’We ‘re assisting at a pretty show,’ he said.

‘I am in love with her voice,’ said Countess Anna.

‘Ay; if it were only a matter of voices, countess.’

‘I think that these good people require a trouncing,’ said Captain Weisspriess.

‘Lieutenant Pierson is not of your opinion,’ Countess Anna remarked.  Hearing his own name, Wilfrid turned to them with a weariness well acted, but insufficiently to a jealous observation, for his eyes were quick under the carelessly-dropped eyelids, and ranged keenly over the stage while they were affecting to assist his fluent tongue.

Countess Lena levelled her opera-glass at Carlo Ammiani, and then placed the glass in her sister’s hand.  Wilfrid drank deep of bitterness.  ’That is Vittoria’s lover,’ he thought; ’the lover of the Emilia who once loved me!’

General Pierson may have noticed this by-play:  he said to his nephew in the brief military tone:  ’Go out; see that the whole regiment is handy about the house; station a dozen men, with a serjeant, at each of the backdoors, and remain below.  I very much mistake, or we shall have to make a capture of this little woman to-night.’

‘How on earth,’ he resumed, while Wilfrid rose savagely and went out with his stiffest bow, ’this opera was permitted to appear, I can’t guess!  A child could see through it.  The stupidity of our civil authorities passes my understanding—­it’s a miracle!  We have stringent orders not to take any initiative, or I would stop the Fraulein Camilla from uttering another note.’

‘If you did that, I should be angry with you, General,’ said Countess Anna.

‘And I also think the Government cannot do wrong,’ Countess Lena joined in.

The General contented himself by saying:  ‘Well, we shall see.’

Countess Lena talked to Captain Weisspriess in an undertone, referring to what she called his dispute with Carlo Ammiani.  The captain was extremely playful in rejoinders.

‘You iron man!’ she exclaimed.

‘Man of steel would be the better phrase,’ her sister whispered.

‘It will be an assassination, if it happens.’

‘No officer can bear with an open insult, Lena.’

‘I shall not sit and see harm done to my old playmate, Anna.’

‘Beware of betraying yourself for one who detests you.’

A grand duo between Montini and Vittoria silenced all converse.  Camilla tells Camillo of her dream.  He pledges his oath to discover her mother, if alive; if dead, to avenge her.  Camilla says she believes her mother is in the dungeons of Count Orso’s castle.  The duo tasked Vittoria’s execution of florid passages; it gave evidence of her sound artistic powers.

‘I was a fool,’ thought Antonio-Pericles; ’I flung my bouquet with the herd.  I was a fool!  I lost my head!’