The summer fled, the light, the warmth did go, The winter came that was so cruel cold, Cold as the dead! And hunger, monseigneur, With bread at the château!—Died Baron Henri.— The summer came again, the roses bloomed, The roses bloomed, but they were not for us! For us the dank seaweed, the thorny furze. The lark sang well, but ah, it sang too high! We could not lift our hearts to heaven’s gate; We only heard the wind moan at our door. We cried to the saints, but they took no heed! One told us what they did at Goy and Vannes, At Goy and Vannes, pardieu! they helped themselves! We heard there had come a new lord to Morbec, A soldier and a stranger to us all! Three days have gone since I did sit alone Upon the cliff edge in the waving grass; The mew and curlew cried, the night wind blew, And in the sunset glow red turned Morbec! I thought of my mother, I thought of France, I looked at the château cruel and high, And as I was hungry I ate my black bread!— I think, monseigneur, that I am nineteen. DE VARDES _Pauvre petite!_ YVETTE Ah, poor indeed! DE VARDES How dark Thine eyes! YVETTE My mother’s were darker, they say! DE VARDES Thy face is the face of a picture there. YVETTE I know—the Duchess Jeanne, who died for love. DE VARDES Did Vivien teach thee magic in the wood? YVETTE Monseigneur? DE VARDES _Pauvre petite!_ YVETTE O Our Lady! The roses smell so sweet— [LALAIN _comes forward_. LALAIN I pardon crave, But I must sup to-night at Rennes. Please you, Release this peasant girl! Affairs there are Of which I’d speak— DE VARDES Ay, presently! LALAIN Now! DE VARDES Monsieur! LALAIN Citoyen René-Amaury Vardes— DE VARDES Is that, monsieur, the latest Paris mode? _Citoyen René-Amaury Vardes_, The _De_ left off, our hats (_Glances at_ LALAIN) left on! LALAIN (_removing his hat_) Monsieur The Baron of Morbec! DE VARDES (_bowing_) Monsieur The Deputy for Vannes! [_Laughter and voices within._