I swear it!
CHRISTIAN God!
ROXANE And you are glad, profoundly glad?
CHRISTIAN [in a smothered voice] Yes ...
ROXANE What is it?
CHRISTIAN [pushing her gently away] Nothing. I have a word or two to say to some one: your leave, for a second ...
ROXANE But ...
CHRISTIAN [pointing at a group of CADETS at the back] In my selfish love, I have kept you from those poor brothers.... Go, smile on them a little, before they die, dear ... go!
ROXANE [moved] Dear Christian! [She goes toward the GASCONS at the back; they respectfully gather around her.]
SCENE IX
Christian, Cyrano; in the background, Roxane, talking with Carbon de Castel-Jaloux and some of the Cadets
CHRISTIAN [calling toward CYRANO’s tent] Cyrano!
CYRANO [appears, armed for battle] What is it? ... How pale you are!
CHRISTIAN She does not love me any more!
CYRANO What do you mean?
CHRISTIAN She loves you.
CYRANO No!
CHRISTIAN She only loves my soul!
CYRANO No!
CHRISTIAN Yes! Therefore it is you she loves ... and you love her ...
CYRANO I ...
CHRISTIAN I know it!
CYRANO It is true.
CHRISTIAN To madness!
CYRANO More.
CHRISTIAN Tell her then.
CYRANO No!
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 asseveration! Dear God, 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 pronounce between us.
CYRANO She will pronounce 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]
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] But did you in very truth tell him the truth?
ROXANE Yes. Yes. I should love him even ... [She hesitates a second. ]
CYRANO [smiling sadly] 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.] 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 God, 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 words to CYRANO.]
CYRANO [letting ROXANE’s hand drop, with a cry] Ah! ... ROXANE What ails you?
CYRANO [to himself, in consternation] It is finished! [Musket reports.]
ROXANE What is it? What is happening? Who is firing? [She goes to the back to look off.]
CYRANO It is finished.... My lips are sealed for evermore! [CADETS come in, attempting to conceal something they carry among them; they surround it, preventing ROXANE’S seeing it.]
ROXANE What has happened?
CYRANO [quickly stopping her as she starts toward them] Nothing!
ROXANE These men? ...
CYRANO [drawing her away] Pay no attention to them!
ROXANE But what were you about to say to me before?
CYRANO