The Goddess of Reason 9
SÉRAPHINE
Saint Guenolé! Saint Thromeur! Saint Sulic!—
He did not see us in the dark last night!
[DE VARDES _regards them more closely_.
GRÉGOIRE
Séraphine Robin—Yvette Charruel—
They are not bad folk, monseigneur!
SÉRAPHINE
No, faith!
[DE VARDES _studies the name written upon a playing
card which he holds in his hand_.
DE VARDES (_to_ GRÉGOIRE)
Say to Monsieur the Deputy from Vannes
That I await him here.
[_Exit_ GRÉGOIRE. DE VARDES _looks intently at_
YVETTE.
YVETTE
It was so beautiful,
The fan—I took it in my hand—it broke!
SÉRAPHINE
All that she touches breaks!
DE VARDES (_to_ YVETTE)
Wast ever thou
In the Forest of Paimpont?
YVETTE
Oh, monseigneur!
Last Eve of Saint John, by the Druid Stone!
DE VARDES
Ah!—
[_He takes the fan from_ YVETTE’S _hand and examines it_.
Beyond all remedy!—Well, ‘tis done.
Do not tremble so!
YVETTE
I tremble not!
_Enter_ LALAIN.
SÉRAPHINE (_to_ YVETTE)
Here’s Monsieur Lalain!
YVETTE
I care not, I!
DE VARDES
Ah,
Rémond Lalain!
LALAIN (_stiffly_)
Monsieur—
DE VARDES
A moment, pray,
Until I’ve spoken with these worthy folk!
LALAIN (_coldly_)
Monsieur the Baron’s pleasure!
[_He moves aside, but in passing speaks to_ YVETTE.
Yvette! Yvette!
YVETTE
Monsieur the Deputy?
LALAIN
Too fair art thou!
Beware! This is the Seigneur of Morbec!
YVETTE
I know.
LALAIN
He is the foe of France!
YVETTE
I know.
DE VARDES (_to_ SÉRAPHINE)
Your business, well?
SÉRAPHINE (_stammering_)
Our business, monseigneur?—
Oh, give me help, Saint Yves le Véridique!—
Our business?—Saint Michel!—Well, since we’re here!—
Monseigneur, was the pullet plump and sweet?
DE VARDES
The pullet?
YVETTE
Our pullet, monseigneur.
LALAIN
Distrained for rent!
SÉRAPHINE
And Lisette, monseigneur?
May we enquire for Lisette’s health?
DE VARDES
Lisette?
YVETTE
Our cow, monseigneur.
LALAIN
Taken for taxes!
SÉRAPHINE
It was the best Lisette!
YVETTE
She followed me
Through the green lanes, and o’er the meadows salt.
Her breath was sweet as May!
DE VARDES
It would please you
To have your cow again?
YVETTE
Oh, monseigneur!
Monseigneur, I’m the herd girl of Morbec!
LALAIN (_aside_)
They gaze into each other’s eyes!
DE VARDES
What is
Thy name?
YVETTE
Yvette.
SÉRAPHINE
Ay, ay, ‘tis so!—Yvette.
Called also The Right of the Seigneur!—
DE VARDES
The Right of the Seigneur!
SÉRAPHINE (_nodding_)
Just so.
LALAIN (_aside_)
Recall
Just one of a great seigneur’s privileges!
_Baiser des mariées_, in short, my friend!
SÉRAPHINE
O holy Saints! the night that she was born!
The thunder pealed, the sea gave forth a cry,
The forked lightnings played, the winds were out
And in the hut her mother lay and wailed,
And called on all the saints, the while Jehan
(That was her mother’s husband, monseigneur),
He stood and struck his heel against the logs.
Up flew the sparks, for all the wood was drift,
Salt with the sea, and every flame was blue.
I held the babe—Yvette, show monseigneur
The mark beneath the ear!
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