November 8, 1838

Ruy Blas is a play, which first opened in a Paris theater on November 8, 1838. The author Victor Hugo(1802 to 1885) tells the story of a vindictive lover who, spurned by the Queen of Spain, intends to humiliate her by setting up a scenario in which she falls in love, with a commoner, someone who in actuality is an indentured servant. She of course is unaware of the true status of this person, the eponymous, Ruy Blas.

Our interest in the script is the scene in which the schemer, Don Sallust, hears a progress report early on in his game, The Queen has sent a duenna to check out the situation. This is an early machination of Don Sallust's, in which he uses his cousin, not Ruy Blas, to entice the Queen:

.....
DON SALLUST.

Ha!

DON CESAR (noticing his anxiety).

She whom you know — without a name — [Sallust listens with redoubled anxiety. Clesar, laughing, goes on.]

She sent an old duenna to me — ugly cat! —
With quite a beard, and nose inclining to be flat —


DON SALLUST.
Why came she?

DON CESAR. Just to see that all was really right, — That it was Caesar who would meet the dame to-night!

Don Sallust (aside). Just Heaven! [Aloud.] What was your reply?

DON CESAR.

Of course I said
I would be here.

DON Sallust (aside).

So, so! I need not be afraid.
All is not lost, perchance.

....

The brackets are those of the author, not the blogger. The full story is available to read at Google books.