ACT II

SCENE.--_A tumble-down inn on the outskirts of Paris by the edge of the Seine. The scene is represented on the stage in a sort of section, so that the spectator sees everything that goes on in the interior of the inn, as well as on the road outside. Besides this, the building is so cracked and ruined that any passer-by can see into the room through the holes in the wall. It is night._ TRIBOULET _and his daughter appear in the road._ SALTABADIL _is sitting in the inn._

TRIBOULET: I will avenge you, Blanche.

BLANCHE: He cannot be False and untrue.

TRIBOULET (_whispering, as he leads her to a hole in the wall_):

Come. See with your own eyes, What kind of man our great King François is.

BLANCHE (_whispering, as she sees only_ SALTABADIL): I only see a stranger.

TRIBOULET: Wait awhile.

[_As he whispers,_ KING FRANÇOIS _enters the room by a little door leading from an inner chamber._

BLANCHE: Father!

[_She trembles, and follows with angry eyes the movements of_ THE KING.

TRIBOULET: This is the man you wish to save.

THE KING (_slapping_ SALTABADIL _on the back_): Tell Maguelonne to bring me in some wine.

TRIBOULET: King by the grace of God he is, with all The wealth and splendour of the land of France At his command; but to amuse himself He drinks himself asleep in thieves' kitchens.

THE KING (_singing while_ TRIBOULET _talks outside_): Oh, woman is fickle, and man is a fool To trust in her word! She changes without any reason or rule, As her fancies are stirred. A weather-cock veering to every wind Is constant and true when compared to her mind.

[_While he sings_ MAGUELONNE _enters with a skin of wine._ SALTABADIL _goes out, and seeing_ TRIBOULET, _approaches him with an air of mystery._ BLANCHE _continues to watch_ THE KING.

SALTABADIL: We've caught our man! And now it rests with you To let him live or die.

TRIBOULET (_looking at_ BLANCHE): Wait for a while.

THE KING (_to_ MAGUELONNE): Life is a flower and love the honey of life; Come, let us taste it, mouth to mouth, my sweet.

[_He tries to kiss her, but she escapes._

MAGUELONNE: You got that from a book.

THE KING: Your dark, sweet eyes Inspired me! It was only yesterday We met at the Hôtel du Maine, and yet I love you with as passionate a love As if we had been sweethearts all our lives. Come, let me kiss you!

MAGUELONNE (_sitting herself gaily on the table where he is drinking_): When you have drunk your wine.

[THE KING _empties the flagon of drugged liquor, and with a mocking laugh the girl jumps down and sits on his knee._

THE KING: Oh, you delicious, fascinating thing. What a wild dance you've led me! Feel my heart Seating with love for you!

MAGUELONNE: And for a score Of other women!

THE KING: No, for you alone!

[BLANCHE _cannot bear to look at them any longer. Pale and trembling, she turns away, and falls into her father's arms._

BLANCHE: Oh, God, how he deceived me! My heart breaks. All that he said to me he now repeats To this low, shameless slut. He is a man Without a soul.

TRIBOULET (_in a whisper_): Hush, hush! or he will hear! You leave him in my hands then?

BLANCHE: What is it You mean to do?

TRIBOULET: Avenge you and myself! Run home and dress yourself in the boy's clothes Prepared for you. Take all the gold you find, And ride to Evreux, and there wait for me.

BLANCHE (_entreatingly_): Come with me, father!

TRIBOULET (_sternly_): I have work to do, Terrible work! Do not return for me, But ride your horse as fast as it will go.

BLANCHE: I am afraid.

TRIBOULET:: Obey me, Blanche! Good-bye!

[_He kisses her, and she staggers away._ TRIBOULET _then signs to_ SALTABADIL, _who comes running up, and gives him ten crowns in gold._

TRIBOULET: Here is half of the sum. I'll bring the rest When you hand me the body in a sack.

SALTABADIL: It shall be done to-night.

TRIBOULET: At midnight, then.

[_He goes in. During this scene outside, the drowsy_ KING _has been flirting with_ MAGUELONNE. _She jumps off his knee as_ SALTABADIL _enters._ TRIBOULET _departs._

SALTABADIL: What a wild night! The rain is pouring down In torrents.

THE KING (_sleepily_): You must find me a bed.

MAGUELONNE (_in a fierce whisper_): Go! Go!

THE KING: What? And be drowned? You are unkind, my sweet.

SALTABADIL (_Whispering to his sister_): Keep him here. We have twenty golden crowns To earn to-night. (_To_ KING FRANÇOIS) Sir, you can have my room.

THE KING: Ah, you are kinder than your sister is! Show me the bed.

[SALTABADIL _takes the lamp and leads him upstairs._

SALTABADIL: This way.

MAGUELONNE (_in the darkness_): Poor, poor young man!

[SALTABADIL _returns with the lamp. He sits at the table in silence; his sister watches him._

MAGUELONNE (_fiercely_): You must not kill him!

SALTABADIL: Twenty golden crowns! Look, here are ten of them! The rest I get At midnight. Pest! There is no time to lose. Quick, sew this sack! My client will return In a few minutes.

[_Terrified by his look, she takes up the sack and begins to mend it. There is again a silence, and in the sinister and momentary radiance of the lightning the figure of_ BLANCHE _is seen approaching the inn. She is dressed in a man's clothes, and booted and spurred._

BLANCHE: Terrible work to do! I cannot go. Father, I cannot! Oh, this horrible dream! Let me awake from it ere I go mad. This dream, this horrible dream!

[_Seeing the light from the window, she totters up to the hole in the wall and looks in again._

God! it is true! There they are! There!--the man with murderous looks, The girl with shameless eyes! Where is the king?

[_Her cries are drowned in the thunder._

MAGUELONNE: Brother!

SALTABADIL: Yes.

MAGUELONNE: Do not kill him.

SALTABADIL: Ten more crowns!

MAGUELONNE: He is worth more than that. Handsome and young, And noble too, I'll take my oath on it. Besides, he loves me.

SALTABADIL: Get on with the sack.

MAGUELONNE: You only want the money. Take and kill The little hunchback when he comes with it.

BLANCHE: My father!

SALTABADIL (_angrily_): What! Am I a common thief? Kill my own client? I will have you know, My sister, that I am an honest man. I do the work I'm paid for.

[_Drawing his dagger, he goes towards the stairs._

MAGUELONNE (_barring the way_): Stop, I say! Or I will go and rouse him.

BLANCHE: Good, brave girl!

SALTABADIL: Well, let us make a bargain, Maguelonne. If anyone comes knocking at our inn By midnight, he shall go into the sack. My client only wants to fling some corpse Into the river, and on this wild night He will not see what he is throwing in.

MAGUELONNE: It is just on the hour. No one will come. Cannot you ram this faggot in the sack?

SALTABADIL: Who would take that for a limp body? No! Either a traveller or the man upstairs. That is all! Will you take the chance?

MAGUELONNE (_weeping_): I must.

BLANCHE: Oh, God, I cannot! No! I am too young. He does not love me.

[_A church-bell begins to chime the hour._

SALTABADIL: Midnight!

MAGUELONNE: Hark, a knock!

BLANCHE (_stumbling to the door_): My father hates him.... Perhaps it will not hurt, If they strike hard and kill me at a blow. Oh, if he only loved me!

MAGUELONNE (_opening the door_): Who is there?

BLANCHE: Give me a shelter for the night.

MAGUELONNE: Come in.

[_She enters. As she crosses the threshold_, SALTABADIL _raises his dagger, and the curtain falls._