Читать книгу Cyrano de Bergerac - Edmond Rostand - Страница 7

Scene 1.I.

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The public, arriving by degrees. Troopers, burghers, lackeys, pages, a pickpocket, the doorkeeper, etc., followed by the marquises. Cuigy, Brissaille, the buffet-girl, the violinists, etc.


(A confusion of loud voices is heard outside the door. A trooper enters hastily.)

THE DOORKEEPER (following him):

Hollo! You there! Your money!


THE TROOPER:

I enter gratis.

THE DOORKEEPER:

Why?

THE TROOPER:

Why? I am of the King's Household Cavalry, 'faith!

THE DOORKEEPER (to another trooper who 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! …

(They form in groups round the lusters as they are lit. Some people have taken their seats in the galleries. Ligniere, a distinguished-looking roue, with disordered shirt-front arm-in-arm with christian de Neuvillette. Christian, who is dressed elegantly, but rather behind the fashion, seems preoccupied, and keeps looking at the boxes.)

Cyrano de Bergerac

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