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.]

[They begin fencing.]

[They both sit down on the floor.]

[He grabs her at the waist.]

[He blows peas down at the crowd.]

[He takes his SON by the arm and leads him away.]

[A hubbub outside the door is heard.]

[Enter a band of young MARQUISES.]

[They greet and embrace one another.]

[They form in groups around the candle-holders as they are lit. Some people have taken their seats in the galleries. LIGNIERE, disheveled but distinguished-looking, with disordered shirt-front is arm-in-arm with CHRISTIAN DE NEUVILLETTE. CHRISTIAN, who is dressed elegantly but a little out of fashion, seems preoccupied, and keeps looking at the boxes.]

DOORKEEPER:

[going after him] Wait! You must pay your fifteen sols!

TROOPER:

I get in free!

DOORKEEPER:

How so?

TROOPER:

I'm a soldier in the King's Cavalry!

DOORKEEPER:

[to SECOND TROOPER who also enters] And you?

SECOND TROOPER:

I get in free as well. I'm a musketeer!

FIRST TROOPER:

[to the second] The play doesn't begin until two. Let's have a bout with the foils to pass the time.

A LACKEY:

[entering] Psst—Flanquin!

SECOND LACKEY:

Is that you, Champagne?

FIRST LACKEY:

[taking cards and some dice out of his jacket pocket] Look what I've brought. Let's play!

SECOND LACKEY:

Good idea, my rogue friend!

FIRST LACKEY:

[taking a candle-end from his pocket and lighting it] I've stolen for us a little light from my master.

A GUARDSMAN:

[to a SHOP-GIRL who comes toward him] How nice of you to come before the lights are lit!

ONE OF THE FENCERS:

[receiving a thrust] A hit!

ONE OF THE CARD-PLAYERS:

A club!

GUARDSMAN:

[following the girl] A kiss!

SHOP-GIRL:

[trying to free herself from his grasp] Stop! They'll see us!

GUARDSMAN:

[drawing her to a dark corner] Now they can't!

A MAN:

[sitting on the floor with some others who are all eating food] By coming early, one can eat in comfort.

A BURGHER:

[leading his SON] Let's sit here, my son.

A CARD-PLAYER:

Triple ace!

A MAN:

[taking a bottle out from his jacket and seating himself on the floor] A drunkard should drink his Burgundy…[he drinks] in the Hotel Burgundy!

BURGHER:

[to his SON] My God! One would think we've stumbled into some place of ill-repute! What with drunkards! [He points with his cane to the drunk.] Brawlers! [One of the FENCERS jostles him.] And gamblers! [He stumbles into the midst of the CARD-PLAYERS.]

GUARDSMAN:

[behind the BURGHER, still teasing the SHOP-GIRL] Come on, just one kiss!

BURGHER:

[hurriedly pulling HIS SON away] Good heavens! And to think that Rotrou was played here!

HIS SON:

Yes, and Corneille too!

A TROOP OF PAGES:

[entering hand-in-hand, dancing and singing] Tra-la-lala-la-la-la-la-la…

DOORKEEPER:

[sternly, to the PAGES] You pages better behave yourselves. No pranks tonight!

FIRST PAGE:

[with an air of wounded dignity] Oh, sir! How can you even suspect that we would do such things? [quickly, to the SECOND PAGE, the moment the DOORKEEPER'S back is turned] Did you bring the string?

SECOND PAGE:

Oh, yes—and a fish-hook with it!

FIRST PAGE:

Great! We'll fish for wigs from up in the gallery!

A PICKPOCKET:

[gathering about him some evil-looking youths] Listen here, you young thieves. I'm about to give you your first lesson in stealing.

SECOND PAGE:

[calling up to other PAGES in the top galleries] Have you all brought your peashooters?

THIRD PAGE:

[from above] Oh yes, and peas too!

BURGHER'S SON:

[to his father] What's the name of the play tonight?

BURGHER:

La Clorise.

SON:

Who wrote it?

BURGHER:

Balthazar Baro. It's a play about…

PICKPOCKET:

[to his students] Look for lace knee-ruffles and cut them off!

A SPECTATOR:

[to another, pointing to a corner of the gallery] I was sitting up there, the first night of the ‘Cid.’

PICKPOCKET:

[making a gesture as of picking a pocket] And with watches…

BURGHER:

[coming down again with his SON] Soon you will see some great actors.

PICKPOCKET:

[making the type of gesture one would use when pulling something in a sneaky way, with little jerks of the hand] And for handkerchiefs…

BURGHER:

Montfleury…

A VOICE FROM THE GALLERY:

Light the lights!

BURGHER:

Bellerose, L'Epy, La Beaupre, Jodelet!

A PAGE:

Here comes the buffet-girl!

BUFFET-GIRL:

[taking her place behind the buffet] Oranges, milk, raspberry-water, cider…

A FALSETTO VOICE:

Make way, you brutes!

A LACKEY:

[astonished] The Marquises! Down here on the floor with us?

ANOTHER LACKEY:

Oh, only for a moment, I'm sure.

A MARQUIS:

[seeing that the hall is half empty] What's this? We've arrived like common tradesmen—without disturbing anyone or stepping on their toes? For shame! [recognizing some other gentlemen who have entered a little before him] Cuigy! Brissaille!

CUIGY:

True to our word! We're here before the candles are lit.

MARQUIS:

Enough! I'm so annoyed!

ANOTHER MARQUIS:

Don't worry, Marquis, they're coming to light the candles now!

ENTIRE AUDIENCE:

[welcoming the entrance of the candle lighter] Ah!