Clair de Lune Part 9

PHEDRO

And in your marriage, my lord?

PRINCE

I yearn for surprises. Of course the right sort of surprises.

PHEDRO

You will get them, my lord.

PRINCE

[_Who is not attending him but listening to Dea's song._]

What?

PHEDRO

My sixth sense whispers to me, my lord, that you are on the eve of many surprises.

[_The noise of the wand of the COURT STEWARD is heard pounding through the park._]

AN APPROACHING VOICE

The Queen's court is arriving. The Queen's court precedes the Queen.

See that the performance is ready. See that the performance is ready.

[_The voice dies away. There is the sound of much commotion in the vicinity of the cart. The voice of DEA ceases and someone calls: GWYMPLANE! GWYMPLANE answering distantly: Yes. URSUS: Hurry. GWYMPLANE: I come. The PRINCE and PHEDRO steal quickly away._]

_CURTAIN_

SCENE 3

[_Courtiers entering. A lady looking through her lorgnette._]

A LADY

I hope this is not going to be too boring.

3D COURTIER

Ah, that, Madame, is the pleasure-seeker's prayer. Save me this night from being bored to death.

2D COURTIER [_a great dandy_]

I hope they have enchanting costumes, and that they are well perfumed.

[_He smells a sc.r.a.p of lace._]

LADY

I hear he is remarkable.

2D COURTIER

Who?

LADY

The mountebank, I forget his name. He has a Latin name besides, which I forget also, but they say that when he appears....

COURT USHER [_announces_]

The Queen.

[_The Queen arrives surrounded by a brilliant court. JOSEPHINE attends her, dressed entirely in silver and wearing immense emeralds. Her hair is very formally powdered, and she wears a cherry-coloured cloak. A coloured slave in black moire carries her train._]

QUEEN

I am not in a mood for laughing tonight. [_She glances at Josephine._]

At any rate it is always singularly depressing to go anywhere in order to laugh. And if this clown causes me even to smile he shall have some rare reward.

[_Seats herself upon a raised dais. Courtiers group themselves around her. Most of the ladies have seats. Many of the gentlemen sit at their feet._]

JOSEPHINE

[_Listlessly fluttering her fan; she is on the left of the QUEEN and near the audience._]

How tedious! For what are they delaying?

PRINCE [_standing over her_]

We are scarcely seated.

JOSEPHINE

Waiting is so tedious. It puts me in a bad humour, and I lose my enthusiasm.

PRINCE

Before you have quite found it, eh?

[_A gong sounds. Two stalwart men move the cart to left centre of stage; with a click the sides of the carriage are flung open and a stage about twelve feet wide and four feet above the ground appears. In the back is a green curtain, ornamented with constellations. Suddenly a grotesque figure completely hooded and masked, attended by two small drummer boys, makes its appearance.

The figure squats upon the floor in direct centre of stage. The drummers seat themselves beside it and all three begin to play; the attendants upon their drums, the centre figure upon a flute.

No human part of him can be seen, save his hands which are remarkably beautiful, sensitive and pallid. He moves them with extraordinary grace. He plays upon his flute an air from India.

Suddenly upon the stage above him appears a Hindu girl. She executes a sinuous pantomimic dance of youth and desire. The figure playing upon the flute gradually turns his back to the audience and facing the dancer continues to play. Finally the dancer, noticing her admirer, commences to dance for him alone.