Cyrano De Bergerac Part 21

CHRISTIAN Why not?

CYRANO Look at me!

CHRISTIAN She would love me grown ugly.

CYRANO She told you so?

CHRISTIAN With the utmost frankness!

CYRANO Ah! I am glad she should have told you that! But, believe me, believe me, place no faith in such a mad a.s.severation! Dear G.o.d, I am glad such a thought should have come to her, and that she should have spoken it,-but believe me, do not take her at her word: Never cease to be the handsome fellow you are.... She would not forgive me!

CHRISTIAN That is what I wish to discover.

CYRANO No! no!

CHRISTIAN Let her choose between us! You shall tell her everything.

CYRANO No ... No ... I refuse the ordeal!

CHRISTIAN Shall I stand in the way of your happiness because my outside is not so much amiss?

CYRANO And I? shall I destroy yours, because, thanks to the hazard that sets us upon earth, I have the gift of expressing ... what you perhaps feel?

CHRISTIAN You shall tell her everything!

CYRANO He persists in tempting me ... It is a mistake ... and cruel!

CHRISTIAN I am weary of carrying about, in my own self, a rival!

CYRANO Christian!

CHRISTIAN Our marriage ... contracted without witnesses ... can be annulled ... if we survive!

CYRANO He persists! ...

CHRISTIAN Yes. I will be loved for my sole self, or not at all!-I am going to see what they are about. Look! I will walk to the end of the line and back ... Tell her, and let her p.r.o.nounce between us.

CYRANO She will p.r.o.nounce for you.

CHRISTIAN I can but hope she will! [calling] Roxane!

CYRANO No! No!

ROXANE [coming forward] What is it?

CHRISTIAN Cyrano has something to tell you ... something important! [ROXANE goes hurriedly to CYRANO. Exit CHRISTIAN] [ROXANE goes hurriedly to CYRANO. Exit CHRISTIAN]

SCENE X.

Roxane, Cyrano, then Le Bret, Carbon de Castel-Jaloux, the Cadets, Raqueneau, De Guiche, etc.

ROXANE Something important?

CYRANO [distracted] He is gone! ... [To ROXANE.] Nothing whatever! He attaches-but you must know him of old!-he attaches importance to trifles ...

ROXANE [quickly] He did not believe what I told him a moment ago? ... I saw that he did not believe ...

CYRANO [taking her hand] [taking her hand] But did you in very truth tell him the truth? But did you in very truth tell him the truth?

ROXANE Yes. Yes. I should love him even ... [She hesitates hesitates a a second. ] second. ]

CYRANO [smiling sadly] [smiling sadly] You do not like to say it before me? You do not like to say it before me?

ROXANE But ...

CYRANO I shall not mind! ... Even if he were ugly?

ROXANE Yes ... Ugly. [Musket shots outside.] [Musket shots outside.] They are firing! They are firing!

CYRANO [ardently] Dreadfully ugly?

ROXANE Dreadfully.

CYRANO Disfigured?

ROXANE Disfigured!

CYRANO Grotesque?

ROXANE Nothing could make him grotesque ... to me.

CYRANO You would love him still?

ROXANE I believe that I should love him more ... if that were possible!

CYRANO [losing his head, aside] My G.o.d, perhaps she means it ... perhaps it is true ... and that way is happiness! [To ROXANE.] I ... Roxane ... listen!

LE BRET [comes in hurriedly; calls softly] Cyrano!

CYRANO [turning] Hein?

LE BRET Hush! [He whispers a few a few words to CYRANO.] words to CYRANO.]

CYRANO [letting ROXANE's ROXANE's hand drop, with a cry hand drop, with a cry] Ah! ... ROXANE What ails you?

CYRANO [to himself, in consternation] It is finished! [Musket reports.] [Musket reports.]

ROXANE What is it? What is happening? Who is firing? [She goes to goes to the back to look off. the back to look off.]

CYRANO It is finished.... My lips are sealed for evermore! [CADETS [CADETS come in, come in, attempting attempting to to conceal conceal something they carry something they carry among among them; they surround it, preventing them; they surround it, preventing ROXANE'S ROXANE'S seeing seeing it.] it.]

ROXANE What has happened?

CYRANO [quickly stopping her stopping her as she starts toward them] as she starts toward them] Nothing! Nothing!

ROXANE These men? ...

CYRANO [drawing her away away] Pay no attention to them!

ROXANE But what were you about to say to me before?

CYRANO What was I about to say? ... Oh, nothing! ... Nothing whatever, I a.s.sure you. [Solemnly.] I swear that Christian's spirit, that his soul, were ... [in terror, correcting himself himself] are the greatest that ...

ROXANE Were? ... [With a great cry.] [With a great cry.] Ah! ... [ Ah! ... [Runs to the group to the group of of CADETS, CADETS, and and thrusts them thrusts them aside. aside.]

CYRANO It is finished!

ROXANE [seeing CHRISTIAN stretched out in his cloak cloak] Christian!

LE BRET [to CYRANO] At the enemy's first shot! [ROXANE throws herself on CHRISTIAN'S body. Musket reports. Clashing of swords. Tramping. Drums.] [ROXANE throws herself on CHRISTIAN'S body. Musket reports. Clashing of swords. Tramping. Drums.]

CARBON [sword in hand] The attack! To your muskets! [Followed by the CADETS he goes to the further side of the earthworks.] by the CADETS he goes to the further side of the earthworks.]

ROXANE Christian!

CARBON'S VOICE [beyond the earthworks earthworks] Make haste!

ROXANE Christian!

CARBON Fall into line!

ROXANE Christian!

CARBON Measure ... match! [RAGUENEAU [RAGUENEAU has come running in with water in has come running in with water in a a steel steel cap.] cap.]

CHRISTIAN [in a a dying voice] Roxane! dying voice] Roxane!

CYRANO [quick, low in CHRISTIAN's ear, while ROXANE, distracted, dips into the water a fragment a fragment of linen of linen torn from torn from her breast to bind his wound] I have told her everything! ... You are still the one she loves! her breast to bind his wound] I have told her everything! ... You are still the one she loves! [CHRISTIAN [CHRISTIAN closes his closes his eyes.] eyes.]

ROXANE What, dear love?

CARBON Muzzle ... high!

ROXANE [to CYRANO] He is not dead? ...

CARBON Open charge ... with teeth!

ROXANE I feel his cheek grow cold against my own!

CARBON Take aim!

ROXANE A letter on his breast.... [She opens it. it. To me! To me!

CYRANO [aside] My letter!

CARBON Fire! [Musket shots. Cries. Roar of battle.] [Musket shots. Cries. Roar of battle.]

CYRANO [trying to free to free his hand which ROXANE clasps kneeling] But, Roxane, they are fighting. his hand which ROXANE clasps kneeling] But, Roxane, they are fighting.

ROXANE [clinging] [clinging] No! ... Stay with me a little! ... He is dead. You are the only one that truly knew him.... [She cries No! ... Stay with me a little! ... He is dead. You are the only one that truly knew him.... [She cries subduedly. subduedly.] Was he not an exquisite being, ... an exceptional, marvellous being? ...

CYRANO [standing bareheaded] [standing bareheaded] Yes. Roxane. Yes. Roxane.

ROXANE A poet without his peer, ... one verily to reverence?

CYRANO Yes, Roxane.

ROXANE A sublime spirit?

CYRANO Yes, Roxane.

ROXANE A profound heart, such as the profane could never have understood ... a soul as n.o.ble as it was charming? ...

CYRANO [firmly] Yes, Roxane.

ROXANE [throwing herself on [throwing herself on CHRISTIAN's CHRISTIAN's body body] And he is dead!

CYRANO [aside, drawing his sword drawing his sword] And I have now only to die, since, without knowing it, she mourns my death in his! [Trumpets [Trumpets in the distance.] in the distance.]

DE GUICHE [reappears on the top of the bank, bareheaded, his forehead b.l.o.o.d.y; in a thundering voice] [reappears on the top of the bank, bareheaded, his forehead b.l.o.o.d.y; in a thundering voice] The signal they promised! The flourish of trumpets! ... The French are entering the camp with supplies! ... Stand fast a little longer! The signal they promised! The flourish of trumpets! ... The French are entering the camp with supplies! ... Stand fast a little longer!

ROXANE Upon his letter ... blood, ... tears!

A VOICE [outside, shouting] [outside, shouting] Surrender! Surrender!

VOICES OF THE CADETS No!

RAGUENEAU [who from the top of the coach is watching the battle beyond . the bank] The conflict rages hotter! ... the top of the coach is watching the battle beyond . the bank] The conflict rages hotter! ...

. CYRANO [to DE GUICHE pointing at pointing at ROXANE] Take her away! ... I am going to charge. ROXANE] Take her away! ... I am going to charge.

ROXANE [kissing the letter, in the letter, in a a dying voice] His blood! ... his tears! dying voice] His blood! ... his tears!

RAGUENEAU [leaping from the coach and running to [leaping from the coach and running to ROXANE] She is fainting! ROXANE] She is fainting!