Act 2 — SCENE VII.
Charles Renauld translation
CYRANO, RAGUENEAU, THE POETS, CARBON OF HAUGHTY-HALL, THE CADETS, THE CROWD, etc., later LE BRET, and then GUICHE.
RAGUENEAU.
The coast is clear?
CYRANO (motionless).
Yes.
(Ragueneau makes a sign, and his friends come in. At the same moment appears in the doorway Carbon of Haughty-Hall, in full uniform of Captain of the Guards; he lifts his arms on discovering Cyrano.)
CARBON.
Here he is at last!
CYRANO (raising his eyes).
Captain!....
CARBON (rejoiced).
Our hero! We heard it all. Thirty at least of the Cadets are here!....
CYRANO (falling back).
But, Captain....
CARBON (trying to take him along).
Come! They wish to see you!
CYRANO.
No, I cannot!
CARBON.
They are over the way, at the Inn of the Cross.
CYRANO.
I cannot.
CARBON (going to the door and shouting outside).
Our hero refuses. He is out of sorts!
A VOICE (outside).
Sandious![17]
(Noise outside. Sound of swords and boots drawing near.)
CARBON (rubbing his hands).
They are crossing the street!....
THE CADETS (invading the shop).
Milledious!—Capededious!—Mordious!—Pocapdedious!
RAGUENEAU (retreating in terror).
Why, gentlemen, are you all from Gascony?
THE CADETS.
Everyone of us!
A CADET (to Cyrano).
Bravo!
CYRANO.
Baron, yours!....
ANOTHER CADET (shaking Cyrano's hand).
Bravo!
CYRANO.
Yours, baron!
THIRD CADET.
Allow me to embrace you!
CYRANO.
Baron, baron!
SEVERAL CADETS.
Let us all embrace him!
CYRANO.
Baron.... baron.... spare me!....
RAGUENEAU.
But, gentlemen, are you all barons?
THE CADETS.
All of us!
FIRST CADET.
With our coronets alone you could build a tower.
LE BRET (enters and runs up to Cyrano).
An enthusiastic crowd is looking for you!
CYRANO (frightened).
You didn't tell them where I am?
LE BRET (rubbing his hands).
Of course I did!
(The street is crowded with pedestrians, chaises and coaches, all stopping before the door.)
You saw Roxane?
CYRANO (rapidly).
Be silent!
THE CROWD (outside).
Cyrano! Cyrano!
(They invade the shop, pushing each other, and shower Cyrano with congratulations.)
RAGUENEAU (standing on a table).
My shop is taken by storm! and almost wrecked! Beautiful! Beautiful!
PEOPLE AROUND CYRANO.
Dear friend!.... Brave friend.... Heroic friend!....
CYRANO.
Yesterday I had nothing like as many friends!....
LE BRET (delighted).
Success, you see! Success!
A MARQUIS (running up with extended hands).
If you only knew, dear boy....
CYRANO.
Dear boy? Dear boy? On what field did we ever camp together?
MARQUIS.
I should be pleased to present you, Sir, to some ladies who are outside in my coach.
CYRANO.
But, first, you—who will present you to me?
LE BRET (dumbfounded).
Why! friend, what ails you?
CYRANO.
Be silent, please!
A MAN OF LETTERS (with pen and tablets).
May I not gather some details....
CYRANO.
You may not!
LE BRET (aside to Cyrano).
But this is Theophraste Renaudot, who invented the gazette!
CYRANO.
I care not!
LE BRET.
.... That sheet in which are found so many things of interest. The idea, it is said, has before it a great future.
A POET.
Dear Sir, I desire to build upon your name a pentacrostic.
ANOTHER POET.
I desire, dear Sir,....
CYRANO.
Enough! Enough!
(Movement. The crowd becomes more orderly and opens. Guiche appears, with an escort of officers: Cuigy, Brissaille, the officers who accompanied Cyrano at the close of Act I.)
CUIGY (running up to Cyrano).
Here is Monsieur de Guiche! He is sent by Marshal de Gassion!
GUICHE (bowing to Cyrano).
.... Who desires to express to you, Sir, his admiration for the wonderful prowess that we have just heard of.
THE CROWD.
Bravo! Bravo!
CYRANO (bowing).
The Marshal is a connoisseur in deeds of valour.
GUICHE.
He never would have believed the feat possible, if these gentlemen had not sworn that they witnessed it.
CUIGY.
With our own good eyes!
LE BRET (aside, to Cyrano, who seems lost in thought).
My good friend....
CYRANO (to Le Bret).
Be silent!
LE BRET (aside to Cyrano).
You seem to suffer!
CYRANO (awakening and drawing himself up).
Before all these people!.... I .... Suffer!.... Watch, and you shall see.
GUICHE (to whom Cuigy has whispered a few words).
All know that you have accomplished wonders before this. You are serving the King with these hare-brained Gascons, are you not?
CYRANO.
Yes, with the cadets.
A CADET (in stentorian tones).
With us!
GUICHE (looking at the Gascons, who have aligned behind Cyrano).
Ah! ah!.... So these haughty-looking gentlemen are the famous....
CARBON.
Cyrano!
CYRANO.
Captain?
CARBON.
Since my Company is all here, I believe, present it to the Count, if you please.
CYRANO (taking two steps toward Guiche, and pointing to the Cadets).
Fair Gascony's cadets are they, With Carbon—He of Haughty-Hall;[18] They fight and lie without dismay, Fair Gascony's cadets are they! In heraldry they've all to say, And pedigrees like theirs appall. Fair Gascony's cadets are they, With Carbon—He of Haughty-Hall! With eagle eye, in crane's array, With cat's mustache, and tooth for all, Through rabble growling as they may, With eagle eye, in crane's array, They strut with hats in sad decay Beneath their plumes so bright and tall! With eagle eye, in crane's array, With cat's mustache, and tooth for all! Abdomen-Blade and Slash-Away Are names to them of pleasant fall. They thirst for glory night and day Abdomen-Blade and Slash-Away! In every battle brawl, or fray.... They congregate as for a ball.... Abdomen-Blade and Slash-Away Are names to them of pleasant fall! Fair Gascony's cadets are they To husbands....writing on the wall! O woman, wench of godly clay, Fair Gascony's cadets are they! Though jealous masters fume and bray, Let trumpet sound! Let cuckoo call! Fair Gascony's cadets are they, To husbands, writing on the wall!
GUICHE (comfortably seated in an armchair that Ragueneau promptly brought in).
A poet is one of our choice luxuries to-day. Will you be mine?
CYRANO.
No, Sir, nobody's!
GUICHE.
Your ready wit, yesterday, caused much amusement to my uncle Richelieu. I shall take pleasure in recommending you to him.
LE BRET (dazzled).
What a good fortune!
GUICHE.
You certainly must have rimed some five-act tragedy?
LE BRET (whispering to Cyrano).
Your "Agrippine!" You'll have it played!
GUICHE.
Yes, take your work to the Cardinal.
CYRANO (delighted and tempted).
But, really....
GUICHE.
He is quite an expert, but will not make too many corrections!
CYRANO (whose face has immediately resumed its severe look).
Impossible, Sir! My blood curdles at the thought of my verse being improved by the displacement or the addition of a single comma.
GUICHE.
But, on the other hand, my dear fellow, when a line pleases him, he pays for it a large price.
CYRANO.
Not so large a one as I myself pay. When I have written a line and then I fall in love with it, I buy it from and sing it to myself.
GUICHE.
Your disposition is a proud one!
CYRANO.
Really, you noticed it?
A CADET (enters with, strung on a sword, a number of hats, crushed, pierced and very much dejected as to plumes).
Behold, Cyrano! This morning, on the quay, we found this sorry feathered game. The hats of those you put to flight!....
CARBON.
Spolia opima!
(Everybody laughs.)
CUIGY.
Whoever paid these cut-throats must to-day regret his bargain.
BRISSAILLE.
Does anyone know who it is?
GUICHE.
It is I!
(Laughing stops short.)
I had hired them—a nobleman is above doing these things himself—to chastise—a drunkard rimester.
(General embarrassment.)
THE CADET (aside to Cyrano, pointing to the hats).
What shall we do with them? They are greasy enough to make a stew.
CYRANO (taking the sword on which the hats are strung, and allowing them, as he salutes, to slip off at the feet of Guiche).
You may desire, Sir, to return them to your friends.
GUICHE (rising and in sharp tones).
My chair, immediately!
(to Cyrano, angrily).
As to you, Sir!....
A VOICE (in the street).
The chair of his lordship Count de Guiche.
GUICHE (who has conquered his feelings and now smiles).
No doubt you've read Don Quixote?
CYRANO.
Yes, and, when I hear the name of this enthusiast, I doff my hat.
GUICHE.
Then kindly meditate The windmill chapter....
CYRANO (bowing).
Yes,—I know—thirteenth.
GUICHE.
When windmills are attacked it happens oft....
CYRANO.
Have I attacked some noble weather-vane?
GUICHE.
That, if their mighty arms revolve, a man Is dashed to earth!....
CYRANO.
Or lifted to the stars!
(Exit Guiche, who enters his chair. His friends, whispering. Crowd withdraws.)