Cyrano de Bergerac: A Play in Five Acts | ||
Scene I.
Christian, Carbon de Castel-Jaloux, Le Bret, the cadets, then Cyrano.LE BRET
'Tis terrible.
CARBON
Not a morsel left.
Mordious!
CARBON
(making a sign that he should speak lower)
Curse under your breath. You will awake them.
(To the cadets)Hush! Sleep on.
(To Le Bret)He who sleeps, dines!
LE BRET
But that is sorry comfort for the sleepless!. . . What starvation!
(Firing is heard in the distance.)
CARBON
Oh, plague take their firing! 'Twill wake my sons.
(To the cadets, who lift up their heads)Sleep on!
(Firing is again heard, nearer this time.)
A CADET
(moving)
The devil!. . .Again.
CARBON
'Tis nothing! 'Tis Cyrano coming back!
(Those who have lifted up their heads prepare to sleep again.)
(from without)
Ventrebieu! Who goes there?
THE VOICE Of CYRANO
Bergerac.
The SENTINEL
(who is on the redoubt)
Ventrebieu! Who goes there?
CYRANO
(appearing at the top)
Bergerac, idiot!
(He comes down; Le Bret advances anxiously to meet him.)
LE BRET
Heavens!
CYRANO
(making signs that he should not awake the others)
Hush!
LE BRET
Wounded?
CYRANO
Oh! you know it has become their custom to shoot at me every morning and to miss me.
LE BRET
This passes all! To take letters at each day's dawn. To risk. . .
(stopping before Christian)
I promised he should write often.
(He looks at him)He sleeps. How pale he is! But how handsome still, despite his sufferings. If his poor little lady-love knew that he is dying of hunger. . .
LE BRET
Get you quick to bed.
CYRANO
Nay, never scold, Le Bret. I ran but little risk. I have found me a spot to pass the Spanish lines, where each night they lie drunk.
LE BRET
You should try to bring us back provision.
CYRANO
A man must carry no weight who would get by there! But there will be surprise for us this night. The French will eat or die. . .if I mistake not!
LE BRET
Oh!. . .tell me!. . .
CYRANO
Nay, not yet. I am not certain. . .You will see!
CARBON
It is disgraceful that we should starve while we're besieging!
LE BRET
Alas, how full of complication is this siege of
CYRANO
It were well done if he should be besieged in his turn.
LE BRET
I am in earnest.
CYRANO
Oh! indeed!
LE BRET
To think you risk a life so precious. . .for the sake of a letter. . .Thankless one.
(Seeing him turning to enter the tent)Where are you going?
CYRANO
I am going to write another.
(He enters the tent and disappears.)
Cyrano de Bergerac: A Play in Five Acts | ||