The Goddess of Reason 22

The Goddess of Reason 22

 Séraphine!

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

Chérie!

 

YVETTE

 

Nanon!

 

NANON

 

Dear Yvette!

 

YVETTE

 

How gay you are! What of the Revolution?

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

It goes.

 

NANON

 

It goes well.

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

We have a new song!

Faith! ‘Tis a greater song than _Ça Ira_!

 

YVETTE (_sings_)

 

_Aux armes, Citoyens!

Formez vos bataillons!_

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

That’s it!

 

NANON (_looking about her_)

 

So very triste it is in here!

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

So gay outside! All Nantes is dressed in red!

There’s a procession, and then to-night

We sit in the galleries to hear Lalain!

 

[_Distant music._

 

Hark to the fife! _Formez vos bataillons!_—

And your feet keep not time to the music!

 

YVETTE

 

But my heart, Séraphine, my heart keeps time.

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

Ho! Your heart is in barracks, says Céleste.

 

YVETTE

 

Céleste!

 

NANON

 

And Angélique.

 

YVETTE

 

Angélique!

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

Faith!

 

Angélique is in feather now you’re gone!

Cries _Vive la République!_ here in Nantes.

Rides on the cannon and handles a pike;

Thinks she’s in Paris and plays Théroigne,

And high from the galleries applauds Lalain!

 

NANON

 

He thinks not of her; he thinks of Yvette!

 

YVETTE

 

I care not of whom he thinks!

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

On a fête day,

In a car triumphal see her appear!

Dressed like a goddess just down from the skies,

All crowned with green oak leaves, borne shoulder high—

 

YVETTE

 

Angélique!

 

SÉRAPHINE (_nodding_)

 

Ah, you see you are not there!

But between you and me, red does not become her!

 

YVETTE

 

I should think not!—little blonde!

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

Ah, but red

Becomes you!

 

YVETTE

 

Yes!

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

Monseigneur’s gone from Nantes.

Yes, faith! I saw him ride away—

 

YVETTE

 

He’s gone!

Rememb’rest thou that lady fair and proud,

Madame la Marquise de Blanchefôret?

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

Ho!

(_To_ NANON.) Rememb’rest thou the Citoyenne Blanchefôret?

 

NANON

 

The proud piece! We are mire beneath her feet!

Last eve her coach threw mud upon my gown!

Let her beware! One day she’ll walk afoot.

Let her beware! And let him too beware

Who rode last eve beside her golden coach!

 

YVETTE

 

Ha, ha! ha, ha!

 

[_Music and voices in the street. Impatient knocking

at the door in the wall._

 

VOICES

 

Holà, Aristocrats!

Nanon! Séraphine!

 

NANON

 

Our friends await us.

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

We have business with the smith upon the quai,

Where by the old dovecot he fashions pikes!

 

VOICES

 

_Allons, enfants de la patrie!_

 

NANON

 

Come, come away! We’ll leave the nun alone

To say her beads for black Aristocrats!

How triste to be for aye in prison here!

 

YVETTE (_angrily_)

 

Prison! I am no prisoner, I!

 

NANON

 

Then come with us into the merry streets!

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

‘Twill be a heavy storm—all are within.

How easy ‘twere to slip away with us!

 

YVETTE

 

No, no!

 

VOICES

 

Citoyennes! Citoyennes!

 

NANON

 

Ma’m’selle!

 

YVETTE

 

Ma’m’selle!

 

NANON

 

Aristocrat!

 

YVETTE

 

Aristocrat!

 

SÉRAPHINE

 

Well—kept by an Aristocrat—