no and, walking up and down, sings mezza voce:)

"Isolde! Beloved! Art thou mine?
Once more my own? May I embrace thee?"

(Clears his throat, strikes two thirds on the piano and begins anew:)

"Isolde! Beloved! Art thou mine?
Once more my own? ..."

(Clears his throat.) The air is simply infernal in here! (Sings:)

"Isolde! Beloved! ..."

I feel as if there were a leaden weight on me! I must have a breath of
fresh air, quick! (Goes to the window and tries to find the cord by
which to draw the curtain aside.) Where can that thing be?--On the
other side. There! (Draws the curtain aside quickly and seeing MISS
COEURNE before him, throws back his head in a sort of mild despair.)
Goodness gracious!

Scene IV

MISS COEURNE. GERARDO

MISS COEURNE (sixteen years old, short skirts, loose-hanging light
hair. Has a bouquet of red roses in her hand, speaks with an English
accent, looks at GERARDO with a full and frank expression). Please, do
not send me away.

GERARDO. What else am I to do with you? Heaven knows _I_ did not ask
you to come here. It would be wrong of you to take it amiss but, you
see, I have to sing tomorrow night. I must tell you frankly. I thought
I should have this half hour to myself. Only just now I've given
special and strictest orders not to admit anybody, no matter who it
might be.

MISS COEURNE (stepping forward). Do not send me away. I heard you as
Tannhaeuser last night and came here merely to offer you these roses.

GERARDO. Yes?--Well?--And--?

MISS COEURNE. And myself!--I hope I am saying it right.

GERARDO (grasps the back of a chair; after a short struggle with
himself he shakes his head). Who are you?

MISS COEURNE. Miss Coeurne.

GERARDO. I see.

MISS COEURNE. I am still quite a simple girl.

GERARDO. I know. But come here, Miss Coeurne. (Sits down in an armchair
and draws her up in front of him.) Let me have a serious talk with you,
such as you have never heard before in your young life but seem to need
very much at the present time. Do you think because I am an artist--now
don't misunderstand me, please. You are--how old are you?

MISS COEURNE. Twenty-two.

GERARDO. You are sixteen, at most seventeen. You make yourself several
years older in order to appear more attractive to me. Well now? You are
still quite simple, to be sure. But, as I was going to say