Part 2 (1/2)

SWEETMEAT VENDER Lacrima?10 ... ...

LIGNIeRE Stop! [To CHRISTIAN] I will tarry a bit.... Let us see this lacrima? [Sits down at the sweetmeat stand. The [Sits down at the sweetmeat stand. The VENDER VENDER pours him a gla.s.s of lacrima pours him a gla.s.s of lacrima] [Shouts among [Shouts among the the audience at the entrance of a little, merry-faced, roly-poly man.] audience at the entrance of a little, merry-faced, roly-poly man.]

AUDIENCE Ah, Ragueneau! ...

LIGNIERE [to CHRISTIAN] Ragueneau, who keeps the great cookshop.

RAGUENEAU [attired like like a pastrycook in his Sunday best, coming quickly toward a pastrycook in his Sunday best, coming quickly toward LIGNIERE] Monsieur, have you seen Monsieur de Cyrano? LIGNIERE] Monsieur, have you seen Monsieur de Cyrano?

LIGNIERE [presenting [presenting RAGUENEAU RAGUENEAU to to CHRISTIAN] The pastrycook of poets and of players! CHRISTIAN] The pastrycook of poets and of players!

RAGUENEAU [abashed] Too much honor....

LIGNIERE No modesty! ... Mecaenas! ...

RAGUENEAU It is true, those gentlemen are among my customers ...

LIGNIERE Debitors! ... A considerable poet himself.... RAGUENEAU It has been said! ...

LIGNIERE Daft on poetry! ...

RAGUENEAU It is true that for an ode...

LIGNIERE You are willing to give at any time a tart! RAGUENEAU ... let. A tart-let.

LIGNIERE Kind soul, he tries to cheapen his charitable acts! And for a triolet# were you not known to give ... ?

RAGUENEAU Rolls. Just rolls.

LIGNIERE [severely] b.u.t.tered!... And the play, you are fond of the play?

RAGUENEAU It is with me a pa.s.sion!

LIGNIERE And you settle for your entrance fee with a pastry currency. Come now, among ourselves, what did you have to give today for admittance here?

RAGUENEAU Four custards... eighteen lady-fingers. [He looks all around] Monsieur de Cyrano is not here. I wonder at it.

LIGNIERE And why?

RAGUENEAU Montfleury is billed to play.

LIGNIERE So it is, indeed. That ton of man will to-day entrance us in the part of Phdo ... Phoedo!11 ... But what is that to Cyrano? ... But what is that to Cyrano?

RAGUENEAU Have you not heard? He interdicted Montfleury, whom he has taken in aversion, from appearing for one month upon the stage.

LIGNIERE [who is at his fourth gla.s.s [who is at his fourth gla.s.s] Well?

RAGUENEAU Montfleury is billed to play.

CUIGY [who has drawn near with his companions] [who has drawn near with his companions] He cannot be prevented. He cannot be prevented.

RAGUENIEAU He cannot? ... Well, I am here to see!

FIRST MARQUIS What is this Cyrano?

CUIGY A crack-brain!

SECOND MARQUIS Of quality?

CUIGY Enough for daily uses. He is a cadet in the Guards. [Pointing out a gentleman who is coming and going about the pit, as if in search of somebody [Pointing out a gentleman who is coming and going about the pit, as if in search of somebody] But his friend Le Bret can tell you. [Calling] Le Bret! ...

[LE BRET comes toward them comes toward them] . You are looking for Bergerac?

LE BRET Yes. I am uneasy.

CUIGY Is it not a fact that he is a most uncommon fellow?

LE BRET [affectionately] The most exquisite being he is that walks beneath the moon!

RAGUENEAU Poet!

CUIGY Swordsman!

BRISSAILLE Physicist!

LE BRET. Musician!

LIGNIERE And what an extraordinary aspect he presents!

RAGUENEAU I will not go so far as to say that I believe our grave Philippe de Champaigne12 will leave us a portrait of him; but, the bizarre, excessive, whimsical fellow that he is would certainly have furnished the late Jacques Callot with a type of madcap fighter for one of his masques. will leave us a portrait of him; but, the bizarre, excessive, whimsical fellow that he is would certainly have furnished the late Jacques Callot with a type of madcap fighter for one of his masques.13 Hat with triple feather, doublet with twice-triple skirt, cloak which his interminable rapier lifts up behind, with pomp, like the insolent tail of a c.o.c.k; prouder than all the Artabans that Gascony ever bred, Hat with triple feather, doublet with twice-triple skirt, cloak which his interminable rapier lifts up behind, with pomp, like the insolent tail of a c.o.c.k; prouder than all the Artabans that Gascony ever bred, he goes about in his stiff Punchinello ruff, airing a nose.... Ah, gentlemen, what a nose is that! One cannot look upon such a specimen of the nasigera without exclaiming, ”No! truly, the man exaggerates,” ... After that, one smiles, one says: ”He will take it off.” ... But Monsieur de Bergerac never takes it off at all. he goes about in his stiff Punchinello ruff, airing a nose.... Ah, gentlemen, what a nose is that! One cannot look upon such a specimen of the nasigera without exclaiming, ”No! truly, the man exaggerates,” ... After that, one smiles, one says: ”He will take it off.” ... But Monsieur de Bergerac never takes it off at all.

LE BRET [shaking his head] He wears it always... and cuts down whoever breathes a syllable in comment.

RAGUENEAU [proudly] [proudly] His blade is half the shears of Fate! His blade is half the shears of Fate!

FIRST MARQUIS [shrugging his shoulders] [shrugging his shoulders] He will not come! He will not come!

RAGUENEAU He will. I wager you a chicken a la Ragueneau.

FIRST MARQUIS [laughing] Very well! [Murmur of admiration in the house. ROXANE has appeared in her box. She takes a seat in the front, her duenna at the back. CHRISTIAN, engaged in paying the sweetmeat vender, does not look.] [Murmur of admiration in the house. ROXANE has appeared in her box. She takes a seat in the front, her duenna at the back. CHRISTIAN, engaged in paying the sweetmeat vender, does not look.]

SECOND MARQUIS [uttering a series of small squeals] Ah, gentlemen, she is horrifically enticing! Ah, gentlemen, she is horrifically enticing!

FIRST MARQUIS A strawberry set in a peach, and smiling!

SECOND MARQUIS So fresh, that being near her, one might catch cold in his heart!

CHRISTIAN [looks up, sees [looks up, sees ROXANE, ROXANE, and, agitated, seizes and, agitated, seizes LIGNIeRE LIGNIeRE by the arm by the arm] That is she!