Ah, gentlemen, she is horrifically enticing! Ah, gentlemen, she is horrifically enticing!

FIRST MARQUIS A strawberry set in a peach, and smiling!

SECOND MARQUIS So fresh, that being near her, one might catch cold in his heart!

CHRISTIAN [looks up, sees [looks up, sees ROXANE, ROXANE, and, agitated, seizes and, agitated, seizes LIGNIeRE LIGNIeRE by the arm by the arm] That is she!

LIGNIERE [looking] Ah, that is she! ...

CHRISTIAN Yes. Tell me at once.... Oh, I am afraid! ...

LIGNIERE [sipping his wine slowly] Magdeleine Robin, surnamed Roxane. Subtle. Euphuistic. Magdeleine Robin, surnamed Roxane. Subtle. Euphuistic.

CHRISTIAN Alack-a-day!

LIGNIERE Unmarried. An orphan. A cousin of Cyrano's... the one of whom they were talking. [While he is speaking, a richly dressed n.o.bleman, wearing the order of the Holy Ghost on a blue ribbon across his breast [While he is speaking, a richly dressed n.o.bleman, wearing the order of the Holy Ghost on a blue ribbon across his breast,14 enters ROXANE's box, and, without taking a seat, talks with her a moment.] enters ROXANE's box, and, without taking a seat, talks with her a moment.]

CHRISTIAN [starting] That man? ...

LIGNIERE [who is beginning to be tipsy, winking] [who is beginning to be tipsy, winking] He! He! Comte de Guiche. Enamored of her. But married to the niece of Armand de Richelieu. Wishes to manage a match between Roxane and certain sorry lord, one Monsieur de Valvert, vicomte and ... easy. She does not subscribe to his views, but De Guiche is powerful: he can persecute to some purpose a simple commoner. But I have duly set forth his shady machinations in a song which... Ho! he must bear me a grudge! The end was wicked... Listen! ... He! He! Comte de Guiche. Enamored of her. But married to the niece of Armand de Richelieu. Wishes to manage a match between Roxane and certain sorry lord, one Monsieur de Valvert, vicomte and ... easy. She does not subscribe to his views, but De Guiche is powerful: he can persecute to some purpose a simple commoner. But I have duly set forth his shady machinations in a song which... Ho! he must bear me a grudge! The end was wicked... Listen! ... [He rises, staggering, and lifting his gla.s.s, is about to sing.] [He rises, staggering, and lifting his gla.s.s, is about to sing.]

CHRISTIAN No. Good-evening.

LIGNIERE You are going? ...

CHRISTIAN To find Monsieur de Valvert.

LIGNIERE Have a care. You are the one who will get killed. [Indicating ROXANE ROXANE by a glance by a glance.] Stay. Some one is looking...

CHRISTIAN It is true ... [He remains absorbed in the contemplation of ROXANE. The pickpockets, seeing his abstracted air, draw nearer to him.] [He remains absorbed in the contemplation of ROXANE. The pickpockets, seeing his abstracted air, draw nearer to him.]

LIGNIERE Ah, you are going to stay. Well, I am going. I am thirsty! And I am looked for ... at all the public-houses! [Exit unsteadily. [Exit unsteadily. ] ]

LE BRET [who has made the circuit of the house, returning toward [who has made the circuit of the house, returning toward RAGUENEAU, RAGUENEAU, in a tone of relief in a tone of relief] Cyrano is not here.

RAGUENEAU And yet...

LE BRET I will trust to Fortune he has not seen the announcement.

THE AUDIENCE Begin! Begin!

SCENE III.

The same, except for Ligniere; De Guiche, Valvert, then Montfleury

ONE OF THE MARQUISES [watching [watching DE GUICHE, DE GUICHE, who comes from who comes from ROXANE's ROXANE's box, and crosses the pit, surrounded by obsequious satellites, among whom the box, and crosses the pit, surrounded by obsequious satellites, among whom the VICOMTE DEVALVERT] Always a court about him, De Guiche! VICOMTE DEVALVERT] Always a court about him, De Guiche!

OTHER MARQUIS Pf!... Another Gascon!

FIRST MARQUIS A Gascon, of the cold and supple sort. That sort succeeds. Believe me, it will be best to offer him our duty. [They approach DE GUICHE.] [They approach DE GUICHE.]

SECOND MARQUIS These admirable ribbons! What color, Comte de Guiche? Should you call it Kiss-me-Sweet or ... Expiring Fawn?

DE GUICHE This shade is called Sick Spaniard.

FIRST MARQUIS Appropriately called, for shortly, thanks to your valor, the Spaniard will be sick indeed, in Flanders!15 DE GUICHE I am going upon the stage. Are you coming? [He walks toward the stage, followed by all the marquises and men of quality. He turns and calls. [He walks toward the stage, followed by all the marquises and men of quality. He turns and calls.] Valvert, come!

CHRISTIAN [who has been listening and watching them, starts on hearing that name] The vicomte! ... Ah, in his face... in his face I will fling my ... The vicomte! ... Ah, in his face... in his face I will fling my ... [He puts his hand to his pocket and finds the pickpocket's hand. He turns [He puts his hand to his pocket and finds the pickpocket's hand. He turns.] Hein? Hein?

PICKPOCKET Ai!

CHRISTIAN [without letting him go] [without letting him go] I was looking for a glove. I was looking for a glove.

PICKPOCKET [with an abject smile] And you found a hand. [ And you found a hand. [In a different tone, low and rapid.] Let me go ... I will tell you a secret. Let me go ... I will tell you a secret.

CHRISTIAN [without releasing him] [without releasing him] Well? Well?

PICKPOCKET Ligniere who has just left you ...

CHRISTIAN [as above] Yes? ...

PICKPOCKET Has not an hour to live. A song he made annoyed one of the great, and a hundred men-I am one of them-will be posted to-night...

CHRISTIAN A hundred? ... By whom?

PICKPOCKET Honor...

CHRISTIAN [shrugging his shoulders] Oh!... Oh!...

PICKPOCKET [with great dignity [with great dignity] Among rogues!

CHRISTIAN Where will they be posted?

PICKPOCKET At the Porte de Nesle, on his way home. Inform him.

CHRISTIAN [letting him go] But where can I find him? But where can I find him?

PICKPOCKET Go to all the taverns: the Golden Vat, the PineApple, the Belt and Bosom, the Twin Torches, the Three Funnels, and in each one leave a sc.r.a.p of writing warning him.

CHRISTIAN Yes. I will run! ... Ah, the blackguards! A hundred against one! ... [Looks lovingly toward [Looks lovingly toward ROXANE.] Leave her! ... [ ROXANE.] Leave her! ... [Furiously, looking toward looking toward VALVERT. ] And him! ... But Ligniere must be prevented. VALVERT. ] And him! ... But Ligniere must be prevented. [Exit running.] [DE GUICHE, the MARQUISES, all the gentry have disappeared behind the curtain, to place themselves on the stage-seats. The pit is crowded. There is not an empty seat in the boxes or the gallery.] [Exit running.] [DE GUICHE, the MARQUISES, all the gentry have disappeared behind the curtain, to place themselves on the stage-seats. The pit is crowded. There is not an empty seat in the boxes or the gallery.]

THE AUDIENCE Begin!

A BURGHER [whose wig goes sailing off at the end of a string held by one of the pages in the upper gallery] [whose wig goes sailing off at the end of a string held by one of the pages in the upper gallery] My wig! My wig!

SCREAMS OF DELIGHT He is bald! ... The pages! ... Well done!... Ha, ha, ha!

THE BURGHER [furious, shaking his fist] [furious, shaking his fist] Imp of Satan! ... Imp of Satan! ... [Laughter and screams, beginning very loud and decreasing suddenly. Dead silence.] [Laughter and screams, beginning very loud and decreasing suddenly. Dead silence.]

LE BRET [astonished] [astonished] This sudden hush? ... This sudden hush? ... [One of the spectators whispers in his ear.] [One of the spectators whispers in his ear.] Ah? Ah?

THE SPECTATOR I have it from a reliable quarter.