in the garden, hoping by this means to arouse his jealousy and divert his mind from the wedding.  He assures him also of Susanna’s intention to keep her appointment in the garden, intending that Cherubino, who has been allowed to put off his departure, shall be dressed up as a girl and take Susanna’s place at the interview.  The page comes to the Countess’s room to be dressed, when suddenly the conspirators hear the Count approaching.  Cherubino is hastily locked in an inner room, while Susanna slips Into an alcove.  While the Count is plying his wife with angry questions, Cherubino clumsily knocks over a chair.  The Count hears the noise, and quickly jumps to the conclusion that the page is hiding in the inner room.  The Countess denies everything and refuses to give up the key, whereupon the Count drags her off with him to get an axe to break in the door.  Meanwhile Susanna liberates Cherubino, and takes his place in the inner room, while the latter escapes by jumping down into the garden.  When the Count finally opens the door and discovers only Susanna within, his rage is turned to mortification, and he is forced to sue for pardon.  The Countess is triumphant, but a change is given to the position of affairs by the appearance of Antonio, the gardener, who comes to complain that his flowers have been destroyed by someone jumping on them from the window.  The Count’s jealous fears are returning, but Figaro allays them by declaring that he is the culprit, and that he made his escape by the window in order to avoid the Count’s anger.  Antonio then produces a paper which he found dropped among the flowers.  This proves to be Cherubino’s commission.  Once more the secret is nearly out, but Figaro saves the situation by declaring that the page gave it to him to get the seal affixed.  The Countess and Susanna are beginning to congratulate themselves on their escape, when another diversion is created by the entrance of Marcellina, the Countess’s old duenna, and Bartolo, her ex-guardian.  Marcellina has received a promise in writing from Figaro that he will marry her if he fails to pay a sum of money which he owes her by a certain date, and she comes to claim her bridegroom.  The Count is delighted at this new development, and promises Marcellina that she shall get her rights.

The second act (according to the original arrangement) is mainly devoted to clearing up the various difficulties.  Figaro turns out to be the long-lost son of Marcellina and Bartolo, so the great impediment to his marriage is effectually removed, and by the happy plan of a disguise the Countess takes Susanna’s place at the assignation, and receives the ardent declarations of her husband.  When the Count discovers his mistake he is thoroughly ashamed of himself, and his vows of amendment bring the piece to a happy conclusion.