University of Virginia Library

Scene I.

The public, arriving by degrees. Troopers, burghers, lackeys, pages, a pickpocket, the doorkeeper, etc., followed by the marquises. Cuigy, Brissaille, the buffet-girl, the violinists, etc.
(A confusion of loud voices is heard outside the door. A trooper enters hastily.)
THE DOORKEEPER
(following him)

Hollo! You there! Your money!

THE TROOPER

I enter gratis.

THE DOORKEEPER

Why?

THE TROOPER

Why? I am of the King's Household Cavalry, 'faith!

THE DOORKEEPER
(to another trooper who enters)

And you?

SECOND TROOPER

I pay nothing.

THE DOORKEEPER

How so?

SECOND TROOPER

I am a musketeer.

FIRST TROOPER
(to the second)

The play will not begin till two. The pit is empty. Come, a bout with the foils to pass the time.

(They fence with the foils they have brought.)
A LACKEY
(entering)

Pst. . .Flanquin. . .!

ANOTHER
(already there)

Champagne?. . .

THE FIRST
(showing him cards and dice which he takes from his doublet)

See, here be cards and dice.

(He seats himself on the floor)

Let's play.

THE SECOND
(doing the same)

Good; I am with you, villain!

FIRST LACKEY
(taking from his pocket a candle-end, which he lights, and sticks on the floor)

I made free to provide myself with light at my master's expense!

A GUARDSMAN
(to a shop-girl who advances)

'Twas prettily done to come before the lights were lit!

(He takes her round the waist.)
ONE OF THE FENCERS
(receiving a thrust)

A hit!

ONE OF THE CARD-PLAYERS

Clubs!

THE GUARDSMAN
(following the girl)

A kiss!

THE SHOP-GIRL
(struggling to free herself)

They're looking!

THE GUARDSMAN
(drawing her to a dark corner)

No fear! No one can see!

A MAN
(sitting on the ground with others, who have brought their provisions)

By coming early, one can eat in comfort.

A BURGHER
(conducting his son)

Let us sit here, son.

A CARD-PLAYER

Triple ace!

A MAN
(taking a bottle from under his cloak, and also seating himself on the floor)

A tippler may well quaff his Burgundy

(he drinks)

in the Burgundy Hotel!

THE BURGHER
(to his son)

'Faith! A man might think he had fallen in a bad house here!

(He points with his cane to the drunkard)

What with topers!

(One of the fencers in breaking off, jostles him)

brawlers!

(He stumbles into the midst of the card-players)

gamblers!

THE GUARDSMAN
(behind him, still teasing the shop-girl)

Come, one kiss!

THE BURGHER
(hurriedly pulling his son away)

By all the holies! And this, my boy, is the theater where they played Rotrou erewhile.

THE YOUNG MAN

Ay, and Corneille!

A TROOP OF PAGES
(hand-in-hand, enter dancing the farandole, and singing)

Tra' a la, la, la, la, la, la, la, lere. . .

THE DOORKEEPER
(sternly, to the pages)

You pages there, none of your tricks!. . .

FIRST PAGE
(with an air of wounded dignity)

Oh, sir!--such a suspicion!. . .

(Briskly, to the second page, the moment the doorkeeper's back is turned)

Have you string?

THE SECOND

Ay, and a fish-hook with it.

FIRST PAGE

We can angle for wigs, then, up there i' th' gallery.

A PICKPOCKET
(gathering about him some evil-looking youths)

Hark ye, young cut-purses, lend an ear, while I give you your first lesson in thieving.

SECOND PAGE
(calling up to others in the top galleries)

You there! Have you peashooters?

THIRD PAGE
(from above)

Ay, have we, and peas withal!

(He blows, and peppers them with peas.)
THE YOUNG MAN
(to his father)

What piece do they give us?

THE BURGHER

'Clorise.'

THE YOUNG MAN

Who may the author be?

THE BURGHER

Master Balthazar Baro. It is a play!. . .

(He goes arm-in-arm with his son.)
THE PICKPOCKET
(to his pupils)

Have a care, above all, of the lace knee-ruffles--cut them off!

A SPECTATOR
(to another, showing him a corner in the gallery)

I was up there, the first night of the 'Cid.'

THE PICKPOCKET
(making with his fingers the gesture of filching)

Thus for watches--

THE BURGHER
(coming down again with his son)

Ah! You shall presently see some renowned actors. . .

THE PICKPOCKET
(making the gestures of one who pulls something stealthily, with little jerks)

Thus for handkerchiefs--

THE BURGHER

Montfleury. . .

SOME ONE
(shouting from the upper gallery)

Light up, below there!

THE BURGHER

. . .Bellerose, L'Epy, La Beaupre, Jodelet!

A PAGE
(in the pit)

Here comes the buffet-girl!

THE BUFFET-GIRL
(taking her place behind the buffet)

Oranges, milk, raspberry-water, cedar bitters!

(A hubbub outside the door is heard.)
A FALSETTO VOICE

Make place, brutes!

A LACKEY
(astonished)

The Marquises!--in the pit?. . .

ANOTHER LACKEY

Oh! only for a minute or two!

(Enter a band of young marquises.)
A MARQUIS
(seeing that the hall is half empty)

What now! So we make our entrance like a pack of woolen-drapers! Peaceably, without disturbing the folk, or treading on their toes!--Oh, fie! Fie!

(Recognizing some other gentlemen who have entered a little before him)

Cuigy! Brissaille!

(Greetings and embraces.)
CUIGY

True to our word!. . .Troth, we are here before the candles are lit.

THE MARQUIS

Ay, indeed! Enough! I am of an ill humor.

ANOTHER

Nay, nay, Marquis! see, for your consolation, they are coming to light up!

ALL THE AUDIENCE
(welcoming the entrance of the lighter)

Ah!. . .

(They form in groups round the lusters as they are lit. Some people have taken their seats in the galleries. Ligniere, a distinguished-looking roue, with disordered shirt-front arm-in-arm with christian de Neuvillette. Christian, who is dressed elegantly, but rather behind the fashion, seems preoccupied, and keeps looking at the boxes.)