Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-11-29
|Cryano De Bergerac


prosecuting any one 10 whom he took q
dislike, and when he migrated 20 Paris
with leading life Of unbridled di&ipa
tion. At the capital he attached himself
to the turbulent Gascon company Of NJ
Carbon Castel -Jaloux and was no soon
er soldier than he took mp squabblins
and duelinR rs . pastime. The demon
Of desperadoes, he liked nothing bettel
than plunging recklessly into the great
est dangers. and his exploits became ths
small talk Of Paris He was seriously
wounded at the siege Of Arras in i64l,
left the army and bullied Gassendi intt
making him. along with Moliere and
other scholars Of the time, member Of
his classes for the study Of philosophy.
Out Of this scant biographical ma
terial Edmond Rostand has created hi
now Justly celebrated play, which ha'
thrilled into enthusiasm not only
France, but also England and America.
CHAPTER I.
The waning twilight Of Richelieu',
| day Of power found France the mistress
Of Europe Austria lay under hel
thumb, she dominated Catalonia. and
her old enemy, England, was in the
throes Of revolution. National quies.
cence and prosperity found diverted
expression In the exuberant social life
Of Paris In the capital it was a day OF
drama and duel, Of ballad writing. love
making and little intriguea
Pit and stage alike were dnsky that
| afternoon in l640 when all Paris gath.
cred in the Hotel de Bourgogne 10 see
produced the play TO which Master
Baithazar Baro looked for fame-hi,
comedy "Clorise. p"
The candles were not yet lighted. but
| the house hummed with sounds Now
an imprecation smote through tho buzz.
ing when one OF the troopers OF the
household Of his majesty Louis NIL
knocked insolently against one OF the
guard Of the great cardinal. Armand
de Richelieu. Now there was the clash
Of foils where two gentlemen passed
| the tedious time of waiting mt fencing.
Pages played pranks and pickpockets
likewise.
Now swaggerer seized kiss from a
pretty shopgirl. and now the foaining
| Of wine bespoke man about to quench
his thirst
Honest burghers made their sober
way among the roisterers Of the aris'
,ocracy and those Of the cutters. Some
times ripple Of laughter fioated music
ally from tho galleries where the ladies'
boxes were-the ladies whose slumbrous
eyes reused love their scornful lips pre-
tended 10 disdain.
Now band Of young marquises burs,
through the doors. swords gathering ut
their sides. They came bent on their
favori,e sport-the batting Of the burgh-
ers. In the semidarkness they could not
make out the crowd.
"Ah. Cuigy." cried one when his
eyes had swept the dim theater. what
sport is here? Where are the good peo-
| pie We were to rush? Pshaw Not n toe
have we trodden upon. We come in like
| a band of wooden drapers- L. this your
fun!"
lyon shonld have waited at least till
the candles were lighted" said Cuigy.
"Ah! Here come the lighters now J!
The crowd gathered around the can
die bearers. BY their light the little
| group OF mobiles made one another ont.
| The theater where the kings own play.
ers were to perform was plain IN the
| light. Above the tapestried curtains that
hid the stage the royal aims were cross
ed. The hall was sort Of tennis court.
arranged and decorated for theatrical
performance
On both sides Of the stage were
benches, and steps led from it down to
the floor. On either side Of these were
places for tine violinists. In the pit.
| where the men OF the audience gather
ed. there were no seats, and in the rear
Of il, beneath the steps that led to the
ladies' gallery. was the buffet, where a
girl sold cakes, tarts and sweet drinks
The lights showed two men, both
striking and strikingly alike, Ligniere,
already half drunk, though the day was
young, piloted his friend Christian. the
Baron de Nerviletto, about the pit, pre-
senting him to one group Of mobiles after
another.
Christians "delighteds" were per-
functory. His eyes ceaselessly sought
the gallery. He was Indifferent to the
scarcely whispered comments Of his new
acquaintances. He heard, as from dis
tanoe, Ligniere explaining that his
| friend was but new come to Paris from
Tournine and that the next day he was
to join the guards as cadet He bent
his head in acknowledgment Of the con-
gratulations, but his eyes were still up.
turned toward the boxes where the
grand danes Of Paris gathered to pass
their pretty Judgment upon Master Ba-
ro's work. Ligniere marked his abstrsc-
tion.
"Tbe lady comes not. he said. RE.
lease me from my guidance. l will b.
take me TO my favorite tavern.
stay" begged Christian. "fos
who know the town can tell me WHIT
she is for love Of whom Idle. You mus
stay and tell me who che is. Yet wha
will it boot:" he added gloomily. ".
come from Touraine. and the ways q
the court sit not easily upon me. l d.
not know its language. That they speal
here today-aye, and write, too-con
founds me. / am but an honest soldie
/ "a lubberly one. II you will. Wha
could she see in me?'
| He turned gloomily toward the buffet
and when next he looked the empty bo,
toward which his eyes had been directet
was no longer empty.
i "Look!" cried Christian, seizing Ii
gniere's arm. "Looki 'Tis sheH
Ligniere glanced toward the box. III
I did not even cease to sip his rivesalt
as he answered.
i "Ah! She il Madeline Robin
.Roxane, they call her. She ID wit
q precieuse. Cyrano de Befgerac Is he
cousin. She is orphaned. There is tn
u Count dc Guiche speaking to her now
the blue ribboned nobleman there. n
is enamored Of her. though he has WEI
the cardinals niece himself. He woul'
marry her to n. Do valgert, . mos
com plaisant viscount bat Roxane vii
none Of that bargain. though De Guich
may persecuts her for her obstinacy
4 See, she looks ut you'll
ii 1t was true. The preoieuss had ben
, her eyes upon him. He stood trans
fixed. the gentleman from Touraine
Iippiere. DELAYED beyond his wont fTon