often. All the same, I have nothing to complain of—that’s how I found shelter one rainy day.
Musette (low to Marcel, pointing to Rodolphe)
He’s sweet!
Marcel (to Rodolphe)
She thinks you’re sweet. That’s the beginning—impossible to tell where it will end.
(Rodolphe offers a chair to Musette. Schaunard appears on the support of the balustrade.)
Schaunard
Hey! Marcel! I can’t find Musette any more. I think she fell into her cup.
Marcel
Don’t worry, faithful friend. Climb in. (Schaunard climbs in) Monsieur Schaunard, orphan by vocation, painter by taste, musician to do something and poet with nothing to do. Spending half his life in search of money to pay his creditors and the other half in fleeing his creditors when he has found money.
Schaunard (bowing)
The scheme is faithful like a poodle. But you are seeing only half of myself. Allow me to present the other half. Phemie!
(Phemie appears and Schaunard helps her down.)
Marcel
Miss Phemie—a devoted wife—when she’s dined.
Rodolphe (offering a chair to Phemie)
Miss—
Phemie
Very grateful, monsieur, I am not yet tired.
(Phemie sits near Musette.)
Schaunard (with severity)
Phemie! Please excuse her, monsieur. She comes from—I met her in a forest.
Rodolphe
Virgin forest?
(Schaunard sneezes. Colline appears.)
Marcel (indicating Colline to Rodolphe)
Don’t be worried, monsieur, that’s all of us. Monsieur Gustave Colline, philosopher, the treasurer of the society, a sinecure.
(They all come forward.)
Rodolphe
Ladies and gentlemen.
All
Listen.
Rodolphe
Please believe in my sympathy.
Marcel
And—
Rodolphe
The speech is over.
Phemie (rising)
Bravo!
Musette
It’s in very good taste—it’s not long.
Schaunard
Pardon, monsieur. I have to ask some information of you.
Rodolphe
Speak, monsieur.
Schaunard
Could you tell me where they put the tobacco in this house?
Rodolphe
Here, monsieur. (pointing to his pocket and offering tobacco to Schaunard who fills his pipe) You’ve got a nice looking pipe, Monsieur Schaunard.
Schaunard (negligently)
I don’t have a prettier one to suit me in the world.
Musette (to Rodolphe)
Sir, would it be indiscreet to ask your permission to pick some flowers from the garden?
Phemie
And some apricots?
Rodolphe
What do you think?
(The ladies come forward.)
Colline
Sir, if you will allow me, I will accompany these ladies to do a little botany.
(The ladies pick flowers and put them in Colline’s arms.)
Musette (laughing)
This may embarrass you!
Colline
Oh, no, I assure you. (going to a bench and depositing everything at the foot of a tree) Look a bit. (pulls several books from his pocket) Botany—that’s what I need.
Musette
We are here.
Phemie
Let’s go to it, gaily.
Musette and Phemie (singing together)
Let’s glean,
Let’s pick
The daisies.
Among the green turf.
To the sweet songs of warblers.
Let’s mingle, mingle,
Our gay tunes.
(The women leave by the left, Colline leaves by the right. Rodolphe takes up, one by one, the books Colline deposited on the bench.)
Rodolphe
Chemistry, engineering, physics. Ah, indeed, why, your friend is a walking library.
Marcel
Ah, you see, it’s that Colline is the studious and dreamy child of Bohemia.
Rodolphe
Bohemia?
Marcel
Bohemia, bordered on the north by hope, work and gayety—on the south by necessity and courage—on the west and east by slander and the Hotel Dieu.
Rodolphe
I thank you very much, but I don’t understand.
Marcel
You desire a second lesson in geography relative to Bohemia? It’s very easy, monsieur, for you see before you
