The Goddess of Reason 13
MME. DE VAUCOURT
Oh, the brigands!
COUNT LOUIS (_rubbing his hands_)
Here, Sergeant, range them here,
Upon the terrace! And take the great chair,
De Vardes! Ma foi! We will teach them, the rogues!
Monsieur l’Anglais, have you peasants at home
Plague you at times?—Word of a gentleman!
It seems like old days and Henri again!
[_The soldiers thrust their prisoners forward with
the butts of their muskets._
A MAN
Monseigneur!
ANOTHER
Monseigneur!
A WOMAN
Madame la Marquise!
My father was your father’s foster brother!
THE MARQUISE
Is that a reason you should burn châteaux?
A YOUNG WOMAN
Where’s Yvette Charruel?
YVETTE
Here, Angélique!
SÉRAPHINE (_aside to_ ANGÉLIQUE)
Of course! Betray the girl! I knew you would.
AN OLD WOMAN
Yvette said God would have mercy! I faint—
DE VARDES (_to_ GRÉGOIRE)
Give her wine!
A PEASANT
See! There is Rémond Lalain!
LALAIN
Patience, compatriot! Thursday I speak
In the Jacobins!
ANGÉLIQUE
Ah, monseigneur!
Ah, monseigneur, there’s she who led us here!
There’s she who said the shadow of Morbec
Blackened the land as sin blackens the soul!
THE GUESTS
Ah!—
ANGÉLIQUE
That same Yvette, who said, monseigneur,
That delving the earth, the peasants of France
In a long age had delved up a thought!
THE GUESTS
Ah!—
ANGÉLIQUE
She said that we were never born to starve!
She said the seigneur’s dues were all _infâme_!
THE GUESTS
Ah!—
THE VIDAME
Burn the witch!
DE VARDES
Have you done?
ANGÉLIQUE
Monseigneur,
She said the forest deer, the hare, the birds,
Were just as much the peasant’s as the lord’s!
THE ENGLISHMAN
What? What?
ANGÉLIQUE
She said the saints they wished no tithes!
THE ABBÉ
I give her up!
ANGÉLIQUE
Monseigneur, monseigneur,
She said that all our hope was the tricolour!
DE BUC
O lilies of Bourbon!
SÉRAPHINE (_to_ ANGÉLIQUE)
Thou little beast!
ANGÉLIQUE (_shrilly_)
Yvette said bitter hunger, cold, and want
Came with _noblesse_ and with _noblesse_ would go!
Yvette said the Queen was an Austrian!
Yvette said the King was a fainéant!
Yvette said the princes were traitors!
Yvette said the armies would turn to us!
Yvette heard the drums of the Republic!
THE GUESTS
Out!
COUNT LOUIS
Enough!
SÉRAPHINE
Thou hellicat!
A PEASANT
Monseigneur!
Saint Yves le Véridique knows it is truth!
She ever rings the tocsin in our hearts!
ANOTHER
Yvette Charruel!
A WOMAN
She led us here!
ANOTHER WOMAN
Yvette!
Yvette Charruel!
ANGÉLIQUE
Yvette?—
[_Several of the women laugh._
DE VARDES
Why, you are all cowards!
SÉRAPHINE
So they are, monseigneur, so they are!
DE VARDES (_to the peasants_)
Who speaks for you?
[_A silence._
THE PEASANTS
Monseigneur—monseigneur—
[_They break off._ DE VARDES _stands waiting for
them to speak, his hand upon the chair_.
AN OLD WOMAN
Yvette—
AN OLD MAN
Yvette—
THE PEASANTS
Monseigneur—
[_They break off. They make a sighing sound. The
old woman begins to say her beads._
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