The public, arriving by degrees. Troopers, burghers, lackeys, pages, a pickpocket, the doorkeeper, etc., followed by the marquises. Cuigy, Brissaille, the buffet-girl, the violinists, etc.
(A confusion of loud voices is heard outside the door. A trooper enters hastily.)
THE DOORKEEPER (following him): Hollo! You there! Your money!
THE TROOPER: I enter gratis.
THE DOORKEEPER: Why?
THE TROOPER: Why? I am of the King's Household Cavalry, 'faith!
THE DOORKEEPER (to another trooper who enters): And you?
SECOND TROOPER: I pay nothing.
THE DOORKEEPER: How so?
SECOND TROOPER: I am a musketeer.
FIRST TROOPER (to the second): The play will not begin till two. The pit is empty. Come, a bout with the foils to pass the time.
(They fence with the foils they have brought.)
A LACKEY (entering): Pst. . .Flanquin. . .!
ANOTHER (already there): Champagne?. . .
THE FIRST (showing him cards and dice which he takes from his doublet): See, here be cards and dice. (He seats himself on the floor): Let's play.
THE SECOND (doing the same): Good; I am with you, villain!
FIRST LACKEY (taking from his pocket a candle-end, which he lights, and sticks on the floor): I made free to provide myself with light at my master's expense!
A GUARDSMAN (to a shop-girl who advances): 'Twas prettily done to come before the lights were lit!
(He takes her round the waist.)
ONE OF THE FENCERS (receiving a thrust): A hit!
ONE OF THE CARD-PLAYERS: Clubs!
THE GUARDSMAN (following the girl): A kiss!
THE SHOP-GIRL (struggling to free herself): They're looking!
THE GUARDSMAN (drawing her to a dark corner): No fear! No one can see!
A MAN (sitting on the ground with others, who have brought their provisions): By coming early, one can eat in comfort.
A BURGHER (conducting his son): Let us sit here, son.
A CARD-PLAYER: Triple ace!
A MAN (taking a bottle from under his cloak, and also seating himself on the floor): A tippler may well quaff his Burgundy (he drinks): in the Burgundy Hotel!
THE BURGHER (to his son): 'Faith! A man might think he had fallen in a bad house here! (He points with his cane to the drunkard): What with topers! (One of the fencers in breaking off, jostles him): brawlers! (He stumbles into the midst of the card-players): gamblers!
THE GUARDSMAN (behind him, still teasing the shop-girl): Come, one kiss!
THE BURGHER (hurriedly pulling his son away): By all the holies! And this, my boy, is the theater where they played Rotrou erewhile.
THE YOUNG MAN: Ay, and Corneille!
A TROOP OF PAGES (hand-in-hand, enter dancing the farandole, and singing): Tra' a la, la, la, la, la, la, la, lere. . .
THE DOORKEEPER (sternly, to the pages): You pages there, none of your tricks!. . .
FIRST PAGE (with an air of wounded dignity): Oh, sir!--such a suspicion!. . . (Briskly, to the second page, the moment the doorkeeper's back is turned): Have you string?
THE SECOND: Ay, and a fish-hook with it.
FIRST PAGE: We can angle for wigs, then, up there i' th' gallery.
A PICKPOCKET (gathering about him some evil-looking youths): Hark ye, young cut-purses, lend an ear, while I give you your first lesson in thieving.
SECOND PAGE (calling up to others in the top galleries): You there! Have you peashooters?
THIRD PAGE (from above): Ay, have we, and peas withal!
(He blows, and peppers them with peas.)
THE YOUNG MAN (to his father): What piece do they give us?
THE BURGHER: 'Clorise.'
THE YOUNG MAN: Who may the author be?
THE BURGHER: Master Balthazar Baro. It is a play!. . .
(He goes arm-in-arm with his son.)
THE PICKPOCKET (to his pupils): Have a care, above all, of the lace knee-ruffles--cut them off!
A SPECTATOR (to another, showing him a corner in the gallery): I was up there, the first night of the 'Cid.'
THE PICKPOCKET (making with his fingers the gesture of filching): Thus for watches--
THE BURGHER (coming down again with his son): Ah! You shall presently see some renowned actors. . .
THE PICKPOCKET (making the gestures of one who pulls something stealthily, with little jerks): Thus for handkerchiefs--
THE BURGHER: Montfleury. . .
SOME ONE (shouting from the upper gallery): Light up, below there!
THE BURGHER: . . .Bellerose, L'Epy, La Beaupre, Jodelet!
A PAGE (in the pit): Here comes the buffet-girl!
THE BUFFET-GIRL (taking her place behind the buffet): Oranges, milk, raspberry-water, cedar bitters!
(A hubbub outside the door is heard.)
A FALSETTO VOICE: Make place, brutes!
A LACKEY (astonished): The Marquises!--in the pit?. . .
ANOTHER LACKEY: Oh! only for a minute or two!
(Enter a band of young marquises.)
A MARQUIS (seeing that the hall is half empty): What now! So we make our entrance like a pack of woolen-drapers! Peaceably, without disturbing the folk, or treading on their toes!--Oh, fie! Fie! (Recognizing some other gentlemen who have entered a little before him): Cuigy! Brissaille!
(Greetings and embraces.)
CUIGY: True to our word!. . .Troth, we are here before the candles are lit.
THE MARQUIS: Ay, indeed! Enough! I am of an ill humor.
ANOTHER: Nay, nay, Marquis! see, for your consolation, they are coming to light up!
ALL THE AUDIENCE (welcoming the entrance of the lighter): Ah!. . .
(They form in groups round the lusters as they are lit. Some people have taken their seats in the galleries. Ligniere, a distinguished-looking roue, with disordered shirt-front arm-in-arm with christian de Neuvillette. Christian, who is dressed elegantly, but rather behind the fashion, seems preoccupied, and keeps looking at the boxes.)
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