Act 4 — SCENE VII.
Charles Renauld translation
The same, GUICHE.
GUICHE.
It smells good here!
A CADET (humming an air, unconcernedly).
To lo lo!....
GUICHE (stopping and looking at him).
Why! what is the matter?.... You are as red as a beet!
THE CADET.
I?.... Oh! nothing. Merely my blood. We are going to fight. It boils!
ANOTHER CADET.
Poum.... poum.... poum.... patapoum....
GUICHE (turning to him).
What is this, now?
THE CADET (slightly feeling the effects of wine).
That, oh! nothing. Just a little song!
GUICHE.
You are of a lively disposition, my boy!
THE CADET.
Oh! the approach of danger!
GUICHE (calling Carbon to give an order).
Captain,....
(looking at him with astonishment).
Zounds! You, too, have an over-healthy look!
CARBON (very red in the face, and hiding a bottle behind his back).
Oh! constitution....
GUICHE.
I had a field-piece left and I ordered it placed in that corner (pointing to the wings).
Your men may have occasion to use it.
ONE OF THE CADETS (with an affectation of thankfulness).
Delightful attention!
ANOTHER CADET (smiling gracefully).
Exquisitely thoughtful!
GUICHE (aside).
Why! they have all gone mad!—
(sternly).
As you are not accustomed to using cannon, beware of the recoil.
FIRST CADET.
Who cares for recoil?
GUICHE (going up to him, in rage).
Look here, Sir!....
THE CADET.
Gascon guns never move backward.
GUICHE (taking him by the arm and shaking him).
You are intoxicated, Sir!.... with what?
THE CADET (proudly).
With the smell of gun powder!
GUICHE (shrugs his shoulders, pushes him, and goes up to Roxane).
You must decide quickly. What will you be pleased to do?
ROXANE.
I remain!
GUICHE.
No, better escape!
ROXANE.
Fly? Never.
GUICHE.
Such being the case, give me a musket!
CARBON.
What for?
GUICHE.
I, too, will remain.
CYRANO.
At last, Sir, you show your courage!
FIRST CADET.
So you are a true Gascon, after all, in spite of your lace?
GUICHE.
I never abandon a woman in danger!
SECOND CADET (to the first Cadet).
Say! don't you think he deserves something to eat?
(Eatables and drinkables instantly reappear.)
GUICHE (whose eyes brighten).
Provisions!
THIRD CADET.
Every doublet covers some!
GUICHE (mastering himself, proudly).
I eat nobody's leavings!
CYRANO (bowing).
You are improving, Sir!
GUICHE (proudly and forgetting to master his natural Gascon accent).
I know how to fight on an empty stomach! A jeung!
FIRST CADET (overjoyed).
He said it with the Gascon accent!
GUICHE (laughing).
Did I?
THE CADET.
He is one of us!
(They all begin to dance.)
CARBON (who has been away a moment behind the embankment, reappearing on top of it).
My men are placed, and determined!
(He points to a row of lances that show over the crest of the embankment.)
GUICHE (to Roxane, bowing).
Will you accept my hand to pass them in review?....
(She gives her hand and they go up to the embankment. Hats come off, and everybody follows.)
CHRISTIAN (going up to Cyrano).
Now! speak quickly!
(As Roxane appears on the crest, the lances disappear in a salute; she bows.)
THE MEN (outside).
Hurrah!
CHRISTIAN.
What is your secret?....
CYRANO.
In case Roxane...
CHRISTIAN.
Well?
CYRANO.
Should speak to you of letters....
CHRISTIAN.
Yes, yes, I know!....
CYRANO.
Do not be silly enough to appear surprised....
CHRISTIAN.
Surprised by what?
CYRANO.
Oh! I must tell you.... The simplest thing in the world .... and I happened to think of it only to-day, on seeing her. You have....
CHRISTIAN.
I have what?
CYRANO.
You have....written to her more often than you think.
CHRISTIAN.
How so?
CYRANO.
Well! I had undertaken to speak for you, and I interpreted your love. Sometimes I wrote without saying to you: I'm writing!
CHRISTIAN.
Oh! you did?
CYRANO.
Yes, the simplest thing in the world, as I said!
CHRISTIAN.
But, since we have been hemmed in, how did you manage to....
CYRANO.
Oh!.... Before dawn I could pass through the lines....
CHRISTIAN (folding his arms).
Ah! another very simple matter, I suppose? And how many times a week did I write?.... Twice?—Three times?—Four times?—
CYRANO.
More.
CHRISTIAN.
Every day?
CYRANO.
Yes, every day,—twice.
CHRISTIAN (with violence).
And this enraptured you, and the rapture was such that each day you faced death....
CYRANO (noticing Roxane, who is returning).
Hush! not in her presence!
(Exit rapidly, under his tent.)