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RAGUENEAU: Bags? Good。 I thank you。 (He looks at them):
Heavens! my cherished leaves! The poems of my friends! Torn;
dismembered; to make bags for holding biscuits and cakes!。 。 。Ah; 'tis the
old tale again。 。 。Orpheus and the Bacchantes!
LISE (dryly): And am I not free to turn at last to some use the sole
thing that your wretched scribblers of halting lines leave behind them by
way of payment?
RAGUENEAU: Groveling ant!。 。 。Insult not the divine
grasshoppers; the sweet singers!
LISE: Before you were the sworn comrade of all that crew; my
friend; you did not call your wife ant and Bacchante!
RAGUENEAU: To turn fair verse to such a use!
LISE: 'Faith; 'tis all it's good for。
RAGUENEAU: Pray then; madam; to what use would you degrade
prose?
SCENE 2。II。
The same。 Two children; who have just trotted into the shop。
RAGUENEAU: What would you; little ones?
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
FIRST CHILD: Three pies。
RAGUENEAU (serving them): See; hot and well browned。
SECOND CHILD: If it please you; Sir; will you wrap them up for
us?
RAGUENEAU (aside; distressed): Alas! one of my bags! (To the
children): What? Must I wrap them up? (He takes a bag; and just as
he is about to put in the pies; he reads): 'Ulysses thus; on leaving fair
Penelope。 。 。' Not that one! (He puts it aside; and takes another; and as
he is about to put in the pies; he reads): 'The gold…locked Phoebus。 。 。'
Nay; nor that one!。 。 。
(Same play。)
LISE (impatiently): What are you dallying for?
RAGUENEAU: Here! here! here (He chooses a third; resignedly):
The sonnet to Phillis!。 。 。but 'tis hard to part with it!
LISE: By good luck he has made up his mind at last! (Shrugging
her shoulders): Nicodemus!
(She mounts on a chair; and begins to range plates on a dresser。)
RAGUENEAU (taking advantage of the moment she turns her back;
calls back the children; who are already at the door): Hist!
children!。 。 。render me back the sonnet to Phillis; and you shall have six
pies instead of three。
(The children give him back the bag; seize the cakes quickly; and go
out。)
RAGUENEAU (smoothing out the paper; begins to declaim):
'Phillis!。 。 。' On that sweet name a smear of butter! 'Phillis!。 。 。'
(Cyrano enters hurriedly。)
SCENE 2。III。
Ragueneau; Lise; Cyrano; then the musketeer。
CYRANO: What's o'clock?
RAGUENEAU (bowing low): Six o'clock。
CYRANO (with emotion): In one hour's time!
(He paces up and down the shop。)
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
RAGUENEAU (following him): Bravo! I saw。 。 。
CYRANO: Well; what saw you; then?
RAGUENEAU: Your combat!。 。 。
CYRANO: Which?
RAGUENEAU: That in the Burgundy Hotel; 'faith!
CYRANO (contemptuously): Ah!。 。 。the duel!
RAGUENEAU (admiringly): Ay! the duel in verse!。 。 。
LISE: He can talk of naught else!
CYRANO: Well! Good! let be!
RAGUENEAU (making passes with a spit that he catches up): 'At
the envoi's end; I touch!。 。 。At the envoi's end; I touch!'。 。 。'Tis fine; fine!
(With increasing enthusiasm): 'At the envoi's end'
CYRANO: What hour is it now; Ragueneau?
RAGUENEAU (stopping short in the act of thrusting to look at the
clock): Five minutes after six!。 。 。'I touch!' (He straightens
himself): 。 。 。Oh! to write a ballade!
LISE (to Cyrano; who; as he passes by the counter; has absently
shaken hands with her): What's wrong with your hand?
CYRANO: Naught; a slight cut。
RAGUENEAU: Have you been in some danger?
CYRANO: None in the world。
LISE (shaking her finger at him): Methinks you speak not the truth
in saying that!
CYRANO: Did you see my nose quiver when I spoke? 'Faith; it
must have been a monstrous lie that should move it! (Changing his tone):
I wait some one here。 Leave us alone; and disturb us for naught an it
were not for crack of doom!
RAGUENEAU: But 'tis impossible; my poets are coming。 。 。
LISE (ironically): Oh; ay; for their first meal o' the day!
CYRANO: Prythee; take them aside when I shall make you sign to
do so。 。 。What's o'clock?
RAGUENEAU: Ten minutes after six。
CYRANO (nervously seating himself at Ragueneau's table; and
drawing some paper toward him): A pen!。 。 。
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
RAGUENEAU (giving him the one from behind his ear): Herea
swan's quill。
A MUSKETEER (with fierce mustache; enters; and in a stentorian
voice): Good…day!
(Lise goes up to him quickly。)
CYRANO (turning round): Who's that?
RAGUENEAU: 'Tis a friend of my wifea terrible warriorat least
so says he himself。
CYRANO (taking up the pen; and motioning Ragueneau away):
Hush! (To himself): I will write; fold it; give it her; and fly! (Throws
down the pen): Coward!。 。 。But strike me dead if I dare to speak to
her;。 。 。ay; even one single word! (To Ragueneau): What time is it?
RAGUENEAU: A quarter after six!。 。 。
CYRANO (striking his breast): Aya single word of all those here!
here! But writing; 'tis easier done。 。 。 (He takes up the pen): Go to; I
will write it; that love…letter! Oh! I have writ it and rewrit it in my own
mind so oft that it lies there ready for pen and ink; and if I lay but my soul
by my letter…sheet; 'tis naught to do but to copy from it。
(He writes。 Through the glass of the door the silhouettes of their
figures move uncertainly and hesitatingly。)
SCENE 2。IV。
Ragueneau; Lise; the musketeer。 Cyrano at the little table writing。
The poets;