LANCIOTTO.  Begin at home, then.

PEPE.  Home is not my sphere;
Heaven picked me out to teach my fellow-men. 
I am a very firebrand of truth—­
A self-consuming, doomed, devoted brand—­
That burns to ashes while I light the world! 
I feel it in me.  I am moved, inspired,
Stirred into utterance, by some mystic power
Of which I am the humble instrument.

LANCIOTTO.  A bad digestion, sage, a bilious turn,
A gnawing stomach, or a pinching shoe.

PEPE.  O! hear, but spare the scoffer!  Spare the wretch
Who sneers at the anointed man of truth! 
When we reached that, I and my followers
Would rend you limb from limb.  There!—­ha! ha! ha!
[Laughing.]
Have I not caught the slang these fellows preach;
A grand, original idea, to back it;
And all the stock in trade of a reformer?

LANCIOTTO.  You have indeed; nor do I wonder, Pepe. 
Fool as you are, I promise you success
In your new calling, if you’ll set it up. 
The thing is far too simple.

Trumpet sounds within.

  PEPE.  Hist! my lord.

  LANCIOTTO.  That calls me to myself.

PEPE.  At that alarm,
All Rimini leaped up upon its feet. 
Cousin, your bridal-train.  You groan!  ’Ods wounds! 
Here is the bridegroom sorely malcontent—­
The sole sad face in Rimini.  Since morn,
A quiet man could hardly walk the streets,
For flowers and streamers.  All the town is gay. 
Perhaps ’tis merry o’er your misery.

  LANCIOTTO.  Perhaps; but that it knows not.

PEPE.  Yes, it does: 
It knows that when a man’s about to wed,
He’s ripe to laugh at.  Cousin, tell me, now,
Why is Paolo on the way so long? 
Ravenna’s but eight leagues from Rimini—­

LANCIOTTO.  That’s just the measure of your tongue, good fool. 
You trouble me.  I’ve had enough of you—­
Begone!

PEPE.  I’m going; but you see I limp. 
Have pity on a cripple, gentle Count. [Limps.

  LANCIOTTO.  Pepe!

PEPE.  A miracle, a miracle! 
See, see, my lord, at Pepe’s saintly name
The lame jog on.

  MALATESTA. [Without.] Come, Lanciotto!

LANCIOTTO.  Hark! 
My father calls.

PEPE.           If he were mine, I’d go—­
That’s a good boy!                              [Pats LANCIOTTO’S back.

  LANCIOTTO. [Starting.] Hands off! you’ll rue it else! [Exit.