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RAGUENEAU： Bags？ Good。 I thank you。 （He looks at them）：
Heavens！ my cherished leaves！ The poems of my friends！ Torn；
dismembered； to make bags for holding biscuits and cakes！。 。 。Ah； 'tis the
old tale again。 。 。Orpheus and the Bacchantes！
LISE （dryly）： And am I not free to turn at last to some use the sole
thing that your wretched scribblers of halting lines leave behind them by
way of payment？
RAGUENEAU： Groveling ant！。 。 。Insult not the divine
grasshoppers； the sweet singers！
LISE： Before you were the sworn comrade of all that crew； my
friend； you did not call your wife ant and Bacchante！
RAGUENEAU： To turn fair verse to such a use！
LISE： 'Faith； 'tis all it's good for。
RAGUENEAU： Pray then； madam； to what use would you degrade
prose？
SCENE 2。II。
The same。 Two children； who have just trotted into the shop。
RAGUENEAU： What would you； little ones？
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
FIRST CHILD： Three pies。
RAGUENEAU （serving them）： See； hot and well browned。
SECOND CHILD： If it please you； Sir； will you wrap them up for
us？
RAGUENEAU （aside； distressed）： Alas！ one of my bags！ （To the
children）： What？ Must I wrap them up？ （He takes a bag； and just as
he is about to put in the pies； he reads）： 'Ulysses thus； on leaving fair
Penelope。 。 。' Not that one！ （He puts it aside； and takes another； and as
he is about to put in the pies； he reads）： 'The gold…locked Phoebus。 。 。'
Nay； nor that one！。 。 。
（Same play。）
LISE （impatiently）： What are you dallying for？
RAGUENEAU： Here！ here！ here （He chooses a third； resignedly）：
The sonnet to Phillis！。 。 。but 'tis hard to part with it！
LISE： By good luck he has made up his mind at last！ （Shrugging
her shoulders）： Nicodemus！
（She mounts on a chair； and begins to range plates on a dresser。）
RAGUENEAU （taking advantage of the moment she turns her back；
calls back the children； who are already at the door）： Hist！
children！。 。 。render me back the sonnet to Phillis； and you shall have six
pies instead of three。
（The children give him back the bag； seize the cakes quickly； and go
out。）
RAGUENEAU （smoothing out the paper； begins to declaim）：
'Phillis！。 。 。' On that sweet name a smear of butter！ 'Phillis！。 。 。'
（Cyrano enters hurriedly。）
SCENE 2。III。
Ragueneau； Lise； Cyrano； then the musketeer。
CYRANO： What's o'clock？
RAGUENEAU （bowing low）： Six o'clock。
CYRANO （with emotion）： In one hour's time！
（He paces up and down the shop。）
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
RAGUENEAU （following him）： Bravo！ I saw。 。 。
CYRANO： Well； what saw you； then？
RAGUENEAU： Your combat！。 。 。
CYRANO： Which？
RAGUENEAU： That in the Burgundy Hotel； 'faith！
CYRANO （contemptuously）： Ah！。 。 。the duel！
RAGUENEAU （admiringly）： Ay！ the duel in verse！。 。 。
LISE： He can talk of naught else！
CYRANO： Well！ Good！ let be！
RAGUENEAU （making passes with a spit that he catches up）： 'At
the envoi's end； I touch！。 。 。At the envoi's end； I touch！'。 。 。'Tis fine； fine！
（With increasing enthusiasm）： 'At the envoi's end'
CYRANO： What hour is it now； Ragueneau？
RAGUENEAU （stopping short in the act of thrusting to look at the
clock）： Five minutes after six！。 。 。'I touch！' （He straightens
himself）： 。 。 。Oh！ to write a ballade！
LISE （to Cyrano； who； as he passes by the counter； has absently
shaken hands with her）： What's wrong with your hand？
CYRANO： Naught； a slight cut。
RAGUENEAU： Have you been in some danger？
CYRANO： None in the world。
LISE （shaking her finger at him）： Methinks you speak not the truth
in saying that！
CYRANO： Did you see my nose quiver when I spoke？ 'Faith； it
must have been a monstrous lie that should move it！ （Changing his tone）：
I wait some one here。 Leave us alone； and disturb us for naught an it
were not for crack of doom！
RAGUENEAU： But 'tis impossible； my poets are coming。 。 。
LISE （ironically）： Oh； ay； for their first meal o' the day！
CYRANO： Prythee； take them aside when I shall make you sign to
do so。 。 。What's o'clock？
RAGUENEAU： Ten minutes after six。
CYRANO （nervously seating himself at Ragueneau's table； and
drawing some paper toward him）： A pen！。 。 。
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
RAGUENEAU （giving him the one from behind his ear）： Herea
swan's quill。
A MUSKETEER （with fierce mustache； enters； and in a stentorian
voice）： Good…day！
（Lise goes up to him quickly。）
CYRANO （turning round）： Who's that？
RAGUENEAU： 'Tis a friend of my wifea terrible warriorat least
so says he himself。
CYRANO （taking up the pen； and motioning Ragueneau away）：
Hush！ （To himself）： I will write； fold it； give it her； and fly！ （Throws
down the pen）： Coward！。 。 。But strike me dead if I dare to speak to
her；。 。 。ay； even one single word！ （To Ragueneau）： What time is it？
RAGUENEAU： A quarter after six！。 。 。
CYRANO （striking his breast）： Aya single word of all those here！
here！ But writing； 'tis easier done。 。 。 （He takes up the pen）： Go to； I
will write it； that love…letter！ Oh！ I have writ it and rewrit it in my own
mind so oft that it lies there ready for pen and ink； and if I lay but my soul
by my letter…sheet； 'tis naught to do but to copy from it。
（He writes。 Through the glass of the door the silhouettes of their
figures move uncertainly and hesitatingly。）
SCENE 2。IV。
Ragueneau； Lise； the musketeer。 Cyrano at the little table writing。
The poets；