“What’s that donkey laughing at?” shouted the sergeant. “If he don’t retreat I shall charge him.” “Oh, I--could--bite--my--fingers--off--with--rage--he--don’t--seem-- to--care--in--the--_least_.” “Ah, ah!” thought the donkey; “wait till to-morrow, brave sergeant; wait till to-morrow!” “Tr-r-r-m, Tr-r-r-m, Tr-r-r-m.” “Hallo! hallo! What’s that?” “Sergeant;” here there was a military salute from a soldier. “Despatch.” With a fierce twirl of his moustaches, “sergeant” opened the paper. “Hum! we march to-morrow.” “Oh, _dear_!” cried several young girls together. And there was a general impression that a shifting garrison was a national wrong. “Con-n-nfound it,” said the sergeant; “and my marriage.” “Yes, yes! to-morrow, my friend,” again thought Nemorino. “Oh! I shall not forget you, sergeant!” “Forget! Peste! Hu-m-u-m, Adina--why can’t we be married to-day?” “He--seems--moved--now; in--fact--he--seems--quite--frightened;” thought the little coquette. “To-day;” thought rustic Nemorino, “to-day--if they’re married to-day there will be no to-morrow--and the elixir of love--will be useless!” “We-l-l-l sergeant. Y-y-y-es; to-day!” “Oh, no, no, no; Adina. Wait till to-morrow.” “Ah, ah!” “You cannot marry him; because, I--I--I--know why!” “Co-r-r-r-rpodi Bacco!” “You can’t, Adina. You’ll be sorry if you do. Don’t, don’t marry him till to-morrow.” “Begone, booby; or I strangle you!” “Sergeant, pray take no notice of the poor fellow. Half-witted, sergeant. He thought; ah, ah! thought I should--should _love_ him. Oh--the--ridiculous--creature. _He_ thought! I’ll be revenged on him,” she said to herself. “How _dared_ he to sing before me. He shall fall at my feet in penitence before I’ll have a word to say to him.” And all the girls about said, “the _idea_! a common husbandman to dare to be the rival of a sergeant in the army; the _idea_!” “Come, sergeant.” “The notary; corpo di Bacco; the notary.” “Yes, yes; sergeant, come.” “Doctor, doctor,” shrieked out Nemorino. “Doctor, help! quick! help, doctor!” “Now, then; all of you there; fall in; march.” And away they all went to see sergeant Belcore married to Adina the coquette. Leaving Nemorino the rustic to call for the doctor at his leisure. CHAPTER III. When they all got to the great room in Adina’s farmhouse, they quite filled it. Well, there they were, looking out for the notary. Adina, too, was looking out for Nemorino, for she had a faint fear she had gone a little too far. Even an invitation from Doctor Dulcamara, who was there, to sing a song, did not cheer her; and not even the song itself, though she sang it very well, gave her any consolation. “Here comes the NOTARY.” “Bravo, bravo, bravo,” said the doctor. Out of respect to the notary, all the neighbors withdrew to the lawn outside. And also out of respect to the notary, he was shown into the best room; so only the doctor remained in the hall. And only for a moment too, for Nemorino came rushing in.