A LADY WITH A TEMPER. An elegantly furnished apartment, with doors at centre, by the side of which hangs a bell rope. dressing-case, a guitar, various pieces of music, a books, &c. Sofa, chairs, &c. SCENE I. each side, and one in the On the table are placed a violin, drawing materials, GERMANO and TERESA. GER. [Arranging the chairs, looking at clock.] Good gracious! why it's just upon eleven o'clock, and our worthy master and mistress not up yet! TER. [Dusting the dressing-case.] If, during the summer season, the nights are short for everybody, only fancy how short they must be for a newly-married couple! GER. They are, indeed, a handsome pair! TER. Now I'll wager something worth having, that master will not be happy with this lady. She's too hasty! Did you see the way she treated her Parisian femme-de-chambre yesterday. Heaven forgive me, but it seemed to me that she gave her a most tremendous smack! GER. Ah! but my dear better half, you always take an erroneous view of things. TLR. Have it as you please, but I know from experience that GER. Hai sentito il bel discorso che ha racitato agli sposi il nostra giovano! Ti piacque eh ? TER. Se mi piacque! Io credo che abbia sempre parlato in latino. GER. Non ci abbiamo capito verbo; peraltra mi sono avveduto che doveva essere un capo d'opera d'ingegno umano. TER. Quasi, quasi mi faresti rimenticare, che la padrona ha licenziata la cameriera, e che oggi tocca a me..a dir vero ciò mi da un poco di SCENA II. EMILIO, VOLMAR, e detti. EMI. Buon giorno, cari amici. VOL. Addio di cuore. TER. Sono serva di tutti due. EMI. Vecchietto mio, tu devi essere stanco per la festa di jeri. GER. Oh, vi pare? Il piacere di vedervi felice, supera di gran lunga il EMI. E Teresa, come stà ? peso dè miei sessant'anni. TER. Benissimo, giacchè non sento ancora il peso dagli anni.. Io sono molto più giovane di Germano. VOL. (Non mi pare.) EMI. Divenuto lo sposo di una bella ed amabile giovanetta, voglio che voi pure abbiate sempre a ricordarvi della mia felicita. Senza alcun obbligo di servirmi, godrete in oppresso un' anual pensione di trecento scudi. GER. Oh caro padrone! TER. Noi saremo avventurati, se ci accordarete la grazia di morire presso di voi. VOL. [ad' EMILIO] Che buone creature! EMI. Questi due vecchi mi sono carissimi. L'uno era confidente dal padre mio, l'altra serviva mia madre in qualità di cameriera. Essi ebbero cura della mia infanzia. GER. Did you hear the beautiful homily which our curate addressed to the happy pair. How did you like it, eh? TER. Like it! Why it seemed to me that he was talking Latin the whole time. GER. We could'nt understand a word of it. Nevertheless I could perceive that it was a masterpiece of the human intellect. TER. You'd go near to make me forget that our mistress has dismissed her femme-de-chambre, and that I have to fulfil the office to-day. To tell the plain truth, the prospect causes me no small uneasiness! SCENE II. EMILIO, VOLMAR, and the before-named. EMI. Good day, dear friends. VOL. Good morning. TER. Your honours' humble servant. EMI. My worthy old fellow, I fear yesterday's festivities must have fatigued you. GER. Oh, by no means! The pleasure of seeing you happy counteracts the weight of my sixty years. EMI. And how is Teresa ? TER. Quite well, Sir. I have not as yet the burthen of years to complain of. I am much younger than Germano ! VOL. [Aside.] I should scarcely think so! EMI. I have become the husband of a beautiful and amiable girl, and it is my wish that you should have cause to remember my good fortune. Without being in any way bound to discharge a servant's duties, you shall henceforth enjoy an annual pension of three hundred crowns! GER. Oh! my dear master! TER. We shall be but too happy if you will only permit us to die in your service. VOL. [To Emilio.] What worthy creatures! EMI. These two old folks are indeed dear to me. The one was my father's confidential servant, the other was my mother's lady's-maid. 'Tis they who watched over my infancy! |