CYRANO
Oh it is nothing; it will soon be gone. . . .
(Forcing a
smile)
There! It is gone!
ROXANE
(Standing close to him) We all have our old wounds
I have mine-here. . . (Her
hand at her breast)
under this faded scrap of writing. . . . It is hard to read
now- all but the blood- and the tears. . . .
(Twilight
begins to fall.)
CYRANO
His letter! . . . Did you not promise me that some day. . .
that some day. . . .
You would let me read it?
ROXANE
His letter?- You . . .You wish-
CYRANO
I do wish
it- today.
ROXANE
(Gives him the little silken bag from around her neck.)
Here. . . .
CYRANO
May I . . . open it?
ROXANE
Open it, and read. (She goes back to her work, folds it
again, rearranges her silks.)
CYRANO
(Unfolds
the letter; reads.)
"Farewell Roxane, because to-day I die-"
ROXANE (Looks up, surprised.)
Aloud?
CYRANO (Reads)
"I know that it will be to-day, my own dearly beloved- and
my heart
Still so heavy with love I have not told, And I die without
telling you!
No more shall my eyes drink the sight of you like wine, never
more,
with a look that is a kiss, follow the sweet grace of
you-"
ROXANE
How you read it- His letter!
CYRANO (Continues)
"I remember now the way
You have, of pushing back a lock of hair
With one hand, from your forehead-and my heart cries
out-"
ROXANE .
His letter.
. . and you read it so . . .
(The
darkness increases imperceptibly.)
CYRANO
"Cries out and keeps crying! 'Farewell, my dear, My
dearest-' "
ROXANE
In a voice. . . .
CYRANO
"-My own heart's own, My own treasure--"
ROXANE
(Dreamily)
In such a
voice. . . .
CYRANO
-"My love--"
ROXANE
-As I remember hearing. . . (She trembles.) -long ago. . . .
(She comes
near him, softly, without his seeing her; passes
the chair, leans over silently, looking at the letter. The darkness increases.)
CYRANO
"-I am never away from you. Even now,
I shall not leave you. In another world,
I shall be still that one who loves you, loves you
Beyond measure, beyond-"
ROXANE
(Lays her hand on his shoulder.)
How can you
read now? It is dark. . . .
(He starts,
turns, and sees her there close to him. A little movement of surprise, almost
of fear, then he bows his head. A long pause, then in the twilight now
completely fallen, she says very softly, clasping her hands)
And all these fourteen years, he has been the old friend,
who came to me to be amusing.
CYRANO
Roxane !
ROXANE
It was you.
CYRANO
No, no, Roxane, no !
ROXANE
And I might
have known, every time that I heard you speak my name! . . .
CYRANO
No- It was not I-
ROXANE
It was. . . you!
CYRANO
I swear-
ROXANE
I understand everything now: The letters- that was you. . .
CYRANO
No!
ROXANE
And the
dear, foolish words- that was you. . . .
CYRANO
No!
ROXANE
And the voice. . . in the dark. . . .that was. . . you !
CYRANO
On my honor-
ROXANE
And. . . the Soul!
That was all you.
CYRANO
I never loved you-
ROXANE
Yes, you loved me.
CYRANO (Desperately)
No- he loved you-
ROXANE
Even now,
You love me!
CYRANO (His voice weakens.)
No!
ROXANE (Smiling)
And why. .
. so great a "No"?
CYRANO
No, no, my own dear love, I love you not! . . .
(Pause)
ROXANE
How many things have died. . . and are newborn! . . . Why
were you silent for so many years,
All the while, every night and every day, he gave me
nothing-you knew that-
You knew here, in this letter lying on my breast, your
tears- you knew they were your tears
CYRANO (Holds the letter out to her.)
The blood
Was his.
No comments:
Post a Comment