ay with an exclamation of disgust,
and turns his back on her with his hand in his breast and his brow
lowering.)

LIEUTENANT (triumphantly, taking the sabre). No such man: eh, General?
(To the Lady.) I say: where's my horse?

LADY. Safe at Borghetto, waiting for you, Lieutenant.

NAPOLEON (turning on them). Where are the despatches?

LADY. You would never guess. They are in the most unlikely place in the
world. Did you meet my sister here, any of you?

LIEUTENANT. Yes. Very nice woman. She's wonderfully like you; but of
course she's better looking.

LADY (mysteriously). Well, do you know that she is a witch?

GIUSEPPE (running down to them in terror, crossing himself). Oh, no,
no, no. It is not safe to jest about such things. I cannot have it in
my house, excellency.

LIEUTENANT. Yes, drop it. You're my prisoner, you know. Of course I
don't believe in any such rubbish; but still it's not a proper subject
for joking.

LADY. But this is very serious. My sister has bewitched the General.
(Giuseppe and the Lieutenant recoil from Napoleon.) General: open your
coat: you will find the despatches in the breast of it. (She puts her
hand quickly on his breast.) Yes: there they are: I can feel them. Eh?
(She looks up into his face half coaxingly, half mockingly.) Will you
allow me, General? (She takes a button as if to unbutton his coat, and
pauses for permission.)

NAPOLEON (inscrutably). If you dare.

LADY. Thank you. (She opens his coat and takes out the despatches.)
There! (To Giuseppe, showing him the despatches.) See!

GIUSEPPE (flying to the outer door). No, in heaven's name! They're
bewitched.

LADY (turning to the Lieutenant). Here, Lieutenant: YOU'RE not afraid
of them.

LIEUTENANT (retreating). Keep off. (Seizing the hilt of the sabre.)
Keep off, I tell you.

LADY (to Napoleon). They belong to you, General. Take them.

GIUSEPPE. Don't touch them, excellency. Have nothing to do with them.

LIEUTENANT. Be careful, General: be careful.

GIUSEPPE. Burn them. And burn the witch, too.

LADY (to Napoleon). Shall I burn them?

NAPOLEON (thoughtfully). Yes, burn them. Giuseppe: go and fetch a light.

GIUSEPPE (trembling and stammering). Do you mean go alone--in the
dark--with a witch in the house?

NAPOLEON. Psha! You're a poltroon. (To the Lieutenant.) Oblige me by
going, Lieutenant.

LIEUTENANT (remonstrating). Oh, I say, General! No, look here, you
know: nobody can say I'm a coward after Lodi. B