Act II: The Poet’s Eating-HouseScene II
The same. Two children, who have just trotted into the shop.
Ragueneau
What would you, little ones?
First Child
Three pies.
Ragueneau
Serving them
See, hot and well browned.
Second Child
If it please you, Sir, will you wrap them up for us?
Ragueneau
Aside, distressed
Alas! one of my bags!
To the children
What? Must I wrap them up?
He takes a bag, and just as he is about to put in the pies, he reads
‘Ulysses thus, on leaving fair Penelope…’Not that one!
He puts it aside, and takes another, and as he is about to put in the pies, he reads
‘The gold-locked Phoebus…’Nay, nor that one!…
Same play.
Lise
Impatiently
What are you dallying for?
Ragueneau
Here! here! here
He chooses a third, resignedly
The sonnet to Phillis!…but ’tis hard to part with it!
Lise
By good luck he has made up his mind at last!
Shrugging her shoulders
Nicodemus!
She mounts on a chair, and begins to range plates on a dresser.
Ragueneau
Taking advantage of the moment she turns her back, calls back the children, who are already at the door
Hist! children!…render me back the sonnet to Phillis, and you shall have six pies instead of three.
The children give him back the bag, seize the cakes quickly, and go out.
Ragueneau
Smoothing out the paper, begins to declaim
‘Phillis!…’ On that sweet name a smear of butter! ‘Phillis!…’
Cyrano enters hurriedly.