cyrano de bergerac-第8章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
ell to alternate his long lines of verse with the short ones; thus shall your roasts; in strophes; turn before the flame!
ANOTHER APPRENTICE (also coming up with a tray covered by a napkin): Master; I bethought me erewhile of your tastes; and made this; which will please you; I hope。
(He uncovers the tray; and shows a large lyre made of pastry。)
RAGUENEAU (enchanted): A lyre!
THE APPRENTICE: 'Tis of brioche pastry。
RAGUENEAU (touched): With conserved fruits。
THE APPRENTICE: The strings; see; are of sugar。
RAGUENEAU (giving him a coin): Go; drink my health! (Seeing Lise enter): Hush! My wife。 Bustle; pass on; and hide that money! (To Lise; showing her the lyre; with a conscious look): Is it not beautiful?
LISE: 'Tis passing silly!
(She puts a pile of papers on the counter。)
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?
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。)
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!。 。 。
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; dressed in black; their stockings ungartered; and covered with mud。
LISE (entering; to Ragueneau): Here they come; your mud…bespattered friends!
FIRST POET (entering; to Ragueneau): Brother in art!。 。 。
SECOND POET (to Ragueneau; shaking his hands): Dear brother!
THIRD POET: High soaring eagle among pastry…cooks! (He sniffs): Marry! it smells good here in your eyrie!
FOURTH POET: 'Tis at Phoebus' own rays that thy roasts turn!
FIFTH POET: Apollo among master…cooks
RAGUENEAU (whom they surround and embrace): Ah! how quick a man feels at his ease with them!。 。 。
FIRST POET: We were stayed by the mob; they are crowded all round the Porte de Nesle!。 。 。
SECOND POET: Eight bleeding brigand carcasses strew the pavements thereall slit open with sword…gashes!
CYRANO (raising his head a minute): Eight?。 。 。hold; methought seven。
(He goes on writing。)
RAGUENEAU (to Cyrano): Know you who might be the hero of the fray?
CYRANO (carelessly): Not I。
LISE (to the musketeer): And you? Know you?
THE MUSKETEER (twirling his mustache): Maybe!
CYRANO (writing a little way off:he is heard murmuring a word from time to time): 'I love thee!'
FIRST POET: 'Twas one man; say they all; ay; swear to it; one man who; single…handed; put the whole band to the rout!
SECOND POET: 'Twas a strange sight!pikes and cudgels strewed thick upon the ground。
CYRANO (writing): 。 。 。'Thine eyes'。 。 。
THIRD POET: And they were picking up hats all the way to the Quai d'Orfevres!
FIRST POET: Sapristi! but he must have been a ferocious。 。 。
CYRANO (same play): 。 。 。'Thy lips'。 。 。
FIRST POET: 'Twas a parlous fearsome giant that was the author of such exploits!
CYRANO (same play): 。 。 。'And when I see thee come; I faint for fear。'
SECOND POET (filching a cake): What hast rhymed of late; Ragueneau?
CYRANO (same play): 。 。 。'Who worships thee'。 。 。 (He stops; just as he is about t