Scene 1.I.



The public, arriving by degrees.  Troopers, burghers, lackeys, pages, a

pickpocket, the doorkeeper, etc., followed by the marquises.  Cuigy,

Brissaille, the buffet-girl, the violinists, etc.



(A confusion of loud voices is heard outside the door.  A trooper enters

hastily.)



THE DOORKEEPER (following him):

  Hollo!  You there!  Your money!



THE TROOPER:

  I enter gratis.



THE DOORKEEPER:

  Why?



THE TROOPER:

  Why?  I am of the King's Household Cavalry, 'faith!



THE DOORKEEPER (to another trooper who enters):

  And you?



SECOND TROOPER:

  I pay nothing.



THE DOORKEEPER:

  How so?



SECOND TROOPER:

  I am a musketeer.



FIRST TROOPER (to the second):

  The play will not begin till two.  The pit is empty.  Come, a bout with the

foils to pass the time.



(They fence with the foils they have brought.)



A LACKEY (entering):

  Pst. . .Flanquin. . .!



ANOTHER (already there):

  Champagne?. . .



THE FIRST (showing him cards and dice which he takes from his doublet):

  See, here be cards and dice.

(He seats himself on the floor):

  Let's play.



THE SECOND (doing the same):

  Good; I am with you, villain!



FIRST LACKEY (taking from his pocket a candle-end, which he lights, and sticks

on the floor):

  I made free to provide myself with light at my master's expense!



A GUARDSMAN (to a shop-girl who advances):

  'Twas prettily done to come before the lights were lit!



(He takes her round the waist.)



ONE OF THE FENCERS (receiving a thrust):

  A hit!



ONE OF THE CARD-PLAYERS:

  Clubs!



THE GUARDSMAN (following the girl):

  A kiss!



THE SHOP-GIRL (struggling to free herself):

  They're looking!



THE GUARDSMAN (drawing her to a dark corner):

  No fear!  No one can see!



A MAN (sitting on the ground with others, who have brought their provisions):

  By coming early, one can eat in comfort.



A BURGHER (conducting his son):

  Let us sit here, son.



A CARD-PLAYER:

  Triple ace!



A MAN (taking a bottle from under his cloak,

and also seating himself on the floor):

  A tippler may well quaff his Burgundy

(he drinks):

  in the Burgundy Hotel!



THE BURGHER (to his son):

  'Faith!  A man might think he had fallen in a bad house here!

(He points with his cane to the drunkard):

  What with topers!

(One of the fencers in breaking off, jostles him):

  brawlers!

(He stumbles into the midst of the card-players):

  gamblers!



THE GUARDSMAN (behind him, still teasing the shop-girl):

  Come, one kiss!



THE BURGHER (hurriedly pulling his son away):

  By all the holies!  And this, my boy, is the theater where they played

Rotrou erewhile.



THE YOUNG MAN:

  Ay, and Corneille!



A TROOP OF PAGES (hand-in-hand, enter dancing the farandole, and singing):

  Tra' a la, la, la, la, la, la, la, lere. . .



THE DOORKEEPER (sternly, to the pages):

  You pages there, none of your tricks!. . .



FIRST PAGE (with an air of wounded dignity):

  Oh, sir!--such a suspicion!. . .

(Briskly, to the second page, the moment the doorkeeper's back is turned):

  Have you string?



THE SECOND:

  Ay, and a fish-hook with it.



FIRST PAGE:

  We can angle for wigs, then, up there i' th' gallery.



A PICKPOCKET (gathering about him some evil-looking youths):

  Hark ye, young cut-purses, lend an ear, while I give you your first lesson

in thieving.



SECOND PAGE (calling up to others in the top galleries):

  You there!  Have you peashooters?



THIRD PAGE (from above):

  Ay, have we, and peas withal!



(He blows, and peppers them with peas.)



THE YOUNG MAN (to his father):

  What piece do they give us?



THE BURGHER:

  'Clorise.'



THE YOUNG MAN:

  Who may the author be?



THE BURGHER:

  Master Balthazar Baro.  It is a play!. . .



(He goes arm-in-arm with his son.)



THE PICKPOCKET (to his pupils):

  Have a care, above all, of the lace knee-ruffles--cut them off!



A SPECTATOR (to another, showing him a corner in the gallery):

  I was up there, the first night of the 'Cid.'



THE PICKPOCKET (making with his fingers the gesture of filching):

  Thus for watches--



THE BURGHER (coming down again with his son):

  Ah!  You shall presently see some renowned actors. . .



THE PICKPOCKET (making the gestures of one who pulls something stealthily,

with little jerks):

  Thus for handkerchiefs--



THE BURGHER:

  Montfleury. . .



SOME ONE (shouting from the upper gallery):

  Light up, below there!



THE BURGHER:

  . . .Bellerose, L'Epy, La Beaupre, Jodelet!



A PAGE (in the pit):

  Here comes the buffet-girl!



THE BUFFET-GIRL (taking her place behind the buffet):

  Oranges, milk, raspberry-water, cedar bitters!



(A hubbub outside the door is heard.)



A FALSETTO VOICE:

  Make place, brutes!



A LACKEY (astonished):

  The Marquises!--in the pit?. . .



ANOTHER LACKEY:

  Oh! only for a minute or two!



(Enter a band of young marquises.)



A MARQUIS (seeing that the hall is half empty):

  What now!  So we make our entrance like a pack of woolen-drapers! 

Peaceably, without disturbing the folk, or treading on their toes!--Oh, fie! 

Fie!

(Recognizing some other gentlemen who have entered a little before him):

  Cuigy!  Brissaille!



(Greetings and embraces.)



CUIGY:

  True to our word!. . .Troth, we are here before the candles are lit.



THE MARQUIS:

  Ay, indeed!  Enough!  I am of an ill humor.



ANOTHER:

  Nay, nay, Marquis! see, for your consolation, they are coming to light up!



ALL THE AUDIENCE (welcoming the entrance of the lighter):

  Ah!. . .



(They form in groups round the lusters as they are lit.  Some people have

taken their seats in the galleries.  Ligniere, a distinguished-looking roue,

with disordered shirt-front arm-in-arm with christian de Neuvillette. 

Christian, who is dressed elegantly, but rather behind the fashion, seems

preoccupied, and keeps looking at the boxes.)