Читать книгу The Hunchback - Paul Feval - Страница 5

PROLOGUE, SCENE 1

The Adam’s Apple Inn. A room in a hotel on the frontier of France and Spain. To the right, near the audience, a window opening on the moats of the Château. Further back, in cutaway, a gate opening on the street. To the left, near the audience, a door opening on a garden. To the left, at the back, an entry with two doors, between them a tall dresser, Tables, chairs, etc, etc.

Martine is hurriedly arranging bowls and glasses. Peyrolles is by the door at the left.

MARTINE: With what sort of characters have you arranged a meeting at my place?

PEYROLLES: (pointing to six rapiers hanging on the wall.) Swordsmen.

MARTINE: Rather of sack and rope.

PEYROLLES: No news yet of the little page of Mr. de Nevers?

MARTINE: Of that poor lad you made me put to sleep by means of I don’t know what drug mixed in his wine?

PEYROLLES: He hasn’t returned with a reply to the letter?

MARTINE: The one you took from him in his sleep?

PEYROLLES: Oh, just borrowed, merely borrowed, dame Martine. I faithfully put it back in his pocket.

MARTINE: Yes, after having read it, and copied it even.

PEYROLLES: Did he notice?

MARTINE: Aren’t you a sorcerer, Mr. Peyrolles?

PEYROLLES: I’m not clumsy, that’s all. (going to the door at the right) Where are my braves?

MARTINE: Your strong breed? They were under the tunnel gambling when they are not drinking, drinking when they are not gambling.

PEYROLLES: I am expecting two others, the best, Master Cocardesse the younger, and Amable Passepoil, his provost.

MARTINE: Again!

VOICE (from the tunnel) Wine! Wine! (Martine goes into the room at the right)

PEYROLLES: Give these gentlemen all that they ask for.

MARTINE: Nice work! Happily, you’re the one who’s paying! Were it not for that—

VOICES: Wine! Wine!

PEYROLLES: I will return once they’re full. Let them drink but keep them quiet.

(Peyrolles leaves)

MARTINE: I will never be able to prevent those demons from continuing their Sabbath. What’s that I hear on the highway? Is it at least a practicing Christian who’s coming to me?

(looking) Ah! Those are the two bandits that Mr. de Peyrolles is expecting. They are more sinister than the others.

COCARDASSE: (appearing) Hey! Goddam! Here it’s been two hours that we’ve seen this devil of a château on its mountain; it seems to me it moves as fast as we do. Finally, we’ve got it. (enters and swaggers with an impudent pride) Have no fear, my snail, come in, my good man, we are in port.

PASSEPOIL: Throw us an anchor.

COCARDASSE: Sonofabitch! Wine! (taking the bowl on the table and drinking)

PASSEPOIL: (noticing Martine) Son of a bitch! A woman! (grabbing her by the waist and trying to kiss her)

MARTINE: (escaping) Help! Help!

PASSEPOIL: Let’s not shout, Venus. Come on, a little kiss, Queen of Love.

MARTINE: That fat guy is crazy!

PASSEPOIL: I am mad, yes, but I am not fat. It seems I have a heart that’s not common. It keeps getting bigger, and, as the body envelops the heart, naturally, the body enlarges. But I am all heart, beauty of beauties, and this heart is yours!

MARTINE: Let me go or I scream fire!

COCARDASSE: (who’s been drinking) Caramba! Can’t you even control your passions?

PASSEPOIL: I’m only asking for a kiss on the hand.

MARTINE: My hand! Here it is. (smacking him and moving away)

PASSEPOIL: It’s still a favor. From a woman all is good.

MARTINE: Then let me go announce you to the others.

COCARDASSE: They’ve got here. Er, yes, dammit! I see their rapiers. Announce to them, Cocardasse, Jr.

PASSEPOIL: And Amable Passepoil, who is addressing you, Calypso.

COCARDASSE: They’ve seen us. They’re rushing to meet us, here they are.

ALL: Cocardasse!

PASSEPOIL: (aside) Oh, villainous faces!

COCARDASSE: Have no fear! All friends. (they exchange hand grips)

STAUPITZ: (at the table) Wine, as if it were raining, to celebrate the arrival of friends.

MARTINE: (serving) Here, here. You need a flood to satisfy you.

PASSEPOIL: A flood of kisses, my beautiful angel!

MARTINE: I debit only whacks.

COCARDASSE: By Jove! We are here to speak seriously; be gone, little one, you are inflaming him.

MARTINE: Get out? I ask nothing better. (she leaves)

COCARDASSE: Women will be the ruin of this little fellow. Now, my pretties, let’s talk about our business. There are eight of us here. All professors of the art of swordsmanship! Each of us can hold his head against three men properly handling the sword: In that case, are we going to have a dust-up with an army?

STAUPITZ: No, we are going to have business with a single cavalier.

COCARDASSE: And what then is the name of this giant who fights against eight men worth half a dozen heroes by Jove!

STAUPITZ: It’s Duke Philippe de Nevers.

CARCADASSE: (grimacing) Him! Him!

PASSEPOIL: (imitating him) Him! Him!

ALL: What’s wrong with you?

STAUPITZ: It seems you want to abandon the party?

PASSEPOIL: We saw the Duke de Nevers in Paris. He’s a chap that will settle your accounts.

ALL: (shouting) Ours!

COCARDASSE: You’ve never heard tell of the thrust of Nevers?

STAUPITZ: Just balderdash these secret thrusts!

ALL: Yes, yes.

COCARDASSE: (proudly) Sonofabitch! I think I’ve got a good foot, and good eye, and good guard, my pretties, and yet I was touched three times in a row right in front of my whole academy.

PASSEPOIL: In our own academy!

COCARDASSE: There’s one man alone capable of holding his head with Philippe de Nevers, sword in hand.

PASSEPOIL: One alone.

ALL: And this man?

COCARDASSE: It’s a little Parisian, the Chevalier Henri de Lagardère.

(A moment of silence, the bravos look at each other)

STAUPITZ: The one who killed all the Flemish provosts beneath the walls of Senlis?

COCARDASSE: There’s only one Lagardère, Here’s Mr. de Peyrolles, the agent of the Prince of Gonzague! Gentlemen, the thrust of Nevers is worth gold, let my noble friend and myself act, and whatever we say to this Peyrolles, support us. And those who tonight, have not had their thighs pierced by the sword of Philippe de Nevers will have enough money to empty a cask to the memory of the deceased.

(Peyrolles enters. All rise and bow to him)

PEYROLLES: (after having counted with his eyes) Here you all are, my masters, that’s fine. Shut that door. I am going to tell you briefly what you will have to do.

COCARDASSE: (to the table) We are listening, my good Mr. de Peyrolles. (leaning on his elbows) Well then?

PEYROLLES: (at the window) This evening, around nine o’clock, a man will come on this highway you see here. Look, there in the ditches beneath the drawbridge, all is rising; do you notice a low window closed by oak shutters?

COCARDASSE: Perfectly, my good Mr. Peyrolles.

PASSEPOIL: Perfectly, my good Mr. Peyrolles.

ALL: Perfectly.

PEYROLLES: The man will approach this window.

COCARDASSE: And, at that moment we will accost him.

PEYROLLES: (laughing) Politely.

ALL: Politely.

PEYROLLES: And you will earn all your money.

COCARDASSE: This good Mr. Peyrolles; there’s still a word to be said.

PEYROLLES: It’s agreed.

ALL: Agreed.

(Peyrolles makes a move to leave.)

COCARDASSE: How can you speak like this without revealing to us the name of the man we are to accost—politely?

PEYROLLES: What’s it to you?

COCARDASSE: (coming forward ) Dear me! You didn’t tell me that this nocturnal visitor is none other than the Prince Philippe de Lorraine, Duke of Nevers, who is the best blade in France and Navarre.

PEYROLLES: There will be eight of you against him.

COCARDASSE: To begin with, but who knows if even one will remain at the end?

PEYROLLES: Come on!

COCARDASSE Hum! From the moment it’s a question of Mr. de Nevers—

PEYROLLES: You hesitate?

COCARDASSE: No, I refuse. I don’t know if my little provost Passepoil will be more enterprising than I am.

PASSEPOIL: I’m leaving.

PEYROLLES: You want to laugh my funny fellows! If the job is more difficult, we will pay more dearly, that’s all.

COCARDASSE: With men of wit one always comes to an agreement.

PASSEPOIL: One always comes to an agreement.

COCARDASSE: What sum was agreed on?

STAUPITZ: Two hundred miserly pistoles!

CAOCARDASSE: I want, hum, two thousand, two thousand. Is that enough, my pebble?

PASSEPOIL: No.

COCARDASSE: The little fellow says no.

PEYROLLES: Cut short the verbiage. What do you want?

COCARDASSE: Three thousand pistoles.

PEYROLLES: Agreed.

COCARDASSE: Is that enough, my pebble?

PASSEPOIL: Yes.

COCARDASSE: The little fellow says yes.

PEYROLLLES: That’s lucky.

COCARDASSE: Deal done.

PEYROLLES: Shake.

(Cocardasse looks at his hand without taking it; then he raps his hand on his sword, gesture by Peyrolles)

COCARDASSE: There’s the scrivener who answers to me for you, my good man.

(he bows affectedly, all imitate him)

PEYROLLES: (ready to leave) If you fail, you get nothing

COCARDASSE: That goes without saying.

(Peyrolles leaves, everyone bursts out laughing)

COCARDASSE: Wine! Something to drink!

(Staupitz, Pinto, and Faenza have accompanied Peyrolles to the door, making an ironic bow)

SHOUTS (outside) Help! Help!

COCARDASSE: What’s that?

STAUPITZ: Those are partisans coming to forage in the moats of the Castle.

COCARDASSE: Those clowns are bold. How many are they?

STAUPITZ: (at the door, counting) Three, Four, Six, Eight.

COCARDASSE: Exactly as many as us. We could laugh a bit.

PASSEPOIL: Exactly. I’m beginning to get bored. There they are.

CARRIGUE: This way, gentlemen.

COCARDASSE: My masters, I think it’s time to unhook your rapiers. (they gird on their swords) Now we will be in ranks. (they go back to the table, all elbows are touching)

CARRIGUE (outside) There’s one thing.

CORCADASSE: We say the best way to keep on guard is a left handed provost.

CARRIGUE: (in the doorway) Holá! The inn is full. It must be emptied. (they enter) There, beat it, and fast; there’s only room here for volunteers of the king. (all the bravos want to leave; Cocardasse stops them)

COCARDASSE: Stay put. Let’s be sociable and make these gentleman volunteers of the king dance in tune. (they rise and bow with excessive politeness)

CARRIGUE: Can’t you see we need your tables and your stools!

COCARDASSE: Have no fear. We’re going to give you all that, my pretties.

(taking a jug and breaking it over Carrigue’s head) These gentlemen are served.

CARRIGUE & HIS MEN: Forward! Lagardère! Lagardère!

(Cocardasse and Passepoil let their swords fall)

COCARDASSE Down with your weapons everybody!

PASSEPOIL: What was it you said?

COCARDASSE: Whose name did you utter?

STAUPITZ: We were going to gobble them up like sparrows.

COCARDASSE: Peace! Why did you shout Lagardère?

CARRIGUE: Because Lagardère is our captain.

COCARDASSE: The Chevalier Henri de Lagardère?

CARRIGUE: Yes.

COCARDASSE: Our Parisian?

PASSEPOIL: Our jewel?

COCARDASSE: One moment; no confusion. We left Lagardère in Paris, Light Cavalry-Man of the King.

CARRIGUE: Yes, but he was bored being a light cavalry man. All he’s kept is the uniform and he commands a company of royal volunteers here in the valley.

COCARDESSE: Then stop, swords in scabbards. Long live God! Friends of the Parisian and ours, and we are all going to drink together to the first blade in the universe! To table!

ALL: To table!

COCARDASSE: Hey! I don’t feel any joy! Wine. (to Passepoil) Hang on! (to Carrigue) I have the honor of presenting to you my apprentice, Passepoil, who—be it said without offending you, is going to demonstrate to you a maneuver of which you haven’t the least notion. (Passepoil bows)

PASSEPOIL: My noble friend, Cocardasse Junior, the most humble admirer, after myself of Mr. de Lagardère.

COCARDASSE: And I boast of it, sonofabitch! It’s I who gave him his first lesson in arms. Ah! He gave me promise, but Jove, how he turned out!

A CHEVALIER: (to Carrigue) Hey, Commandant, look down there!

CARRIGUE: By God, it’s that little wise guy who got our horses breathless in his pursuit. He’s going to pass under this window. Grab him and bring him here. (Two men leave) This domain of Caylus is near Rambouillet where Mr. d’Orléans often hunts. And this little fellow could be a poacher.

(The Page is brought in by two cavaliers)

CARRIGUE: Come here, little wise guy.

COCARDASSE : Have no fear. We won’t skin you alive.

PASSEPOIL: He’s nice this little fellow. He belongs to some lady. Let’s see, little one, to whom are you taking a love letter?

PAGE: Me? I’m not taking anything.

PASSEPOIL: Who do you serve?

PAGE: I don’t serve anyone.

COCARDASSE: Damn it! Do you think we have time to play at guessing games? Come on, by Jove, let him be searched.

PAGE: (pulling a dagger) Don’t touch me!

COCARDASSE: Ah, you bite, little wolf-cub! (They surround the page, knock him down and begin searching him. Lagardère appears, violently pushes Cocardasse to one side and on the other Passepoil who rolls onto his companions.)

COCARDASSE: Sonofabitch!

PASSEPOIL: Cunt! (recognizing Lagardère) Heaven!

COCARDASSE: Great God!

PASSEPOIL: The Parisian!

COCARDASSE: Lagardère!

ALL: (bowing with respect) Captain Lagardère—

LAGARDÈRE: What the devil are you doing so far from the street of Croix des Petits Champs, my two masters?

COCARDASSE: Formerly, but today your servants, O great man.

PASSEPOIL: Your slaves.

LAGARDÈRE And this one? (pointing to Staupitz) I’ve seen him somewhere!

STAUPITZ: At Strasbourg, Captain (rubbing his shoulder) I recall it.

LAGARDÈRE: Staupitz, isn’t it? Ah, ah! Jouel! Saldagne, Pinto. We met at Bayenne, I think? And Matador Faenza—I recognize you all and you all bear my marks. (to Page) Come here, child, tell me what you are doing in this inn?

PAGE: I’m coming to bring a letter, Captain.

LAGARDÈRE: To whom?

PAGE: To you.

LAGARDÈRE: To me? Give it to me.

PAGE: (low) I had another one for a lady and I really wanted—

LAGARDÈRE: (tossing him his purse) Go, little one. No one will disturb you. My volunteers will escort you.

PAGE: Thanks, Captain (leaves with others)

LAGARDÈRE: (opening the letter as everyone comes close to him) Make room. I prefer to open my correspondence alone. (the others move away, hats down) By Heaven! He’s a true gentleman, this Nevers.

ALL: Nevers!

LAGARDÈRE: (seated in Cocardasse’s place) Something to drink, first of all. My heart is content. I have to tell you I am exiled.

COCARDASSE: Exiled!

PASSEPOIL: You!

LAGARDÈRE: Eh, my God, yes! Do you know that huge devil of a Belissen?

COCARDASSE: Baron Belissen?

PASSEPOIL: Belissen the Duelist?

LAGARDÈRE: The deceased Belissen.

COCARDASSE: He’s dead?

LAGARDÈRE: Naturally, since I killed him. He wanted to play insults with me, and that displeased me, and as I promised His Majesty when he deigned to create me a knight, not to cast injurious words at anyone, I pulled his ears. That was not to his taste.

COCARDASSE: I believe it.

LAGARDÈRE: He said so to me very loudly—and behind the Arsenal I gave him a straight goodbye blow—to the depths.

COCARDASSE: (forgetting himself) Ah, rogue! How well you stretched him out. That blow—

LAGARDÈRE: (rising) To whom are you speaking?

COCARDASSE: (bowing) Ah, pardon, pardon!

LAGARDÈRE: There’s justice. They owe me the best since I beat a wolf-head! They exiled me, but I swore that I won’t cross the frontier without allowing myself a last fantasy. (he raps on the letter) Tell me, my valiants, you’ve heard tell of the thrust of Nevers?

ALL: By Jove!

LAGARDÈRE: This cursed thrust was my bête-noir; it prevented me from sleeping, besides this Nevers talked too much of it at court, in town, in the cabaret, in quarters. I heard only one name, Nevers, Nevers. One night, my hostess was serving me cutlets à la Nevers. I threw the dish out the window and left without supper. At the gate, I yelled at my shoe-maker who was bringing me boots—à la Nevers, the latest fashion! I beat up my bootmaker and threw ten crowns in his face. The wise guy said to me, “Ah, Mr. de Nevers beat me once, but he gave me a hundred pistoles.”

CORCADASSE: That’s too much.

LAGARDÈRE: I jumped on my horse and went to await Nevers at the exit from the Louvre. “Duke,” I said to him, “I have great confidence in your courtesy; I am coming to ask you to show me your secret thrust in the moonlight” He looked at me and said, “Your name?” “Lagardère.” “Ah, ah, you are Lagardère. They often mention you to me and that bores me. So, if you don’t find me much, little gentleman,” he jumped on his horse, Ah, I have to say he did it charmingly: instead of replying to me he placed his rapier between my two eyebrows, so roughly and so fast but for a leap of two bounds that I made backwards. “Again, a short lesson, Duke.” “At your service, Chevalier.” I told you he was charming. “We will fall back on guard—plague!” This time he gave me a scratch on the face. I was troubled, me, Lagardère.

(All the Bravos look at Lagardère and move past him.)

COCARDASSE: Caramba! That’s scary!

LAGARDÈRE: I hadn’t reached the parade yet. That man’s as quick as powder. But I had seen the feint, Goddam! I had studied him in the silence of the closet, and now I possess him as well as you!

COCARDASSE: It could serve you one day.

LAGARDÈRE: It will serve me right away.

COCARDASSE: What do you mean?

LAGARDÈRE: Nevers has promised me revenge. I wrote him at his Château, and his response is: he accepts the meeting, the hour and the place.

COCARDASSE: What day?

LAGARDÈRE: Tonight.

PASSEPOIL: The time?

LAGARDÈRE: Nine o’clock.

COCARDASSE: The place?

LAGARDÈRE: The moats of the Château of Caylus!

COCARDASSE: (looking at the bravos) Sonofabitch! And why this place?

LAGARDÈRE: Second fantasy, I allowed myself to say that the old Marquis de Caylus had the most beautiful daughter in the world and that Mr. de Nevers was in love with her. Well, I want to take from Mr. de Nevers his mysterious thrust and his mysterious mistress. Why aren’t you laughing, my wise guys?

COCARDASSE: Is it that in your letter to Mr. de Nevers you had the trashy idea of mentioning Miss Blanche de Caylus to him?

PASSEPOIL: We are thinking, Chevalier, that it is really fortunate that we will be here to serve you.

COCARDASSE: The kid’s right; we are going to give you a famous hand. Isn’t that right, the rest of you?

LAGARDÈRE: And since when have I lost the habit of managing my own affairs myself? On my soul, here are some pleasant buffoons with their service. One final drink and empty the place for me—now that’s the only service I can ask of you.

COCARDASSE: Dammit! Captain, I’d get myself killed like a dog for you, but—

LAGARDÈRE: But what—?

COCARDASSE: Each of us has his profession you know. And we cannot leave this place.

LAGARDÈRE: Because?

COCARDASSE: Because we are also waiting for someone.

LAGARDÈRE: And this someone is?

COCARDASSE: This someone is—Philippe de Nevers.

LAGARDÈRE: Nevers? You? A trap?

PASSEPOIL: But—

LAGARDÈRE: Peace, my wise guys! I forbid you—you understand me plainly enough—I forbid you to touch a hair on Nevers—because his life belongs to me, and if he must die it will be by my hand in honest battle, not by yours, bandits!

COCARDASSE: Captain!

LAGARDÈRE: Go!

PASSEPOIL: After all, if he wants to do our work—

COCARDASSE: (low) Very well. But we must keep an eye on Nevers. If this little Parisian fails, we won’t.

LAGARDÈRE: You understand me.

COCARDASSE: Yes, Captain.

LAGARDÈRE: No treachery! No ambush! Who’s against Nevers is against me. Be gone, wise guys, and don’t let one of you show himself here in the future, because I won’t honor that one with a sword blow—in place of my sword, I will whip his hang-dog face.

COCARDASSE: Sonofabitch, Captain! You are forgetting that we are soldiers.

LAGARDÈRE: You! Get out! Whoever kills for money is infamous, whoever uses a dagger rather than a rapier is a coward. Soldiers and braves, that’s what you were, and I knew you then, infamous and cowards, that’s what you are. I no longer know you. Leave!

(At Lagardère’s gesture, all bow and leave.)

PASSEPOIL: He’s very harsh.

COCARDASSE: (low) As for him, we will always know him.

(He leaves with Passepoil)

LAGARDÈRE: The wretches! Eight against one! Oh, that’s disgusting to the sword! Girl! (the hostess appears, Lagardère tosses a gold coin on the table) Close the shutters and put up the bars. Whatever you may hear in the moats of the castle tonight, you and your folks, sleep on both ears; they are affairs that do not concern you. Goodbye.

(he leaves)

C U R T A I N