To-day Monsieur the Baron of Morbec! DE L’ORIENT _Mars to Bellona leaves the tented field._ DE BUC That’s Bouillé at Metz! Kling! rang our spurs— De Vardes’ and mine—from Verdun to Morbec! DE L’ORIENT _The warrior hastens to his native weald._ COUNT LOUIS Would I might see again Henri de Vardes! DE BUC It would affright you, sir! The man is dead. COUNT LOUIS Ah, while he lived it was as did become A nobleman of France and Brittany! He was my friend; together we were young! From dawn to dusk, from dusk to dawn again, We searched for pleasure as for buried gold, And found it, too, in days when we were young! From every flint we struck the golden sparks, We plucked the thistle as we plucked the rose, And battle gave for every star that shone! O nymphs that laughing fled while we pursued! O music that was made when we were young! O gold we won and duels that we fought! _On guard, monsieur, on guard! Sa! sa! A touch! What shall we drink? Where shall we dine? Ma foi! There’s a melting eye at the Golden Crown! The Angel pours a Burgundy divine! Come, come, the quarrel’s o’er! So, arm in arm!_ O worlds we lost and won when we were young! O lips we kissed within the jasmine bower! O sirens singing in the clear moonlight!— With Bacchus we drank, with Apollo loved, With Actæon hunted when we were young! The wax-lights burned with softer lustre then. The music was more rich when we were young. Violet was the perfume for hair powder, Ruffles were point and buckles were brilliant And lords were lords in the old land of France! We did what we would, and _lettres de cachet_, Like cooing doves they fluttered from our hands! DE L’ORIENT _Our tribute take, last of a noble line!_ COUNT LOUIS Women! There will come no more such women! DE L’ORIENT _The laurel and the empress rose we twine._ COUNT LOUIS And Henri’s gone! And now his cousin reigns,— René de Vardes that hath been years away! The King is dead. Well, well, long live the King! They say he’s brave as Crillon, handsome too, With that _bel air_ that no De Vardes’s without! _Enter_ MME. DE VAUCOURT _followed by the_ ABBÉ JEAN DE BARBASAN. MLLE. DE CHÂTEAU-GUI Monsieur l’Abbé! DE BUC Madame de Vaucourt! MME. DE VAUCOURT (_with outspread hands_) You’ve heard? Last night they strove to burn Morbec! ALL What? MME. DE VAUCOURT The peasants! COUNT LOUIS Again!