_D._ Ah, Ricardo! I had forgot ... was this thy plan? ... if so I cannot praise thy skill sufficiently. All hath gone well. And since no doubt thou hast served Thy master and his friend in all thou hast done, And under the pretence of aiding me Hast been the ready man, more than another, To practise on me, and do me injury; I’ll school my patience till I have satisfied 2980 My curiosity to know what thought Urged thee,—whom I confess I wholly trusted, And whom I thought to have made my friend,—that thus Against the laws of hospitality, Without the excuse of passion, thou shouldst wrong A lady so unkindly. _R._ Ah, Diana! Hast thou not guessed my secret? _D._ By heaven, sir, Did the Duke send thee here to insult me too? _R._ Dearest Diana, I am the Duke of Milan. _D._ Ha! thou! Thy face behind the bush. ’Tis thou. Should I have known it? No. I can thank God I knew it so little. By help tho’of thy acts I recognize your grace. ’Tis like thee indeed, That hast not scrupled thus to steal upon me Masked and disguised; by forgery and falsehood, Written recommendations of thyself, Making thee out to be some gentleman 3000 Of trust and honour. Oh ’tis admirable, The use thou makest of thy rank, to creep Into my secresy, thereby to assist Thy friend, my secretary, to elope With an orphan and my ward. Haste, haste! I bid thee; Lest thou be late for the feast. Bear them from me My glad congratulations. (_sinks on a chair._) _R._ (_running to her_). Diana! Diana! _D._ I need no aid from thee, sir. Nay, begone! _R._ In kindness hear what I came here to say. In justice hear my answer to the charges 3010 Thou hast made. But first I claim my promise. _D._ How! What promise, sir? _R._ Your secretary’s place If Frederick left. _D._ Make you me still your jest? _R._ O dearest Diana, think not that I jest. I’d be thy secretary all my life, So I might only take the place which Frederick Held in thy affections. _D._ (_rising_). In my affections! why, What means your grace, I beg? _R._ Diana, Diana! Have I not won thee? Did I not obey thee By silence and long absence, till my life 3020 Grew desperate, and my misery made me bold To come to thee disguised? I thought that thou Perchance wert adverse to my suit for thinking I loved thee only for thy beauty’s sake,— Since at first sight I loved and only sight,— And for thy mind’s grace thou wert rightly jealous Of such a passion. Now, if I guess well, I have won some favour in these happy days.... _D._ Favour!