L'Aiglon - LightNovelsOnl.com
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METTERNICH.
This scene Must never be repeated.
THE EMPEROR.
It has hurt me.
Unhappy child!
METTERNICH.
[_Leading him off._]
Come, Sire.
THE EMPEROR.
[_Without._]
The child--
[_His voice dies away._]
[_The_ DUKE _opens his door very gently, sees they are gone, listens a moment, then enters quickly and places one of Napoleon's little hats on the table._]
THE DUKE.
The signal!
[_He returns to his room._]
[FLAMBEAU _enters._]
FLAMBEAU.
'Tis time. Well, signal? Are you here?--Perhaps.
[_He hunts for it._]
"Flambeau," he said, "you cannot fail to find it."
Now, is it high or low, or black or white?
Or great or small?
[_He sees the hat._]
The Emperor's--! Small _and_ great!
[_He goes toward the window._]
Oh, but the Countess watches in the park, And if the signal's here I am to signal:
[_He takes out his handkerchief._]
No! This won't do. A white flag makes her ill.
[_A servant enters with a reading-lamp, which he carries toward the_ DUKE'S _room._]
THE SERVANT.
The Duke of Reichstadt's reading-lamp.
FLAMBEAU.
[_Leaping upon him and seizing the lamp._]
You dolt!
It's leaking! It must have fresh air!
[_He takes it out on the balcony._]
You wave it three times so: arrange the wick;
[_He does as he says and gives the lamp back to the_ SERVANT.]
That's it. See that?
THE SERVANT.
Oh, aren't you clever?
[_He carries the lamp into the_ DUKE'S _room._]
FLAMBEAU.
Rather!
To-morrow--flight!
[SEDLINZKY _enters._]
SEDLINZKY.
The Duke?
FLAMBEAU.
[_Pointing to the room._]
In there.
