510 Modern Italian Comedy ; QMAY, 



friend here is so good as to give you up to me as a partner for the next 

 dance. 



Count S. If it does not displease you, Rosina, I do beg you to favour this 

 gentleman : he is a friend of mine. And 



Ros. Oh, I shall obey, certainly. (She goes off with the Marquis.) 



Sus. Heigho ! Well, you see, Count, what confidence I have in you. 

 That stranger is only a friend of your's, and I trust my daughter with him 

 directly. 



Count S. That stranger is the devil, and I wish he had you with all my 

 heart. Why did you discover my name to him ? 



Sus. Me discover ! He knew it all ; and I could not convince him other- 

 wise : he would not believe me. But, dear Signor Count ! cannot you order 

 me some little refreshment ? For when one loses a night's rest at a place like 

 this, one wants something to sustain one. 



Count S. Oh, sustain yourself as much as you will. Bottega ! 



Pistac. Your Excellency ! 



Count S. Give this lady what she pleases, and I will pay for it. Shall I 

 give you some money now ? 



Pistac. Impossible, my Lord : quite unnecessary. Since I have the honour 

 to know your lordship. 



Count S. The deuce ! What, do you know me, too ? and through this 

 mask ? 



Pistac. It is true, my Lord the mask But Mamma Susanna told me 



who your lordship was. 



Count S. Confound her tongue ! Pistacchio ! don't you name me to any 

 one! 



Pistac. On no account, my Lord. (The Count then sits down in a distant 

 part of the room in ill-humour; and the Pete continues : masks passing in 

 and out.} 



Sus. The Count is in an ill-temper, because he is forced to give up my 

 daughter. Well ! that is his affair. Pistacchio ! (calls.} Pistacchio ! 



Pistac. Here am I, Signora Susanna. 



Sus. And am I to call twenty times, before I am served ? 



Pistac. Do be so good, Signora, as to come and sit by the side of the bar. 

 You give me so many journeys. 



Sus. I don't choose to sit up there : the festival is not seen from there. 



Pistac. But if you knew how conveniently you can sleep there ! and the 

 hour is coming for you to have a nap. A mamma awake three hours after the 

 masque has begun ! I never heard of such a thing ! Come come up to the 

 other end. 



Sus. No. 



Pistac. Well, now, be good ; or I won't give you paper to make pottles, 

 and you shall have to carry home all the sweetmeats crushed and broken. 

 Come come. 



Sus. Well as you will. Only carry me a jug of Cyprus wine up to that 

 bench, and some more patties. 



Pistac. Ha ! there are no patties baked yet. 



Sus. Pshaw ! Not baked ? Then bring me some macaroons. 



Pistac. How many dozen ? 



Sus. Dozen ! why you talk as if I was a glutton. Eight or ten dozen will 

 be plenty. But be quick. 



[^She sits down in the back of the box next to the bar, and, after eating 

 and drinking enormously, falls asleep with the pastry in her hand.^] 



Giacinto and Volpino come out of their box, and reconnoitre. 



Vol. Well ! are you convinced now ? 

 Gia. I'll stab her to the heart! 



Vol. Folly ! Laugh at the adventure, and have done with her. There her 

 mother sits, asleep ! Do you see her ? 

 Gia. And Rosina in this place, and alone ! 



