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Act IV, Scene vi | ROXANE: |  No! |
| FIRST CADET (to the others): | | She stays! |
| ALL (hurrying, hustling each other, tidying themselves): | | A comb!—Soap!—My uniform is torn!—A needle!—A ribbon!—Lend your | | mirror!—My cuffs!—Your curling-iron!—A razor!. . . |
| ROXANE (to Cyrano, who still pleads with her): | | No! Naught shall make me stir from this spot! |
| CARBON (who, like the others, has been buckling, dusting, brushing his hat, | | settling his plume, and drawing on his cuffs, advances to Roxane, and | | ceremoniously): | | It is perchance more seemly, since things are thus, that I present to you | | some of these gentlemen who are about to have the honor of dying before your | | eyes. | | (Roxane bows, and stands leaning on Christian's arm, while Carbon introduces | | the cadets to her): | | Baron de Peyrescous de Colignac! |
| THE CADET (with a low reverence): | | Madame. . . |
| CARBON (continuing): | | Baron de Casterac de Cahuzac,—Vidame de Malgouyre Estressac Lesbas | | d'Escarabiot, Chevalier d'Antignac-Juzet, Baron Hillot de Blagnac-Salechan de | | Castel Crabioules. . . |
| ROXANE: | | But how many names have you each? |
| BARON HILLOT: | | Scores! |
| CARBON (to Roxane): | | Pray, upon the hand that holds your kerchief. |
| ROXANE (opens her hand, and the handkerchief falls): | | Why? |
| (The whole company start forward to pick it up.) |
| CARBON (quickly raising it): | | My company had no flag. But now, by my faith, they will have the fairest in | | all the camp! |
| ROXANE (smiling): | | 'Tis somewhat small. |
| CARBON (tying the handkerchief on the staff of his lance): | | But—'tis of lace! |
| A CADET (to the rest): | | I could die happy, having seen so sweet a face, if I had something in my | | stomach—were it but a nut! |
| CARBON (who has overheard, indignantly): | | Shame on you! What, talk of eating when a lovely woman!. . . |
| ROXANE: | | But your camp air is keen; I myself am famished. Pasties, cold fricassee, | | old wines—there is my bill of fare? Pray bring it all here. |
| A CADET: | | All that? |
| ANOTHER: | | But where on earth find it? |
| ROXANE (quietly): | | In my carriage. |
| ALL: | | How? |
| ROXANE: | | Now serve up—carve! Look a little closer at my coachman, gentlemen, and | | you will recognize a man most welcome. All the sauces can be sent to table | | hot, if we will! |
| THE CADETS (rushing pellmell to the carriage): | | 'Tis Ragueneau! | | (Acclamations): | | Oh, oh! |
| ROXANE (looking after them): | | Poor fellows! |
| CYRANO (kissing her hand): | | Kind fairy! |
| RAGUENEAU (standing on the box like a quack doctor at a fair): | | Gentlemen!. . . |
| THE CADETS: | | Bravo! bravo! |
| RAGUENEAU: | | . . .The Spaniards, gazing on a lady so dainty fair, overlooked the fare so | | dainty!. . . |
| CYRANO (in a whisper to Christian): | | Hark, Christian! |
| RAGUENEAU: | | . . .And, occupied with gallantry, perceived not— | | (His draws a plate from under the seat, and holds it up): | | —The galantine!. . . |
| (Applause. The galantine passes from hand to hand.) |
| CYRANO (still whispering to Christian): | | Prythee, one word! |
| RAGUENEAU: | | And Venus so attracted their eyes that Diana could secretly pass by with— | | (He holds up a shoulder of mutton): | | —her fawn! |
| (Enthusiasm. Twenty hands are held out to seize the shoulder of mutton.) |
| CYRANO (in a low whisper to Christian): | | I must speak to you! |
| ROXANE (to the cadets, who come down, their arms laden with food): | | Put it all on the ground! |
| (She lays all out on the grass, aided by the two imperturbable lackeys who | | were behind the carriage.) |
| ROXANE (to Christian, just as Cyrano is drawing him apart): | | Come, make yourself of use! |
| (Christian comes to help her. Cyrano's uneasiness increases.) |
| RAGUENEAU: | | Truffled peacock! |
| FIRST CADET (radiant, coming down, cutting a big slice of ham): | | By the mass! We shall not brave the last hazard without having had a | | gullet-full!— | | (quickly correcting himself on seeing Roxane): | | —Pardon! A Balthazar feast! |
| RAGUENEAU (throwing down the carriage cushions): | | The cushions are stuffed with ortolans! |
| (Hubbub. They tear open and turn out the contents of the cushions. Bursts of | | laughter—merriment.) |
| THIRD CADET: | | Ah! Viedaze! |
| RAGUENEAU (throwing down to the cadets bottles of red wine): | | Flasks of rubies!— | | (and white wine): | | —Flasks of topaz! |
| ROXANE (throwing a folded tablecloth at Cyrano's head): | | Unfold me that napkin!—Come, come! be nimble! |
| RAGUENEAU (waving a lantern): | | Each of the carriage-lamps is a little larder! |
| CYRANO (in a low voice to Christian, as they arrange the cloth together): | | I must speak with you ere you speak to her. |
| RAGUENEAU: | | My whip-handle is an Arles sausage! |
| ROXANE (pouring out wine, helping): | | Since we are to die, let the rest of the army shift for itself. All for the | | Gascons! And mark! if De Guiche comes, let no one invite him! | | (Going from one to the other): | | There! there! You have time enough! Do not eat too fast!—Drink a little.- | | -Why are you crying? |
| FIRST CADET: | | It is all so good!. . . |
| ROXANE: | | Tut!—Red or white?—Some bread for Monsieur de Carbon!—a knife! Pass your | | plate!—a little of the crust? Some more? Let me help you!—Some champagne?- | | -A wing? |
| CYRANO (who follows her, his arms laden with dishes, helping her to wait on | | everybody): | | How I worship her! |
| ROXANE (going up to Christian): | | What will you? |
| CHRISTIAN: | | Nothing. |
| ROXANE: | | Nay, nay, take this biscuit, steeped in muscat; come!. . .but two drops! |
| CHRISTIAN (trying to detain her): | | Oh! tell me why you came? |
| ROXANE: | | Wait; my first duty is to these poor fellows.—Hush! In a few minutes. . . |
| LE BRET (who had gone up to pass a loaf on the end of a lance to the sentry on | | the rampart): | | De Guiche! |
| CYRANO: | | Quick! hide flasks, plates, pie-dishes, game-baskets! Hurry!—Let us all | | look unconscious! | | (To Ragueneau): | | Up on your seat!—Is everything covered up? |
| (In an instant all has been pushed into the tents, or hidden under doublets, | | cloaks, and beavers. De Guiche enters hurriedly—stops suddenly, sniffing the | | air. Silence.) |
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