oo pretty.

THE ARCHDUCHESS.

And too big.

THE DUKE.

For such a game.

THE ARCHDUCHESS.

What game?

THE DUKE.

The game of tender intimacy.

THE ARCHDUCHESS.

I fear your eyes to-night--!

THE DUKE.

But I love yours!

THE ARCHDUCHESS.

Ah, now I see! As all the court is masked,
Even friendship wears the domino of love.

THE DUKE.

Oh friendship--auntie with a cousin's eyes--
Friendship and love are always much too near
'Twixt aunts and nephews, god-sons and god-mothers--
Oh! do but smell the fragrance of the lindens!--
'Twixt pretty chocolate-girls and officers,
And frontier incidents are bound to happen.

THE ARCHDUCHESS.

Our friendship's lost its bloom.

THE DUKE.

I dearly love
This sentiment one cannot understand,
Where all's confused and mingled--

THE ARCHDUCHESS.

No, let be.

[_She moves away._]

THE DUKE.

Oh, if you put on airs of an Archduchess--!

THE ARCHDUCHESS.

Farewell; you've pained me deeply, Franz.

[_She goes._]

THE DUKE.

Ah, bah!
Into our friendship I let fall a drop,
And friendship turns to troubled love. I'll wait.

[_He sees_ THERESA.]

Why! What is this? How comes it you are here?
So you're not hastening toward the skies of Parma?
And all this grass? What are you?

THERESA.

"Little Brooklet."

THE DUKE.

Ah, yes, I know. An exile on his rock,
My father had a brooklet for his friend
To drown the gaoler's voice, and that is why
At Schoenbrunn, which is my Saint Helena,
My soul must not be left deprived of comfort.
Having the gaoler I've the brooklet too.

THERESA.

But you will never stoop to look at me.

THE DUKE.

Because I dreamed of flying from my rock;
But that's all over.

THERESA.

How?

THE DUKE.

All hope is gone.
I wake from dreams.

THERESA.

You suffer?

THE DUKE.

Little Brooklet
Must give her murmuring freshness.

THERESA.

Here it is.

THE DUKE.

What if I trouble its waters?

THERESA.

Trouble them.

THE DUKE.

Come to the little house among the trees--
My hunting lodge--t