and was just going to walk round to one
or two bankers to see if he could borrow thirty ducats"----

"But how can you pass over your best friends?" said Capuzzi. "Here, my
dear sir, here are fifty ducats, come take them."

"Pasquale, what are you about?" said the real Capuzzi in an undertone.

Dr. Gratiano began to talk about a bond and about interest; but Signor
Capuzzi declared that he could not think of asking for either from such
a friend as the Doctor was.

"Pasquale, have you gone out of your senses?" exclaimed the real
Capuzzi a little louder.

After many grateful embraces Doctor Gratiano took his leave. Now
Pasquarello drew near with a good many bows, and extolled Signor
Capuzzi to the skies, adding, however, that his purse was suffering
from the same complaint as Gratiano's, and he begged for some of the
same excellent medicine that had cured his. Capuzzi on the stage
laughed, and said he was pleased to find that Pasquarello knew how to
turn his good humour to advantage, and threw him several glittering
ducats.

"Pasquale, you must be mad, possessed of the devil," cried the real
Capuzzi aloud. He was bidden be still.

Pasquarello went still further in his eulogy of Capuzzi, and came at
last to speak, of the aria which he (Capuzzi) had composed, and with
which he (Pasquarello) hoped to enchant everybody. The fictitious
Capuzzi clapped Pasquarello heartily on the back, and went on to say
that he might venture to tell him (Pasquarello), his faithful servant,
in confidence, that in reality he knew nothing whatever of the science
of music, and in respect to the aria of which he had just spoken, as
well as all pieces that he had ever composed, why, he had stolen them
out of Frescobaldi's canzonas and Carissimi's motets.

"I tell you you're lying in your throat, you knave," shouted the
Capuzzi off the stage, rising from his seat. Again he was bidden keep
still, and the woman who sat next him drew him down on the bench.

"It's now time to think about other and more important matters,"
continued Capuzzi on the stage. He was going to give a grand banquet
the next day, and Pasquarello must look alive and have everything that
was necessary prepared. Then he produced and read over a list of all
the rarest and most expensive dishes, making Pasquarello tell him how
much each would cost, and at the same time giving him the money for
them.

"Pasquale! You're insane! You've gone mad! You good-for-nothing scamp!
You