Cyrano de Bergerac: A Play in Five Acts

(They recognize and name the different elegantly dressed ladies who enter the boxes, bowing low to them. The ladies send smiles in answer.)
SECOND MARQUIS

Madame de Guemenee.

CUIGY

Madame de Bois-Dauphin.

FIRST MARQUIS

Adored by us all!

BRISSAILLE

Madame de Chavigny. . .

SECOND MARQUIS

Who sports with our poor hearts!. . .

LIGNIERE

Ha! so Monsieur de Corneille has come back from Rouen!

THE YOUNG MAN
(to his father)

Is the Academy here?

THE BURGHER

Oh, ay, I see several of them. There is Boudu, Boissat, and Cureau de la Chambre, Porcheres, Colomby, Bourzeys, Bourdon, Arbaud. . .all names that will live! 'Tis fine!

FIRST MARQUIS

Attention! Here come our precieuses; Barthenoide, Urimedonte, Cassandace, Felixerie. . .

SECOND MARQUIS

Ah! How exquisite their fancy names are! Do you know them all, Marquis?

FIRST MARQUIS

Ay, Marquis, I do, every one!

LIGNIERE
(drawing Christian aside)

Friend, I but came here to give you pleasure. The lady comes not. I will betake me again to my pet vice.

CHRISTIAN
(persuasively)

No, no! You, who are ballad-maker to Court and City alike, can tell me better than any who the lady is for whom I die of love. Stay yet awhile.

THE FIRST VIOLIN
(striking his bow on the desk)

Gentlemen violinists!

(He raises his bow.)
THE BUFFET-GIRL

Macaroons, lemon-drink. . .

(The violins begin to play.)
CHRISTIAN

Ah! I fear me she is coquettish, and over nice and fastidious! I, who am so poor of wit, how dare I speak to her--how address her? This language that they speak to-day--ay, and write--confounds me; I am but an honest soldier, and timid withal. She has ever her place, there, on the right--the empty box, see you!

LIGNIERE
(making as if to go)

I must go.

CHRISTIAN
(detaining him)

Nay, stay.

LIGNIERE

I cannot. D'Assoucy waits me at the tavern, and here one dies of thirst.

THE BUFFET-GIRL
(passing before him with a tray)

Orange drink?

LIGNIERE

Ugh!

THE BUFFET-GIRL

Milk?

LIGNIERE

Pah!

THE BUFFET-GIRL

Rivesalte?

LIGNIERE

Stay.

(To Christian)

I will remain awhile.--Let me taste this rivesalte.

(He sits by the buffet; the girl pours some out for him.)
CRIES
(from all the audience, at the entrance of a plump little man, joyously excited)

Ah! Ragueneau!

LIGNIERE
(to Christian)

'Tis the famous tavern-keeper Ragueneau.

RAGUENEAU
(dressed in the Sunday clothes of a pastry-cook, going up quickly to Ligniere)

Sir, have you seen Monsieur de Cyrano?

LIGNIERE
(introducing him to Christian)

The pastry-cook of the actors and the poets!

RAGUENEAU
(overcome)

You do me too great honor. . .

LIGNIERE

Nay, hold your peace, Maecenas that you are!

RAGUENEAU

True, these gentlemen employ me. . .

LIGNIERE

On credit! He is himself a poet of a pretty talent. . .

RAGUENEAU

So they tell me.

LIGNIERE

--Mad after poetry!

RAGUENEAU

'Tis true that, for a little ode. . .

LIGNIERE

You give a tart. . .

RAGUENEAU

Oh!--a tartlet!

LIGNIERE

Brave fellow! He would fain fain excuse himself! --And for a triolet, now, did you not give in exchange. . .

RAGUENEAU

Some little rolls!

LIGNIERE
(severely)

They were milk-rolls! And as for the theater, which you love?

RAGUENEAU

Oh! to distraction!

LIGNIERE

How pay you your tickets, ha?--with cakes. Your place, to-night, come tell me in my ear, what did it cost you?

RAGUENEAU

Four custards, and fifteen cream-puffs.

(He looks around on all sides)

Monsieur de Cyrano is not here? 'Tis strange.

LIGNIERE

Why so?

RAGUENEAU

Montfleury plays!

LIGNIERE

Ay, 'tis true that that old wine-barrel is to take Phedon's part to-night; but what matter is that to Cyrano?

RAGUENEAU

How? Know you not? He has got a hot hate

for Montfleury, and so!--has forbid him strictly to show his face on the stage for one whole month.

LIGNIERE
(drinking his fourth glass)

Well?

RAGUENEAU

Montfleury will play!

CUIGY

He can not hinder that.

RAGUENEAU

Oh! oh! that I have come to see!

FIRST MARQUIS

Who is this Cyrano?

CUIGY

A fellow well skilled in all tricks of fence.

SECOND MARQUIS

Is he of noble birth?

CUIGY

Ay, noble enough. He is a cadet in the Guards.

(Pointing to a gentleman who is going up and down the hall as if searching for some one)

But 'tis his friend Le Bret, yonder, who can best tell you.

(He calls him)

Le Bret!

(Le Bret comes towards them)

Seek you for De Bergerac?

LE BRET

Ay, I am uneasy. . .

CUIGY

Is it not true that he is the strangest of men?

LE BRET
(tenderly)

True, that he is the choicest of earthly beings!

RAGUENEAU

Poet!

CUIGY

Soldier!

BRISSAILLE

Philosopher!

LE BRET

Musician!

LIGNIERE

And of how fantastic a presence!

RAGENEAU

Marry, 'twould puzzle even our grim painter Philippe de Champaigne to portray him! Methinks, whimsical, wild, comical as he is, only Jacques Callot, now dead and gone, had succeeded better, and had made of him the maddest fighter of all his visored crew--with his triple-plumed beaver and six-pointed doublet--the sword-point sticking up 'neath his mantle like an insolent cocktail! He's prouder than all the fierce Artabans of whom Gascony has ever

been and will ever be the prolific Alma Mater! Above his Toby ruff he carries a nose!--ah, good my lords, what a nose is his! When one sees it one is fain to cry aloud, 'Nay! 'tis too much! He plays a joke on us!' Then one laughs, says 'He will anon take it off.' But no!--Monsieur de Bergerac always keeps it on.

LE BRET
(throwing back his head)

He keeps it on--and cleaves in two any man who dares remark on it!

RAGUENEAU
(proudly)

His sword--'tis one half of the Fates' shears!

FIRST MARQUIS
(shrugging his shoulders)

He will not come!

RAGUENEAU

I say he will! and I wager a fowl--a la Ragueneau.

THE MARQUIS
(laughing)

Good!

(Murmurs of admiration in hall. Roxane has just appeared in her box. She seats herself in front, the duenna at the back. Christian, who is paying the buffet-girl, does not see her entrance.)

SECOND MARQUIS
(with little cries of joy)

Ah, gentlemen! she is fearfully--terribly--ravishing!

FIRST MARQUIS

When one looks at her one thinks of a peach smiling at a strawberry!

SECOND MARQUIS

And what freshness! A man approaching her too near might chance to get a bad chill at the heart!

CHRISTIAN
(raising his head, sees Roxane, and catches Ligniere by the arm)

'Tis she!

LIGNIERE

Ah! is it she?

CHRISTIAN

Ay, tell me quick--I am afraid.

LIGNIERE
(tasting his rivesalte in sips)

Magdaleine Robin--Roxane, so called! A subtle wit--a precieuse.

CHRISTIAN

Woe is me!

LIGNIERE

Free. An orphan. The cousin of Cyrano, of whom we were now speaking.

(At this moment an elegant nobleman, with blue ribbon across his breast, enters the box, and talks with Roxane, standing.)
CHRISTIAN
(starting)

Who is yonder man?

LIGNIERE
(who is becoming tipsy, winking at him)

Ha! ha! Count de Guiche. Enamored of her. But wedded to the niece of Armand de Richelieu. Would fain marry Roxane to a certain sorry fellow, one Monsieur de Valvert, a viscount--and--accommodating! She will none of that bargain; but De Guiche is powerful, and can persecute the daughter of a plain untitled gentleman. More by token, I myself have exposed this cunning plan of his to the world, in a song which. . .Ho! he must rage at me! The end hit home. . .Listen!

(He gets up staggering, and raises his glass, ready to sing.)
CHRISTIAN

No. Good-night.

LIGNIERE

Where go you?

CHRISTIAN

To Monsieur de Valvert!

LIGNIERE

Have a care! It is he who will kill you

(showing him Roxane by a look)

Stay where you are--she is looking at you.

CHRISTIAN

It is true!

(He stands looking at her. The group of pickpockets seeing him thus, head in air and open-mouthed, draw near to him.)
LIGNIERE

'Tis I who am going. I am athirst! And they expect me--in the taverns!

(He goes out, reeling.)
LE BRET
(who has been all round the hall, coming back to Ragueneau reassured)

No sign of Cyrano.

RAGUENEAU
(incredulously)

All the same. . .

LE BRET

A hope is left to me--that he has not seen the playbill!

THE AUDIENCE

Begin, begin!

University of Virginia Library

Scene II.