|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dialogue Following Song No. 21
Exeunt all the Monks except ARROSTINO, GIORGIO, and LUIGI.
- ALFREDO (to ARROSTINO).
- May I ask if you are the Prior of this monastery?
- ARROSTINO.
- Well, I am and I am not. That is, I am now, but I wasn't an hour ago.
- ALFREDO.
- I see - a recent appointment.
- ARROSTINO.
- Yes, for an hour. Present tense, I am a Prior. Imperfect tense, I was a rollicking
young rantipole. Future tense, I shall be a rollicking young rantipole - in an
hour. I hope I make myself clear?
- ALFREDO.
- Perfectly. (Aside.) Very like my own case. (Aloud.) I found this poor old lady
almost insensible at the foot of the mountain. She had just strength enough to beg
me to bring her here to you.
- ARROSTINO.
- Exactly. You call her an old lady. Well, she is an old lady, and she isn't an old
lady. Present tense, she is an old lady. Imperfect tense, she was a young lady.
- ALFREDO.
- Of course she was.
- ARROSTINO.
- Ah! but, Future tense, she will be a young lady again - in an hour. That's the
curious part of it. (To MINESTRA.) Go in, my dear - is should say my aged sister
- and we will take every care of you.
LUIGI carries MINESTRA into monastery.
- ALFREDO.
- You are very good.
- ARROSTINO.
- Well, I am, and I am not. Present tense, I am very good. Imperfect tense, I was
confoundedly bad. Future tense, I shall be confoundedly bad again - in an hour.
- ALFREDO.
- We are fortunate in having dropped in upon you during your virtuous phase.
LUIGI re-enters.
- ARROSTINO.
- Particularly so. It's altogether a curious state of things. I'm such a creature of
habit that I find it difficult to remember that I am no longer a rantipole. For
instance, I see you have a watch. Perhaps it is a valuable watch. Don't tell me it
is; I would rather not know. Now, you can't imagine how difficult I find it not to
take that watch. Oh, I know it's wrong; but then I always knew that. (Adopting a
clerical manner.) By the way, I am collecting a few gold watches to send out to
the poor naked savages of -- (Aside.) No, hang it all, let the man alone; you
ought to be ashamed of yourself! (Aloud.) Pardon me, your handkerchief's
hanging out. Will you oblige me by putting it out of sight? (ALFREDO does so.)
Thank you, thank you so much! Temptation, you know, temptation! We are all
weak, and it is sometimes difficult to resist.
- ALFREDO (aside).
- Singular character, this Prior. (Aloud.) Of course I am prepared to give a
donation to this monastery in consideration of your taking charge of the old lady.
(Feeling for his purse.) By-the-by, where's my purse?
- ARROSTINO, GIORGIO, and LUIGI (falling on their knees).
- Not guilty, your worship!
- ALFREDO.
- Of course not! Ha! ha! (Finds it.) Oh, here it is!
- ALL.
- Ha! ha! ha!
- ARROSTINO.
- Yes, but you frightened us!
- ALFREDO.
- Allow me to present this sum to the funds of the monastery.
- ARROSTINO.
- No, thank ye; I'd rather not. Here, give it to Father Luigi. (Exit ARROSTINO into
monastery.)
- LUIGI.
- No, thank ye; not for me. Father Giorgio will take it (Exit into monastery.)
- GIORGIO.
- Oh, no; Father Giorgio won't. Father Giorgio's a good little boy now - for an
hour. (Exeun GIORGIO and monks into monastery.)
- ALFREDO.
- This is an unaccountable state of things! To please Elvino I pretended to be a Duke,
and I selected Ultrice as my Duchess. We drank the wine and we became a Duke
and Duchess in real earnest, and, what is odder still, that unpleasant young person
exercises an extraordinary fascination over me; while Teresa, whom I used to
loves so passionately, has completely faded out of my recollection.
Enter TERESA, crazed.
|
|
|
