him.

No sooner were they seated than there entered on to the stage, Formica,
as Pasquarello!

"Accursed Formica!" cried Pasquale, springing up and shaking his
clenched fist towards the stage. Torricelli's and Cavalcanti's grave
looks of disapproval, however, constrained him to silence and
quietness.

Pasquarello sobbed, wept, and cursed his fate which brought him nothing
but grief and misery; declared he did not know how he should manage to
laugh, were it but ever so little, and concluded by saying that, in the
excess of his despair, he would most certainly cut his throat, were it
not that the sight of blood always made him faint; or throw himself
into the river, if he only could help swimming when in the water.

Here Doctor Graziano entered and inquired the cause of his grief.

Pasquarello asked him if he did not know what had been happening in his
master's, Signor Pasquale Capuzzi di Senegaglia's, house?--whether he
had heard that an abandoned ruffian had run off with his master's
niece, Marianna?

"Ha!" murmured Capuzzi, "I see what it is, Signor Formica. You think
you will exculpate and excuse yourself; you desire my forgiveness.
Well, we shall see."

Doctor Graziano expressed his sympathy, and thought the ruffian must
have been very clever to have evaded Capuzzi's search after him.
Pasquarello told the Doctor not to allow himself to imagine that the
rascal Antonio Scacciati succeeded in getting the better of the deep
and clever Signor Pasquale Capuzzi, supported as he was, moreover, by
influential friends. Antonio was in prison, his marriage declared void,
and Marianna again in her uncle's hands.

"Has he got her?" cried Capuzzi, beyond himself; "has he got her again,
the good Capuzzi? Has he got his little dove again; his Marianna? Is
the scoundrel Antonio in prison? O most blessed Formica!"

"You take too lively an interest in the piece, Signor Pasquale," said
Cavalcanti very seriously. "Pray allow the actors to speak, and do not
interrupt them."

Signor Pasquale, abashed, sat down in his place again.

Pasquarello went on to say that there had been a wedding. Marianna had
repented of what she had done; Signor Pasquale had obtained the
necessary dispensation from the Holy Father, and had married his niece.

"Yes, yes," murmured Pasquale, aside, whilst his eyes shone with
delight; "yes, yes, my dearest Formica! He marries the sweet Marianna,
the lucky Pasquale! He always knew the little dove loved h