What? What? Make of _her_? A baroness, you fool! What are you laughing at? I don't get you? But I am happy that this lovesick beast is neither a duke nor a prince--or she would be a princess and I--what would become of me? A year after the wedding they would not let me even into the kitchen [_laughing_] not even into the kitchen! I, Count Mancini, and she a--a simple--
[_Jumping up_]: What did you say? You are not her father, Mancini?
Tss--the devil--I am so nervous to-day! Heavens, who do you think I am? "Her father?" Of course [_tries to laugh_] how silly you are--haven't you noticed the family resemblance? Just look, the nose, the eyes--[_Suddenly sighs deeply._] Ah, HE! How unhappy I am! Think of it. Here I am, a gentleman, nearly beaten in my struggle to keep up the honour of my name, of an old house, while there in the parquet--there sits that beast, an elephant with the eyes of a spider ... and he looks at Consuelo ... and....
Yes, yes, he has the motionless stare of a spider--you're right!
Just what I say--a spider! But I must, I shall compel him to marry her. You'll see--[_Walking excitedly up and down, playing with his cane._] You'll see! All my life I've been getting ready for this battle. [_He continues to walk up and down. Silence. Outside, great stillness._]
[_Listening_]: Why is it so quiet out there? What a strange silence.
[_Disgusted_]: I don't know. Out there it is quiet--but here [_touching his forehead with his cane_] here is storm, whirlwind. [_Bends over the clown._] HE, shall I tell you a strange thing--an unusual trick of nature? [_Laughs, and looks very important._] For three centuries the Counts Mancini have had no children! [_Laughs._]
Sh! Silence! That is the secret of our sainted mothers! Ha-ha! We are too ancient a stock--too exquisitely refined to trouble ourselves with such things--matters in which a peasant is more competent than ourselves. [_Enter an usher._] What do you want? The manager is on the stage.
Yes, sir. Baron Regnard wished me to give you this letter.
Baron Regnard has left. There is no answer.
[_Opening the envelope, his hand shaking_]: The devil--the devil! [_The usher is going._]
Just a minute. Why is there no music? This silence....