Cyrano de Bergerac (English translation) | Page 4

enters): And you?
SECOND TROOPER: I pay nothing.
THE DOORKEEPER: How so?
SECOND TROOPER: I am a musketeer.
FIRST TROOPER (to the second): The play will not begin till two. The
pit is empty. Come, a bout with the foils to pass the time.
(They fence with the foils they have brought.)
A LACKEY (entering): Pst. . .Flanquin. . .!
ANOTHER (already there): Champagne?. . .
THE FIRST (showing him cards and dice which he takes from his
doublet): See, here be cards and dice. (He seats himself on the floor):
Let's play.
THE SECOND (doing the same): Good; I am with you, villain!
FIRST LACKEY (taking from his pocket a candle-end, which he lights,
and sticks on the floor): I made free to provide myself with light at my
master's expense!
A GUARDSMAN (to a shop-girl who advances): 'Twas prettily done to
come before the lights were lit!
(He takes her round the waist.)
ONE OF THE FENCERS (receiving a thrust): A hit!
ONE OF THE CARD-PLAYERS: Clubs!
THE GUARDSMAN (following the girl): A kiss!
THE SHOP-GIRL (struggling to free herself): They're looking!
THE GUARDSMAN (drawing her to a dark corner): No fear! No one
can see!
A MAN (sitting on the ground with others, who have brought their
provisions): By coming early, one can eat in comfort.
A BURGHER (conducting his son): Let us sit here, son.
A CARD-PLAYER: Triple ace!
A MAN (taking a bottle from under his cloak, and also seating himself
on the floor): A tippler may well quaff his Burgundy (he drinks): in the
Burgundy Hotel!
THE BURGHER (to his son): 'Faith! A man might think he had fallen
in a bad house here! (He points with his cane to the drunkard): What
with topers! (One of the fencers in breaking off, jostles him): brawlers!
(He stumbles into the midst of the card-players): gamblers!

THE GUARDSMAN (behind him, still teasing the shop-girl): Come,
one kiss!
THE BURGHER (hurriedly pulling his son away): By all the holies!
And this, my boy, is the theater where they played Rotrou erewhile.
THE YOUNG MAN: Ay, and Corneille!
A TROOP OF PAGES (hand-in-hand, enter dancing the farandole, and
singing): Tra' a la, la, la, la, la, la, la, lere. . .
THE DOORKEEPER (sternly, to the pages): You pages there, none of
your tricks!. . .
FIRST PAGE (with an air of wounded dignity): Oh, sir!--such a
suspicion!. . . (Briskly, to the second page, the moment the
doorkeeper's back is turned): Have you string?
THE SECOND: Ay, and a fish-hook with it.
FIRST PAGE: We can angle for wigs, then, up there i' th' gallery.
A PICKPOCKET (gathering about him some evil-looking youths):
Hark ye, young cut-purses, lend an ear, while I give you your first
lesson in thieving.
SECOND PAGE (calling up to others in the top galleries): You there!
Have you peashooters?
THIRD PAGE (from above): Ay, have we, and peas withal!
(He blows, and peppers them with peas.)
THE YOUNG MAN (to his father): What piece do they give us?
THE BURGHER: 'Clorise.'
THE YOUNG MAN: Who may the author be?
THE BURGHER: Master Balthazar Baro. It is a play!. . .
(He goes arm-in-arm with his son.)
THE PICKPOCKET (to his pupils): Have a care, above all, of the lace
knee-ruffles--cut them off!
A SPECTATOR (to another, showing him a corner in the gallery): I
was up there, the first night of the 'Cid.'
THE PICKPOCKET (making with his fingers the gesture of filching):
Thus for watches--
THE BURGHER (coming down again with his son): Ah! You shall
presently see some renowned actors. . .
THE PICKPOCKET (making the gestures of one who pulls something
stealthily, with little jerks): Thus for handkerchiefs--
THE BURGHER: Montfleury. . .

SOME ONE (shouting from the upper gallery): Light up, below there!
THE BURGHER: . . .Bellerose, L'Epy, La Beaupre, Jodelet!
A PAGE (in the pit): Here comes the buffet-girl!
THE BUFFET-GIRL (taking her place behind the buffet): Oranges,
milk, raspberry-water, cedar bitters!
(A hubbub outside the door is heard.)
A FALSETTO VOICE: Make place, brutes!
A LACKEY (astonished): The Marquises!--in the pit?. . .
ANOTHER LACKEY: Oh! only for a minute or two!
(Enter a band of young marquises.)
A MARQUIS (seeing that the hall is half empty): What now! So we
make our entrance like a pack of woolen-drapers! Peaceably, without
disturbing the folk, or treading on their toes!--Oh, fie! Fie!
(Recognizing some other gentlemen who have entered a little before
him): Cuigy! Brissaille!
(Greetings and embraces.)
CUIGY: True to our word!. . .Troth, we are here before the candles are
lit.
THE MARQUIS: Ay, indeed! Enough! I am of an ill humor.
ANOTHER: Nay, nay, Marquis! see, for your consolation, they are
coming to light up!
ALL THE AUDIENCE (welcoming the entrance of the lighter): Ah!.