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!