pherd.

PERCINET. Pyramus and Thisbe.

SYLVETTE. And so many others! [They disappear, but their voices
are heard outside.]

Voice of PERCINET. Francesca and Paolo.

Voice of SYLVETTE. Petrarch and Laura.

[BERGAMIN and PASQUINOT emerge.]

PASQUINOT. See how well your plan has succeeded! Our children
are quite mad, thanks to you!

BERGAMIN. Your daughter, with her famous abduction, is most
aggravating.

PASQUINOT. Your son thinks he is a hero. He gets on my nerves.

BERGAMIN. But the worst of it all is that they think we are two
idiotic old fools whom they have deceived. I don't like it at all.

PASQUINOT. Why didn't you think of it before, wise man? I'm going
to tell them everything.

BERGAMIN. No, please don't do that--at least not until after the
signing of the contract. Let us not say a word until then.

PASQUINOT. Very well. But meantime, here we are caught in the
net of your own making.

BERGAMIN. But my dear friend, you admired the plan!

PASQUINOT. A fine plan, in truth!

[SYLVETTE enters gaily, with flowers in her hand. She waves to
PERCINET in the distance, then comes down-stage.]

SYLVETTE. Good-day, Papa. Good-day, Father-in-law to-be!

BERGAMIN. Good-day, daughter-in-law to-be!

SYLVETTE. My, my, what a bad humor you are in!

BERGAMIN. It's Pasquinot's fault--he--he--

SYLVETTE. [Waving her flowers in BERGAMIN's face] Sh! Please
don't quarrel. Of course, I understand, you can't behave quite as
old friends, and you like to quarrel a little, in a friendly way--

BERGAMIN. Of course, our hatred was so great!

SYLVETTE. A mortal hatred, too! When I think what you've said
about Papa--oh, dear! I used to sit by the wall and hear every
word! And to think you never once suspected that I came there to
meet Percinet--

PASQUINOT. [Ironically] Ah, I--

SYLVETTE. We came every day at the same hour. [To BERGAMIN]
Ha, ha, I can still hear Percinet telling you that he was going to
marry--"most romantically"! And he kept his word!

BERGAMIN. [Put out] Really? And do you think that if I had
wished--?

SYLVETTE. Now, now, now! I know lovers' dreams are always
realized, and that fathers who are mortal enemies always end by
falling into each other's arms.

PASQUINOT. Oh, let me laugh!

SYLVETTE. But we proved it!

BERGAMIN. I could say something--

SYLVETTE. What?

BERGAMIN. Nothing!

SYLVETTE. [To BERGAMIN] You seem changed. What d