Scene 5.I.



Mother Marguerite, Sister Martha, Sister Claire, other sisters.



SISTER MARTHA (to Mother Marguerite):

  Sister Claire glanced in the mirror, once--nay, twice, to see if her coif

suited.



MOTHER MARGUERITE (to Sister Claire):

  'Tis not well.



SISTER CLAIRE:

  But I saw Sister Martha take a plum

  Out of the tart.



MOTHER MARGUERITE (to Sister Martha):

  That was ill done, my sister.



SISTER CLAIRE:

  A little glance!



SISTER MARTHA:

  And such a little plum!



MOTHER MARGUERITE:

  I shall tell this to Monsieur Cyrano.



SISTER CLAIRE:

  Nay, prithee do not!--he will mock!



SISTER MARTHA:

  He'll say we nuns are vain!



SISTER CLAIRE:

  And greedy!



MOTHER MARGUERITE (smiling):

  Ay, and kind!



SISTER CLAIRE:

  Is it not true, pray, Mother Marguerite,

  That he has come, each week, on Saturday

  For ten years, to the convent?



MOTHER MARGUERITE:

  Ay! and more!

  Ever since--fourteen years ago--the day

  His cousin brought here, 'midst our woolen coifs,

  The worldly mourning of her widow's veil,

  Like a blackbird's wing among the convent doves!



SISTER MARTHA:

  He only has the skill to turn her mind

  From grief--unsoftened yet by Time--unhealed!



ALL THE SISTERS:

  He is so droll!--It's cheerful when he comes!--

  He teases us!--But we all like him well!--

  --We make him pasties of angelica!



SISTER MARTHA:

  But, he is not a faithful Catholic!



SISTER CLAIRE:

  We will convert him!



THE SISTERS:

  Yes!  Yes!



MOTHER MARGUERITE:

  I forbid,

  My daughters, you attempt that subject.  Nay,

  Weary him not--he might less oft come here!



SISTER MARTHA:

  But. . .God. . .



MOTHER MARGUERITE:

  Nay, never fear!  God knows him well!



SISTER MARTHA:

  But--every Saturday, when he arrives,

  He tells me, 'Sister, I eat meat on Friday!'



MOTHER MARGUERITE:

  Ah! says he so?  Well, the last time he came

  Food had not passed his lips for two whole days!



SISTER MARTHA:

  Mother!



MOTHER MARGUERITE:

  He's poor.



SISTER MARTHA:

  Who told you so, dear Mother?



MOTHER MARGUERITE:

  Monsieur Le Bret.



SISTER MARTHA:

  None help him?



MOTHER MARGUERITE:

  He permits not.

(In an alley at the back Roxane appears, dressed in black, with a widow's coif

and veil.  De Guiche, imposing-looking and visibly aged, walks by her side. 

They saunter slowly.  Mother Marguerite rises):

  'Tis time we go in; Madame Madeleine

  Walks in the garden with a visitor.



SISTER MARTHA (to Sister Claire, in a low voice):

  The Marshal of Grammont?



SISTER CLAIRE (looking at him):

  'Tis he, I think.



SISTER MARTHA:

  'Tis many months now since he came to see her.



THE SISTERS:

  He is so busy!--The Court,--the camp!. . .



SISTER CLAIRE:

  The world!



(They go out.  De Guiche and Roxane come forward in silence, and stop close to

the embroidery frame.)