Christian, Carbon de Castel-Jaloux, Le Bret, the cadets, then Cyrano.
LE BRET: 'Tis terrible.
CARBON: Not a morsel left.
LE BRET: Mordioux!
CARBON (making a sign that he should speak lower): Curse under your breath. You will awake them. (To the cadets): Hush! Sleep on. (To Le Bret): He who sleeps, dines!
LE BRET: But that is sorry comfort for the sleepless!. . . What starvation!
(Firing is heard in the distance.)
CARBON: Oh, plague take their firing! 'Twill wake my sons. (To the cadets, who lift up their heads): Sleep on!
(Firing is again heard, nearer this time.)
A CADET (moving): The devil!. . .Again.
CARBON: 'Tis nothing! 'Tis Cyrano coming back!
(Those who have lifted up their heads prepare to sleep again.)
A SENTINEL (from without): Ventrebieu! Who goes there?
THE VOICE Of CYRANO: Bergerac.
The SENTINEL (who is on the redoubt): Ventrebieu! Who goes there?
CYRANO (appearing at the top): Bergerac, idiot!
(He comes down; Le Bret advances anxiously to meet him.)
LE BRET: Heavens!
CYRANO (making signs that he should not awake the others): Hush!
LE BRET: Wounded?
CYRANO: Oh! you know it has become their custom to shoot at me every morning and to miss me.
LE BRET: This passes all! To take letters at each day's dawn. To risk. . .
CYRANO (stopping before Christian): I promised he should write often. (He looks at him): He sleeps. How pale he is! But how handsome still, despite his sufferings. If his poor little lady-love knew that he is dying of hunger. . .
LE BRET: Get you quick to bed.
CYRANO: Nay, never scold, Le Bret. I ran but little risk. I have found me a spot to pass the Spanish lines, where each night they lie drunk.
LE BRET: You should try to bring us back provision.
CYRANO: A man must carry no weight who would get by there! But there will be surprise for us this night. The French will eat or die. . .if I mistake not!
LE BRET: Oh!. . .tell me!. . .
CYRANO: Nay, not yet. I am not certain. . .You will see!
CARBON: It is disgraceful that we should starve while we're besieging!
LE BRET: Alas, how full of complication is this siege of Arras! To think that while we are besieging, we should ourselves be caught in a trap and besieged by the Cardinal Infante of Spain.
CYRANO: It were well done if he should be besieged in his turn.
LE BRET: I am in earnest.
CYRANO: Oh! indeed!
LE BRET: To think you risk a life so precious. . .for the sake of a letter. . .Thankless one. (Seeing him turning to enter the tent): Where are you going?
CYRANO: I am going to write another.
(He enters the tent and disappears.)
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