ACT TWO: SCENE TWO

MAID:

(enters) Madame, Monsieur de Guiche is here to see you.

ROXANE:

Aye, let him come here.

(MAID exits)

Cyrano, you'd better leave...

CYRANO:

Yes, madame.

ROXANE:

But before you go, I have a favor to ask of you.

CYRANO:

I'm at your service.

ROXANE:

All these days, I've been swooning over these melodious letters without ever hearing

the music straight from the composer. I wish to meet Christian here

tonight. Will you tell him to come?

CYRANO:

I will, madame. (Bows) And now, adieu. (Begins to exit when DE GUICHE enters)

(greeting:) Monsieur de Quiche. (Exits)

DE GUICHE:

Monsieur de Ber–(catches the "Quiche" insult) Mordious!

(Sees ROXANE and composes himself) Madame Roxane.

ROXANE:

Bonjour, Monsieur de Guiche.

DE GUICHE:

I've come to tell you that I'm leaving.

ROXANE:

(holding back a laugh) You've come to say you're leaving?

DE GUICHE:

I've been summoned for the siege of Arras. Do you know that I've

been promoted to colonel?

ROXANE:

Ah, wonderful.

DE GUICHE:

Yes, colonel of the Guards of Carbon de Castel-Jaloux.

ROXANE:

(distressed, she sits) Carbon de Castel-Jaloux? (To self) Christian!

DE GUICHE:

Yes, your blackguard cousin's regiment. (Recalling) Do you see him often?

ROXANE:

No, hardly ever. He only happened to come by today...(getting an idea)

...to brag to me about–what did he call it?–a tiff he had at the Porte de Nesle.

DE GUICHE:

The vermin! Do you support him?

ROXANE:

No, I am entirely against him.

DE GUICHE:

Then for the both of us, I'll have my revenge of him in Arras. He enjoys fighting

a hundred men, eh? I doubt he could handle a thousand Spaniards.

ROXANE:

Is that your revenge?

DE GUICHE:

Don't you fret about such matters; leave it to me.

ROXANE:

But you just said yourself that he enjoys fighting. You can't deflate him by sending

him off to war. The only way you can hurt Cyrano is by attacking his pride.

DE GUICHE:

(laughs) Oh, woman...!

ROXANE:

If instead you keep him here with his regiment, he'll be missing out, and you'll

have your revenge.

DE GUICHE:

Helping me to destroy your cousin...Does this mean...? I would like to take your

help as a sign of your love for me, Roxane.

ROXANE:

Take it so.

DE GUICHE:

Ha, yes, that is what I will do! I have here all the commands for the regiments,

but I will not deliver his! Ah, Cyrano--that battle-loving swine–he will be furious to

know he's not going off to war! Perhaps I should stay behind, Roxane. I could hide

at the monastery, then come to you in the night.

ROXANE:

You cannot abandon your newly attained duties, sir.

DE GUICHE:

But we–

ROXANE:

As they say, sir, absence makes the heart grow fonder. But how can my

heart grow fonder for you if you are not absent?

DE GUICHE:

Ah, Roxane, you've never spoken to me that way before! Yes, I will

go and allow your love for me to grow. Adieu, my dear.

(Kisses her hand and exits)

ROXANE:

Christian will stay! I'm sorry I had to do that to Cyrano,

but I can't let them send Christian off to war.

MAID:

(enters) Mistress, we'll be late for the poetry reading! We'll be locked out!

ROXANE:

Oh, that tiresome droning. Christian has helped me grow out of that

adolescent verse.

MAID:

You promised you'd be there! Now, come!

(They exit.

CYRANO and CHRISTIAN enter)