Good-bye! I wish you to go home to do penance for your sins of love. (_Goes to the door on the right_.) One thing more. When you see the good Marshal, give him my greetings. (_Exit, followed by the ladies. Only the sleepy lady remains, sitting_.) The Marquis in Pale Blue. (_Softly to the deaf lady_.) Pst! Wake her! (_She nods to him pleasantly and goes out_.) Ah, yes, she is deaf! The Marquis In Pink. (_Pointing at the lady asleep_.) Pluck her by the sleeve. The Marquis in Pale Blue. Fräulein, allow me? The Sleepy Maid Of Honour. (_Springs up with a little cry, makes a low curtsey to_ The Marquis, _which he returns in kind, then follows the other ladies_.) _SECOND SCENE_. THE MARQUISES. THE PAINTER. (The Painter _paints, without noticing the others, then takes a buttered roll from his pocket and eats_.) The Marquis In Pink. Ha, now I am going to kill him! The Marquis in Pale Blue. Don't you know it is forbidden? The punishment would be severe. They say, too, that he wields a keen blade, and before you know it you are dead as a mouse. The Marquis In Pink. I am surprised at that. Yet whether we love or hate him, one thing is as clear to me as day: he must not be allowed to quit this palace alive. Another Marquis. Pardon me, Marquis, why not? The Marquis In Pink. You don't see deeply into this, Marquis. It seems almost as if you were a simpleton. Has she not mocked us, and exclaimed at our cooing, rustling, sweet speaking, and whimpering? Yet she delights to have him paint her; and as a reward, she loves him. The Second Marquis. Ha, terrible! The Third Marquis. Who told you that? The Marquis in Pale Blue. Have pity on us, friend, and give us proofs! The Marquis In Pink. Well, his Majesty (_all bow_) is, alas, well on in years! (_All assent sorrowfully_.) Whom else does she love? There must at any rate be some one! The Marquis in Pale Blue. For God's sake, be prudent and speak softly! The Marquis In Pink. What is he doing there? The Second Marquis. He is eating. The Marquis In Pink. Fie, how vulgar! The Marquis in Pale Blue. What will happen to the Marshal? The Marquis In Pink.