CYRANO, RAGUENEAU, the POETS, CARRBON DE CASTEL-JALOUX, the CADETS, a CROWD, then DE GUICHE.

[RAGUENEAU signals to his friends and they all come in. At the same time, by a door at the back, CARBON DE CASTEL-JALOUX enters, in Captain's uniform. He makes gestures of surprise upon seeing CYRANO.]

[There is a tumult outside. The noise of boots and swords is heard.]

[The cadets enter, shouting exclamations in the Gascon dialect.]

[Outside the street has filled with people. Carriages are stopping.]

[A CROWD rushes into the shop, pushing one another and cheering.]

[There is a movement in the CROWD. DE GUICHE appears, escorted by OFFICERS, including CUIGY, BRISSAILLE, and the officers who went with CYRANO the night before. CUIGY comes rapidly up to CYRANO.]

[A tense silence ensues.]

[DE GUICHE goes out and gets into his chair. The other LORDS go away whispering together. LE BRET goes to the door with them. The CROWD leaves.]

RAGUENEAU:

Can we come in?

CYRANO:

[motionless] Yes.

CARBON:

Here he is!

CYRANO:

[raising his head] Captain!

CARBON:

[delightedly] Our hero! We heard all about it! Thirty or more of my cadets are here!

CYRANO:

[shrinking back] But…

CARBON:

[trying to draw him away] Come with me! They will not rest until they see you!

CYRANO:

No!

CARBON:

They're just across the street, drinking at The Bear's Head.

CYRANO:

I—

CARBON:

[going to the door and calling across the street in a loud, booming voice] He won't come! The hero's in a bad mood!

A VOICE:

[outside] Sandious!

CARBON:

[rubbing his hands] They're running across the street!

RAGUENEAU:

[drawing back, startled] Gentlemen, are you all from Gascony?

THE CADETS:

Yes, all of us!

A CADET:

[to CYRANO] Bravo!

CYRANO:

[nodding] Baron!

ANOTHER:

[shaking his hands] Hurrah!

CYRANO:

Baron!

THIRD CADET:

Come! I must embrace you!

CYRANO:

Baron!

SEVERAL CADETS:

We'll all embrace him! All in turn!

CYRANO:

[not knowing whom to reply to] Baron—Baron—I beg you—

RAGUENEAU:

Are you all Barons, Sirs?

CADETS:

All of us!

RAGUENEAU:

Is it true?

FIRST CADET:

You could build a tower with nothing but our coronets!

LE BRET:

[entering, and running up to CYRANO] Everyone wants to see you! There's a wild mob led by the men who followed you last night!

CYRANO:

[alarmed] You haven't told them where to find me, have you?

LE BRET:

[rubbing his hands] Yes!

A BURGHER:

[entering, followed by a group of men] Sir, everyone in the Marais is coming here!

LE BRET:

[in a low voice, smiling, to CYRANO] What happened with Roxane?

CYRANO:

[quickly] Hush!

CROWD:

[calling from outside] Cyrano!

RAGUENEAU:

[standing on a table] My shop is being invaded! They're breaking everything! How magnificent!

CROWD:

[gathering around CYRANO] My friend! My friend!

CYRANO:

It seems that just yesterday I didn't have this many friends!

LE BRET:

[delighted] Success!

A YOUNG MARQUIS:

[hurrying up with his hands held out] My friend, if you only knew—

CYRANO:

Friend? How can you be my friend if I've never even seen you before?

ANOTHER:

Sir, please let me present to you some fair ladies who are waiting in my carriage.

CYRANO:

[coldly] Oh? And who will introduce me to you?

LE BRET:

[astonished] What's wrong with you?

CYRANO:

Hush!

A MAN OF LETTERS:

[with a writing-board] Sir, may I have a few details?

CYRANO:

No.

LE BRET:

[nudging his elbow] That's Théophraste Renaudot, editor of the “Gazette!”

CYRANO:

Who cares?

LE BRET:

But his paper is of great importance! They say it will be an immense success!

A POET:

[advancing] Sir—

CYRANO:

Another one!

POET:

Please permit me to make a pentacrostic out of your name.

A MAN:

[also advancing] Please, Sir—

CYRANO:

Enough! Enough!

CUIGY:

[to CYRANO] I present Monsieur de Guiche. [The CROWD murmurs and everyone gets out of the way.] He comes with a message from the Marshal of Gassion!

DE GUICHE:

[bowing to CYRANO] The Marshal expresses his admiration, Sir, for your exploit that everyone is talking about.

CROWD:

Bravo!

CYRANO:

[bowing] The Marshal is a judge of valor.

DE GUICHE:

He could not have believed it, unless these gentlemen had sworn they witnessed it.

CUIGY:

With our own eyes!

LE BRET:

[aside to CYRANO, who appears distracted] Aren't you going to say something?

CYRANO:

Hush!

LE BRET:

What is it? You seem to be suffering.

CYRANO:

[starting] Suffering? In front of this mob? [He draws himself up, twirls his mustache, and throws back his shoulders.] Wait! You shall see!

DE GUICHE:

[to whom CUIGY has spoken in a low voice] Your career is already filled with great exploits. And you also serve with those crazy Gascons?

CYRANO:

Yes, I'm with the Cadets.

A CADET:

[in a fierce tone] He's one of us!

DE GUICHE:

[looking at the CADETS, who all stand behind CYRANO] Ah! These proud and haughty gentlemen must be the famous warriors!

CARBON:

Cyrano!

CYRANO:

Yes, captain!

CARBON:

Since all my company is assembled here, please favor me and present them to the Count.

CYRANO:

[making two steps toward DE GUICHE and pointing to the CADETS] My Lord de Guiche, permit me to present my fellow cadets:

DE GUICHE:

[looking snobby and seated casually in an armchair brought quickly by RAGUENEAU] A poet! It's the latest fashion! Would you like to be my personal poet?

CYRANO:

No, Sir! I'm no man's poet!

DE GUICHE:

Your exploits last night pleased my uncle, Cardinal Richelieu. I'll gladly say a word to him for you.

LE BRET:

[overjoyed] My God!

DE GUICHE:

I believe you have written a play?

LE BRET:

[in CYRANO'S ear] Your play! Agrippine shall be performed at last!

DE GUICHE:

Take it to him.

CYRANO:

[beginning to be tempted and attracted] Well, I…

DE GUICHE:

He is a skilled critic. He may correct a line or two, at most.

CYRANO:

[whose face stiffens at once] Impossible! My blood freezes just to imagine that even one comma should be changed!

DE GUICHE:

But when he likes a piece of writing, he pays extremely well for it, good friend.

CYRANO:

He cannot pay as well as I do. For when a verse I've written pleases me, I pay the writer the highest reward by singing it to myself!

DE GUICHE:

You are proud.

CYRANO:

Really? Have you noticed that?

A CADET:

[entering, with a string of old battered plumed beaver hats, full of holes, slung on his word] Look, Cyrano! See the brightly-feathered game we found this morning out in the street!

CARBON:

The spoils of war!

ALL:

[laughing] Ha, ha, ha!

CUIGY:

Whoever hired those cowards must be cursing and swearing today!

BRISSAILLE:

Who was it?

DE GUICHE:

It was me. [The laughter stops.] The job was too dirty for my sword, so I hired them to punish that drunken sot of a poet.

CADET:

in a low voice, to CYRANO, showing him the hats] What should we do with them? They're all greasy. Maybe we should make a stew!

CYRANO:

[taking the sword and, with a salute, dropping the hats at DE GUICHE'S feet] Please, Sir, be good enough to return them to your friends.

DE GUICHE:

[rising, and speaking sharply] Bring me my chair at once! I'm leaving! [to CYRANO, angrily] As to you, Sir!

VOICE:

[in the street] Porters! Bring Count de Guiche's chair!

DE GUICHE:

[who has regained control of himself, smiling] Have you read Don Quixote?

CYRANO:

I have! And I take off my hat to that mad knight!

DE GUICHE:

I advise you study—

PORTER:

[appearing at the back] My lord's chair!

DE GUICHE:

—the windmill chapter!

CYRANO:

[bowing] Chapter thirteen.

DE GUICHE:

For when one attacks windmills, it may happen that—

CYRANO:

Are you saying that I attack those who change with every change of the breeze?

DE GUICHE:

—that the arms of windmills may catch you and sweep you down into the mud!

CYRANO:

Or upward to the stars!