whomever Rigoletto
would for a sum of money.

Gilda was very weary and she and her father were about to stop at the
inn for the night. They were speaking in the road:

"Do you still love the Duke, my child?"

"Alas, father! I cannot help it. I think I shall always love him." At
that moment Rigoletto espied a man, dressed as a cavalry officer,
approaching the inn by another road. Instantly he recognized the Duke
in disguise. He peeped through an opening in the wall which surrounded
the house and could see the Duke greeting Sparafucile and ordering a
bottle of wine, after which he gaily sang, while waiting:

[Music:

Plume in the summer wind,
Waywardly playing,
Ne'er one way swaying,
Each whim obeying, etc.]

The song was gay and thoughtless, and when it should be last heard by
Rigoletto it was to have a fearful meaning.

"Ah, ha?" Rigoletto murmured to himself. "This rat of a noble is
seeking some new adventure! Let us see if Gilda will continue to love
him when she knows the true wickedness of the wretch! when she knows
that he is false to all that he has said to her: because there is of
course another woman in the case!" While Rigoletto was observing him,
the wine was brought to the Duke, who raised his sword and rapped upon
the ceiling with its hilt. At that signal a pretty girl ran down the
ladder and Mantua embraced her.

That freed Sparafucile and he ran out of the inn to look for
Rigoletto, whose coming was expected. In fact, Rigoletto had at last
made a bargain with the _coupe-jarret_ to kill the Duke.

"Your man's inside. Shall I do the job at once, or wait a bit?"

"Wait a bit," said Rigoletto, glancing at Gilda, who heard nothing,
"I'll give the signal," whereupon Sparafucile went off, toward the
river. Then while the father and daughter stood outside the inn they
could see all that was taking place within it. The Duke began to make
love to the gipsy girl, and she laughed at him.

"You have told fifty girls what you tell me," she declared.

"Well, I'll admit all that. I am an unfaithful fellow--but you don't
mind that! Just at this moment I love no one in the world but you," he
returned.

"Father, do you hear that traitor?" Gilda whispered, tearfully, and
Rigoletto nodded. He was indeed glad; maybe it would cure her of her
infatuation.

"I must laugh to think how many girls you have made believe you," the
gipsy said again, mocking the Duke. But he only protested the more