The Goddess of Reason 5
MLLE. DE CHÂTEAU-GUI
But who was the saint?—
DE BUC
Ah, here is De Vardes!
_Enter_ DE VARDES. _He is dressed in slight mourning and
carries his arm in a sling._
THE GUESTS
Monsieur the Baron of Morbec!
DE VARDES
Welcome,
The brave and the fair, my old friends and new!
Welcome to Morbec!
COUNT LOUIS
Ah, your wounded arm!—
Our regret is profound!
DE VARDES
It is nothing.
The fraternal embrace of the people!
COUNT LOUIS
Oh, the people!
MME. DE VAUCOURT
The people!
DE L’ORIENT
The people!
COUNT LOUIS
My friend, permit us to hope you will make
Of the people a signal example!
DE VARDES
They are misguided.
COUNT LOUIS
Misguided! Morbleu!
DE VARDES
I will talk to them.
COUNT LOUIS
Monsieur le Baron,
Let your soldiers talk with a bayonet’s point,
Your bailiffs with a rope—
MME. DE VAUCOURT
But what good saint
Brought warning to Auray?
DE L’ORIENT
I guess that saint!
[_A lackey appears upon the terrace._
THE LACKEY
Madame la Marquise de Blanchefôret!
THE GUESTS
Ah!
La belle marquise!
_Enter_ THE MARQUISE.
DE BUC
The saint!
DE VARDES
My neighbour fair,
And to De Barbasan and me last night
A guardian angel—
[_He greets_ THE MARQUISE.
Madame la Marquise!
THE MARQUISE
Monsieur le Baron!
(_To the company._) Messieurs, mesdames!
DE VARDES
From Blanchefôret to Auray through the night
This lady rode—
THE MARQUISE (_with gayety_)
Ah, how I rode last night,
To Auray through the dark! This way it was:
I overheard two peasants yestereve
As in a lane I sought for eglantine.
“How long hath Morbec stood?” said one. “Too long!
But when to-morrow dawns ‘twill not be there!
And we were born, I think, to burn châteaux!—
Ten, by the village clock—forget it not!”
THE ABBÉ
Ah, ay, the while I dealt the clock struck ten.
THE MARQUISE
It was already dusk.—Like grey death moths
They slipped away! I knew not whom to trust,
For in these times there’s no fidelity,
No faithful groom, no steadfast messenger!
My little page brought me my Zuleika.
I knew the red Hussars were at Auray,
And that ‘twas said they loved their colonel well!
So to Auray came Zuleika and I!
DE BUC
We thought it was Dian in huntress dress!
DE VARDES
How deeply am I, Goddess, in thy debt!
No gold is coined wherewith I may repay!
[_Music within._
THE MARQUISE
Give me a rose from yonder tree!
[_Laughing voices within._
MLLE. DE CHÂTEAU-GUI
More guests,
They’re on the south terrace!
DE L’ORIENT
Violins too!
Ah, the old air—
[_He sings._
_There lived a king in Ys,
In Ys the city old!
Beside the sounding sea
He counted o’er his gold._
DE VARDES
Let us meet them.
[_He gives his hand to_ THE MARQUISE. _Exeunt_
COUNT LOUIS, THE ABBÉ, DE BUC, DE L’ORIENT,
_etc._ GRÉGOIRE _approaches_ DE VARDES.
GRÉGOIRE
Monseigneur—Monsieur the Deputy!
DE VARDES
Ah!
Say to monsieur I’m not at leisure now.
[_Exeunt_ DE VARDES _and_ THE MARQUISE. _The
terrace and garden are deserted save for_ GRÉGOIRE,
_who seats himself in the shadow of the balustrade_.
GRÉGOIRE
Humph!—Monseigneur’s not at leisure.
[_He draws a Paris journal from his pocket and
reads, following the letters with his forefinger._
What news?
What says Jean Paul Marat, the People’s Friend?
[_A cry from the wood and the sound of breaking
boughs._ YVETTE _and_ SÉRAPHINE _enter the garden_.
RAÔUL THE HUNTSMAN’S _voice within_.
THE HUNTSMAN
Hilloa!—Hilloa!—Hilloa!
[YVETTE _and_ SÉRAPHINE _turn towards one of the
garden alleys. Laughter and voices._
YVETTE
Go not that way!
SÉRAPHINE
There is no way!
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