ng except that you are resolved to capture
my brother or perish in the attempt. He won't believe you. Then you
will produce my brother--

LIEUTENANT (interrupting as he masters the plot). And have the laugh at
him! I say: what a clever little woman you are! (Shouting.) Giuseppe!

LADY. Sh! Not a word to Giuseppe about me. (She puts her finger on her
lips. He does the same. They look at one another warningly. Then, with
a ravishing smile, she changes the gesture into wafting him a kiss, and
runs out through the inner door. Electrified, he bursts into a volley
of chuckles. Giuseppe comes back by the outer door.)

GIUSEPPE. The horse is ready, Lieutenant.

LIEUTENANT. I'm not going just yet. Go and find the General, and tell
him I want to speak to him.

GIUSEPPE (shaking his head). That will never do, Lieutenant.

LIEUTENANT. Why not?

GIUSEPPE. In this wicked world a general may send for a lieutenant; but
a lieutenant must not send for a general.

LIEUTENANT. Oh, you think he wouldn't like it. Well, perhaps you're
right: one has to be awfully particular about that sort of thing now
we've got a republic.

Napoleon reappears, advancing from the vineyard, buttoning the breast
of his coat, pale and full of gnawing thoughts.

GIUSEPPE (unconscious of Napoleon's approach). Quite true, Lieutenant,
quite true. You are all like innkeepers now in France: you have to be
polite to everybody.

NAPOLEON (putting his hand on Giuseppe's shoulder). And that destroys
the whole value of politeness, eh?

LIEUTENANT. The very man I wanted! See here, General: suppose I catch
that fellow for you!

NAPOLEON (with ironical gravity). You will not catch him, my friend.

LIEUTENANT. Aha! you think so; but you'll see. Just wait. Only, if I do
catch him and hand him over to you, will you cry quits? Will you drop
all this about degrading me in the presence of my regiment? Not that I
mind, you know; but still no regiment likes to have all the other
regiments laughing at it.

NAPOLEON. (a cold ray of humor striking pallidly across his gloom).
What shall we do with this officer, Giuseppe? Everything he says is
wrong.

GIUSEPPE (promptly). Make him a general, excellency; and then
everything he says will be right.

LIEUTENANT (crowing). Haw-aw! (He throws himself ecstatically on the
couch to enjoy the joke.)

NAPOLEON (laughing and pinching Giuseppe's ear). You are thrown away in
this inn, Giuseppe. (He sits down and places Giuseppe