GIU.These handkerchiefs upon our eyes be good enough to bind,MAR.And take good care that both of us are absolutely blind;BOTH.Then turn us round--and we, with all convenient despatch, Will undertake to marry any two of you we catch!
ALL.Viva!
They undertake to marry any two of us hem they catch!
(The Girls prepare to bind their eyes as directed.)FIA.(to Marco).Are you peeping?
Can you see me?
MAR.Dark I'm keeping, Dark and dreamy!
(Marco slyly lifts bandage.)
VIT.(to Giuseppe).If you're blinded Truly, say soGIU.All right-minded Players play so!
(slyly lifts bandage).
FIA.(detecting Marco).Conduct shady!
They are cheating!
Surely they de-
Serve a beating!
(replaces bandage).
VIT.(detecting Giuseppe).This too much is;Maidens mocking--Conduct such is Truly shocking!
(replaces bandage).
ALL.You can spy, sir!
Shut your eye, sir!
You may use it by and by, sir!
You can see, sir!
Don't tell me, sir!
That will do--now let it be, sir!
CHORUS OF GIRLS.My papa he keeps three horses, Black, and white, and dapple grey, sir;Turn three times, then take your courses, Catch whichever girl you may, sir!
CHORUS OF MEN.My papa, etc.
(Marco and Giuseppe turn round, as directed, and try to catch the girls.Business of blind-man's buff.Eventually Marco catches Gianetta, and Giuseppe catches Tessa.The two girls try to escape, but in vain.The two men pass their hands over the girls' faces to discover their identity.)GIU.I've at length achieved a capture!
(Guessing.) This is Tessa! (removes bandage).Rapture, rapture!
CHORUS.Rapture, rapture!
MAR.(guessing).To me Gianetta fate has granted!
(removes bandage).
Just the very girl I wanted!
CHORUS.Just the very girl he wanted!
GIU.(politely to Mar.).If you'd rather change--TESS.My goodness!
This indeed is simple rudeness.
MAR.(politely to Giu.).I've no preference whatever--GIA.Listen to him! Well, I never!
(Each man kisses each girl.)
GIA.Thank you, gallant gondolieri!
In a set and formal measure It is scarcely necessary To express our pleasure.
Each of us to prove a treasure, Conjugal and monetary, Gladly will devote our leisure, Gay and gallant gondolieri.
Tra, la, la, la, la, la, etc.
TESS.Gay and gallant gondolieri, Take us both and hold us tightly, You have luck extraordinary;We might both have been unsightly!
If we judge your conduct rightly, 'Twas a choice involuntary;Still we thank you most politely, Gay and gallant gondolieri!
Tra, la, la, la, la, la, etc.
CHORUS OF Thank you, gallant gondolieri;GIRLS.In a set and formal measure, It is scarcely necessary To express our pleasure.
Each of us to prove a treasure Gladly will devote our leisure, Gay and gallant gondolieri!
Tra, la, la, la, la, la, etc.
ALL.Fate in this has put his finger--Let us bow to Fate's decree, Then no longer let us linger, To the altar hurry we!
(They all dance off two and two--Gianetta with Marco, Tessa with Giuseppe.)(Flourish.A gondola arrives at the Piazzetta steps, from which enter the Duke of Plaza-toro, the Duchess, their daughter Casilda, and their attendant Luiz, who carries a drum.All are dressed in pompous but old and faded clothes.)(Entrance of Duke, Duchess, Casilda, and Luiz.)DUKE.From the sunny Spanish shore, The Duke of Plaza-Tor!--DUCH.And His Grace's Duchess true--CAS.And His Grace's daughter, too--LUIZ.And His Grace's private drum To Venetia's shores have come:
ALL.If ever, ever, ever They get back to Spain, They will never, never, never Cross the sea again--DUKE.Neither that Grandee from the Spanish shore, The noble Duke of Plaza-Tor'--DUCH.Nor His Grace's Duchess, staunch and true--CAS.You may add, His Grace's daughter, too--LUIZ.Nor His Grace's own particular drum To Venetia's shores will come:
ALL.If ever, ever, ever They get back to Spain, They will never, never, never Cross the sea again!
DUKE.At last we have arrived at our destination.This is the Ducal Palace, and it is here that the Grand Inquisitor resides.As a Castilian hidalgo of ninety-five quarterings, Iregret that I am unable to pay my state visit on a horse.As a Castilian hidalgo of that description, I should have preferred to ride through the streets of Venice; but owing, I presume, to an unusually wet season, the streets are in such a condition that equestrian exercise is impracticable.No matter.Where is our suite?
LUIZ (coming forward).Your Grace, I am here.
DUCH.Why do you not do yourself the honour to kneel when you address His Grace?
DUKE.My love, it is so small a matter! (To Luiz.) Still, you may as well do it.(Luiz kneels.)CAS.The young man seems to entertain but an imperfect appreciation of the respect due from a menial to a Castilian hidalgo.
DUKE.My child, you are hard upon our suite.
CAS.Papa, I've no patience with the presumption of persons in his plebeian position.If he does not appreciate that position, let him be whipped until he does.
DUKE.Let us hope the omission was not intended as a slight.I should be much hurt if I thought it was.So would he.
(To Luiz.) Where are the halberdiers who were to have had the honour of meeting us here, that our visit to the Grand Inquisitor might be made in becoming state?
LUIZ.Your Grace, the halberdiers are mercenary people who stipulated for a trifle on account.
DUKE.How tiresome! Well, let us hope the Grand Inquisitor is a blind gentleman.And the band who were to have had the honour of escorting us? I see no band!
LUIZ.Your Grace, the band are sordid persons who required to be paid in advance.
DUCH.That's so like a band!
DUKE (annoyed).Insuperable difficulties meet me at every turn!
DUCH.But surely they know His Grace?
LUIZ.Exactly--they know His Grace.
DUKE.Well, let us hope that the Grand Inquisitor is a deaf gentleman.A cornet-a-piston would be something.You do not happen to possess the accomplishment of tootling like a cornet-a-piston?
LUIZ.Alas, no, Your Grace! But I can imitate a farmyard.
DUKE (doubtfully).I don't see how that would help us.Idon't see how we could bring it in.