Cyrano De Bergerac Part 5

[They begin fencing.]

You should have been politer; Where had you best be gored?

The left side or the right-ah?

Or next your azure cord?

Or where the spleen is stored?

Or in the stomach pit?

Come we to quick accord ...

At the last line, I hit!

You falter, you turn whiter?

You do so to afford Your foe a rhyme in "iter"? ...

You thrust at me-I ward- And balance is restored.

Laridon!21 Look to your spit! ... Look to your spit! ...

No, you shall not be floored Before my cue to hit!

[He announces solemnly.J ENVOI.

Prince, call upon the Lord! ...

I skirmish ... feint a bit ...

I lunge! ... I keep my word!

[The VICOMTE staggers; CYRANO bows.]

At the last line, I hit!

[Acclamations. Applause from the boxes. Flowers and handkerchiefs are thrown. The OFFICERS surround and congratulate CYRANO. RAGUENEAU dances with delight. LE BRET is tearfully joyous and at the same time highly troubled. The friends of the VICOMTE support him off the stage.]

THE CROWD [in a long shout] [in a long shout] Ah! ... Ah! ...

A LIGHT-CAVALRY MAN Superb!

A WOMAN Sweet!

RAGUENEAU Astounding!

A MARQUIS Novel!

LE BRET Insensate!

THE CROWD [pressing around [pressing around CYRANO] Congratulations! ... Well done! ... Bravo! ... CYRANO] Congratulations! ... Well done! ... Bravo! ...

A WOMAN' S VOICE He is a hero!

A MOUSQUETAIRE [striding swiftly toward [striding swiftly toward CYRANO, CYRANO, with outstretched hand] with outstretched hand] Monsieur, will you allow me? It was quite, quite excellently done, and I think I know whereof I speak. But, as a fact, I expressed my mind before, by making a huge noise.... Monsieur, will you allow me? It was quite, quite excellently done, and I think I know whereof I speak. But, as a fact, I expressed my mind before, by making a huge noise.... [He retires. [He retires. ] ]

CYRANO [to [to CUIGY] Who may the gentleman be? CUIGY] Who may the gentleman be?

CUIGY D'Artagnan.22 LE BRET [to CYRANO, taking his arm] taking his arm] Come, I wish to talk with you. Come, I wish to talk with you.

CYRANO Wait till the crowd has thinned. [To [To BELLEROSE]. I may remain? BELLEROSE]. I may remain?

BELLEROSE [deferentially] [deferentially] Why, certainly! ... Why, certainly! ... [Shouts are heard outside. J [Shouts are heard outside. J JODELET [after looking] [after looking] They are hooting Montfleury. BELLEROSE They are hooting Montfleury. BELLEROSE [solemnly] Sic transit! [solemnly] Sic transit!23 ... ... [In a different tone, to the doorkeeper and the candle snuffer.] [In a different tone, to the doorkeeper and the candle snuffer.] Sweep and close. Leave the lights. We shall come back, after eating, to rehea.r.s.e a new farce for to-morrow. Sweep and close. Leave the lights. We shall come back, after eating, to rehea.r.s.e a new farce for to-morrow. [Exeunt [Exeunt JODELET JODELET and and BELLEROSE, BELLEROSE, after bowing very low to after bowing very low to CYRANO.] CYRANO.]

THE DOORKEEPER [to [to CYRANO] Monsieur will not be going to dinner? CYRANO] Monsieur will not be going to dinner?

CYRANO I? ... No.

[The doorkeeper withdraws.]

LE BRET [to CYRANO] And this, because? ...

CYRANO [proudly] Because ... [in a different tone, having seen that the doorkeeper is too far to overhear] [in a different tone, having seen that the doorkeeper is too far to overhear] I have not a penny! I have not a penny!

LE BRET [making the motion of flinging a bag] [making the motion of flinging a bag] How is this? The bag of crowns.... How is this? The bag of crowns....

CYRANO Monthly remittance, thou lastedst but a day!

LE BRET And to keep you the remainder of the month? ... CYRANO Nothing is left!

LE BRET But then, flinging that bag, what a child's prank!

CYRANO But what a gesture! ...

THE SWEETMEAT VENDER [coughing behind her little counter] [coughing behind her little counter] Hm! ... [CYRANO Hm! ... [CYRANO and and LE BRET LE BRET turn toward her. She comes timidly forward.] turn toward her. She comes timidly forward.] ] Monsieur, to know you have not eaten ... makes my heart ache. ] Monsieur, to know you have not eaten ... makes my heart ache. [Pointing to the sweetmeat-stand. [Pointing to the sweetmeat-stand. I have there all that is needed.... I have there all that is needed.... (impulsively] (impulsively] Help yourself! Help yourself!

CYRANO [taking off his hat] [taking off his hat] Dear child, despite my Gascon pride, which forbids that I should profit at your hand by the most inconsiderable of dainties, I fear too much lest a denial should grieve you: I will accept therefore ... Dear child, despite my Gascon pride, which forbids that I should profit at your hand by the most inconsiderable of dainties, I fear too much lest a denial should grieve you: I will accept therefore ... [He goes to the stand and selects] [He goes to the stand and selects] Oh, a trifle! ... A grape off this ... Oh, a trifle! ... A grape off this ... [She proffers the bunch, he takes a single grape.] [She proffers the bunch, he takes a single grape.] No ... one! This gla.s.s of water ... No ... one! This gla.s.s of water ... [She starts to pour wine into it, he stops her.] [She starts to pour wine into it, he stops her.] No ... clear! And half a macaroon. No ... clear! And half a macaroon. [He breaks in two the macaroon, and returns half [He breaks in two the macaroon, and returns half.]

LE BRET This comes near being silly!

SWEETMEAT VENDER Oh, you will take something more! ...

CYRANO Yes. Your hand to kiss. [He kisses the hand she holds out to him, as if it were that of a princess. ] [He kisses the hand she holds out to him, as if it were that of a princess. ]

SWEETMEAT VENDER Monsieur, I thank you. [Curtseys.] [Curtseys.] Good evening! Good evening! (Exit.] (Exit.]

SCENE V.

Cyrano, Le Bret, then the Doorkeeper CYRANO [to LE BRET ] I am listening. LE BRET ] I am listening. [He establishes himself before the stand, sets the macaroon before him,] [He establishes himself before the stand, sets the macaroon before him,] Dinner! Dinner! [does the same with the gla.s.s of water], [does the same with the gla.s.s of water], Drink! Drink! [and with the grape] [and with the grape] Dessert! Dessert! [He sits down.] [He sits down.] La! let me begin! I was as hungry as a wolf! La! let me begin! I was as hungry as a wolf! [Eating.]You [Eating.]You were saying? were saying?

LE BRET That if you listen to none but those great b.o.o.bies and swashbucklers your judgment will become wholly perverted. Inquire, will you, of the sensible, concerning the effect produced to-day by your prowesses.

CYRANO [finis.h.i.+ng his macaroon] [finis.h.i.+ng his macaroon] Enormous! Enormous!

LE BRET The cardinal ...

CYRANO [beaming] [beaming] He was there, the cardinal? He was there, the cardinal?

LE BRET Must have found what you did....

CYRANO To a degree, original.

LE BRET Still ...

CYRANO He is a poet. It cannot be distasteful to him wholly that one should deal confusion to a fellow-poet's play.

LE BRET But, seriously, you make too many enemies!

CYRANO [biting into the grape] [biting into the grape] How many, thereabouts, should you think I made to-night? How many, thereabouts, should you think I made to-night?

LE BRET Eight and forty. Not mentioning the women. CYRANO Come, tell them over!

LE BRET Montfleury, the old merchant, De Guiche, the Vicomte, Baro, the whole Academy ...

CYRANO Enough! You steep me in bliss!

LE BRET But whither will the road you follow lead you? What can your object be?

CYRANO I was wandering aimlessly; too many roads were open ... too many resolves, too complex, allowed of being taken. I took ...

LE BRET Which?

CYRANO By far the simplest of them all. I decided to be, in every matter, always, admirable!

LE BRET [shrugging his shoulders] [shrugging his shoulders] That will do.-But tell me, will you not, the motive-look, the true one!-of your dislike to Montfleury. That will do.-But tell me, will you not, the motive-look, the true one!-of your dislike to Montfleury.

CYRANO [rising] [rising] That old Silenus, That old Silenus,24 who has not seen his knees this many a year, still believes himself a delicate desperate danger to the fair. And as he struts and burrs upon the stage, makes sheep's-eyes at them with his moist frog's-eyes. And I have hated him ... oh, properly! ... since the night he was so daring as to cast his glance on her ... her, who-Oh, I thought I saw a slug crawl over a flower! who has not seen his knees this many a year, still believes himself a delicate desperate danger to the fair. And as he struts and burrs upon the stage, makes sheep's-eyes at them with his moist frog's-eyes. And I have hated him ... oh, properly! ... since the night he was so daring as to cast his glance on her ... her, who-Oh, I thought I saw a slug crawl over a flower!

LE BRET [amazed] [amazed] Hey? What? Is it possible? ... Hey? What? Is it possible? ...

CYRANO [with a bitter laugh] [with a bitter laugh] That I should love? That I should love? [In a different tone, seriously.] [In a different tone, seriously.] I love. I love.

LE BRET And may one know? ... You never told me ...

CYRANO Whom I love? ... Come, think a little. The dream of being beloved, even by the beautiless, is made, to me, an empty dream indeed by this good nose, my forerunner ever by a quarter of an hour. Hence, whom should I love? ... It seems superfluous to tell you! ... I love ... it was inevitable! ... the most beautiful that breathes!

LE BRET The most beautiful? ...

CYRANO No less, in the whole world! And the most resplendent, and the most delicate of wit, and among the golden-haired ... [with overwhelming despair] [with overwhelming despair] Still the superlative! Still the superlative!

LE BRET Dear me, what is this fair one?

CYRANO All unawares, a deadly snare, exquisite without concern to be so. A snare of nature's own, a musk-rose, in which ambush Love lies low. Who has seen her smile remembers the ineffable! There is not a thing so common but she turns it into prettiness; and in the merest nod or beck she can make manifest all the attributes of a G.o.ddess. No, Venus! you cannot step into your iridescent sh.e.l.l, nor, Dian, you, walk through the blossoming groves, as she steps into her chair and walks in Paris!

LE BRET Sapristi! I understand! It is clear!

CYRANO It is pellucid.

LE BRET Magdeleine Robin, your cousin?

CYRANO Yes, Roxane.

LE BRET But, what could be better? You love her? Tell her so! You covered yourself with glory in her sight a moment since.

CYRANO Look well at me, dear friend, and tell me how much hope you think can be justly entertained with this protuberance. Oh, I foster no illusions! ... Sometimes, indeed, yes, in the violet dusk, I yield, even I! to a dreamy mood. I penetrate some garden that lies sweetening the hour. With my poor great devil of a nose I sniff the April.... And as I follow with my eyes some woman pa.s.sing with some cavalier, I think how dear would I hold having to walk beside me, linked like that, slowly, in the soft moonlight, such a one! I kindle-I forget-and then ... then suddenly I see the shadow of my profile upon the garden-wall! LE BRET [touched.] [touched.] My friend ... My friend ...

CYRANO Friend, I experience a bad half hour sometimes, in feeling so unsightly ... and alone.

LE BRET [in quick sympathy, taking his hand] [in quick sympathy, taking his hand] You weep? You weep?

CYRANO Ah, G.o.d forbid! That? Never! No, that would be unsightly to excess! That a tear should course the whole length of this nose! Never, so long as I am accountable, shall the divine loveliness of tears be implicated with so much gross ugliness! Mark me well, nothing is so holy as are tears, nothing! and never shall it be that, rousing mirth through me, a single one of them shall seem ridiculous!

LE BRET Come, do not despond! Love is a lottery.

CYRANO [shaking his head] [shaking his head] No! I love Cleopatra: do I resemble Caesar? I wors.h.i.+p Berenice: do I put you in mind of t.i.tus? No! I love Cleopatra: do I resemble Caesar? I wors.h.i.+p Berenice: do I put you in mind of t.i.tus?25 LE BRET But your courage ... and your wit!-The little girl who but a moment ago bestowed on you that very modest meal, her eyes, you must have seen as much, did not exactly hate you!

CYRANO [impressed] [impressed] That is true! That is true!

LE BRET You see? So, then!-But Roxane herself, in following your duel, went lily-pale.

CYRANO Lily-pale? ...

LE BRET Her mind, her heart as well, are struck with wonder! Be bold, speak to her, in order that she may ...

CYRANO Laugh in my face! ... No, there is but one thing upon earth I fear.... It is that.