When the spectators heard this, they broke out into tears and jumped upon the stage to assure their father of their heartfelt sympathy.  And thus the allegorical comedy vanished.

CONSTANCY AND PLAY

“Of course you are alone, Lucinda?”

“I do not know—­perhaps—­I think—­”

“Please! please! dear Lucinda.  You know very well that when little Wilhelmina says ‘please! please!’ and you do not do at once what she wants, she cries louder and louder until she gets her way.”

“So it was to tell me that that you rushed into my room so out of breath and frightened me so?”

“Do not be angry with me, sweet lady, I beg of you!  Oh, my child!  Lovely creature!  Be a good girl and do not reproach me!”

“Well, I suppose you will soon be asking me to close the door?”

“So?  I will answer that directly.  But first a nice long kiss, and then another, and then some more, and after that more still.”

“Oh!  You must not kiss me that way—­if you want me to keep my senses!  It makes one think bad thoughts.”

“You deserve to.  Are you really capable of laughing, my peevish lady?  Who would have thought so?  But I know very well you laugh only because you can laugh at me.  You do not do it from pleasure.  For who ever looked so solemn as you did just now—­like a Roman senator?  And you might have looked ravishing, dear child, with those holy dark eyes, and your long black hair shining in the evening sunlight—­if you had not sat there like a judge on the bench.  Heavens!  I actually started back when I saw how you were looking at me.  A little more and I should have forgotten the most important thing, and I am all confused.  But why do you not talk?  Am I disagreeable to you?”

“Well, that is funny, you surly Julius.  As if you ever let any one say anything!  Your tenderness flows today like a spring shower.”

“Like your talk in the night.”

“Oh sir, let my neckcloth be.”

“Let it be?  Not a bit of it!  What is the use of a miserable, stupid neckcloth?  Prejudice!  Away with it!”

“If only no one disturbs us!”

“There she goes again, looking as if she wanted to cry!  You are well, are you not?  What makes your heart beat so?  Come, let me kiss it!  Oh, yes, you spoke a moment ago about closing the door.  Very well, but not that way, not here.  Come, let us run down through the garden to the summer-house, where the flowers are.  Come!  Oh, do not make me wait so!”

“As you wish, sir.”

“I cannot understand—­you are so odd today.”

“Now, my dear friend, if you are going to begin moralizing, we might just as well go back again.  I prefer to give you just one more kiss and run on ahead of you.”

“Oh, not so fast, Lucinda!  My moralizing will not overtake you.  You will fall, love!”

“I did not wish to make you wait any longer.  Now we are here.  And you came pretty fast yourself.”