Act I: A Representation at the Hotel de BourgogneScene II
The same. Christian, Lignière, then Ragueneau and Le Bret.
Cuigy
Lignière!
Brissaille
Laughing
Not drunk as yet?
Lignière
Aside to Christian
I may introduce you?
Christian nods in assent
Baron de Neuvillette.
Bows.
The Audience
Applauding as the first luster is lighted and drawn up
Ah!
Cuigy
To Brissaille, looking at Christian
’Tis a pretty fellow!
First Marquis
Who has overheard
Pooh!
Lignière
Introducing them to Christian
My lords De Cuigy. De Brissaille…
Christian
Bowing
Delighted!…
First Marquis
To second
He is not ill to look at, but certes, he is not costumed in the latest mode.
Lignière
To Cuigy
This gentleman comes from Touraine.
Christian
Yes, I have scarce been twenty days in Paris; tomorrow I join the Guards, in the Cadets.
First Marquis
Watching the people who are coming into the boxes
There is the wife of the Chief-Justice.
The Buffet-girl
Oranges, milk…
The Violinists
Tuning up
La—la—
Cuigy
To Christian, pointing to the hall, which is filling fast
’Tis crowded.
Christian
Yes, indeed.
First Marquis
All the great world!
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!…
Lignière
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!
Lignière
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!
Lignière
Making as if to go
I must go.
Christian
Detaining him
Nay, stay.
Lignière
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?
Lignière
Ugh!
The Buffet-girl
Milk?
Lignière
Pah!
The Buffet-girl
Rivesalte?
Lignière
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!
Lignière
To Christian
’Tis the famous tavern-keeper Ragueneau.
Ragueneau
Dressed in the Sunday clothes of a pastry-cook, going up quickly to Lignière
Sir, have you seen Monsieur de Cyrano?
Lignière
Introducing him to Christian
The pastry-cook of the actors and the poets!
Ragueneau
Overcome
You do me too great honor…
Lignière
Nay, hold your peace, Maecenas that you are!
Ragueneau
True, these gentlemen employ me…
Lignière
On credit!He is himself a poet of a pretty talent…
Ragueneau
So they tell me.
Lignière
—Mad after poetry!
Ragueneau
’Tis true that, for a little ode…
Lignière
You give a tart…
Ragueneau
Oh!—a tartlet!
Lignière
Brave fellow! He would fain fain excuse himself!—And for a triolet, now, did you not give in exchange…
Ragueneau
Some little rolls!
Lignière
Severely
They were milk-rolls! And as for the theater, which you love?
Ragueneau
Oh! to distraction!
Lignière
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.
Lignière
Why so?
Ragueneau
Montfleury plays!
Lignière
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.
Lignière
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!
Lignière
And of how fantastic a presence!
Ragueneau
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 Lignière by the arm
’Tis she!
Lignière
Ah! is it she?
Christian
Ay, tell me quick—I am afraid.
Lignière
Tasting his rivesalte in sips
Magdaleine Robin—Roxane, so called! A subtle wit—a precieuse.
Christian
Woe is me!
Lignière
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?
Lignière
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.
Lignière
Where go you?
Christian
To Monsieur de Valvert!
Lignière
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.
Lignière
’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!