enge. She calls Perrin {361} to
fetch her cousins, and charges him to let Cesar know, that he can hear
her sing in the gardens. Then she is adorned with the most bewitching
garments and surrounded by her attendants begins to play and sing most
sweetly as soon as she hears Don Cesar's steps.--The latter would have
succumbed to the temptation, if he had not been warned by Perrin, not
to listen to the siren. So they philander in the grounds, admiring the
plants, and to all appearance deaf to beauty and song. Impatiently
Diana signs Floretta, to let Cesar know, that he is in the presence of
his Princess, at which our hero like one awaking from a dream turns,
and bowing to the Princess and excusing himself gravely, disappears,
leaving Diana almost despairing.

In the third act Perrin gives vent to his happy feelings about his love
for Floretta, and about the Princess, whose state of mind he guesses.
He is delighted to see his scheme successful, and sings a merry air,
which is heard by Diana. Behind the scene Don Louis is heard, bringing
a serenade to Donna Laura, with whom he has fallen in love, and on the
other side Don Gaston sings Fenisa's praise, so that poor Diana sinking
back on a sopha is all at once surrounded by loving couples, who
shamelessly carry on their courting before her very eyes, and then
retire casting mischievous glances at their disgusted mistress. Diana
who sees Cesar approaching, determines to try a last expedient, in
order to humble his pride. Cooly she explains to him, that she has
resolved to yield to her father's {362} wish, and to bestow her hand on
Prince Louis. For a moment Cesar stands petrified, but his guardian
angel in the guise of Perrin whispers from behind the screen, to hold
out, and not to believe in women's wiles. So he controls himself once
more, and congratulates her, wishing the same courtesy from the
Princess, because, as he calmly adds, he has got betrothed to Donna
Laura.

That is the last stroke for Diana, her pride is humbled to the dust.
All her reserve vanishes, when her secret love for the hero, which she
has not even owned to herself, is in danger. She altogether breaks
down, and so she is found by her father, who enters, loudly
acknowledging Don Louis as his son-in-law, and sanctioning Don Cesar's
choice of Donna Laura. But Cesar begs to receive his bride from
Diana's own hands, at which the latter rising slowly, asks her father,
if he is still willing to leav