“Oh! no, Nemorino is too _amiable_.” “Your humble servant, signor.” “THE ELIXIR.” Here two persons coming stopped in the utmost wonder to see Nemorino, the rustic, in the midst of a group of girls. One person was the enormous Doctor Dulcamara, and the other person was the far from enormous Adina. “Bless _me_!” said Adina to herself Nemorino ran up to the doctor, and whispered--“You were right, the elixir this time was _stronger_.” “Can ... I ... believe ... my ... senses?” exclaimed Dulcamara. Then he said to the women--“Does he please you?” “The insolence of that doctor!” all the girls seemed to say with their little noses in the air. “Can--I--believe. _Am_ I the proprietor of the love philtre?” For we may tell lies till we actually believe them ourselves. “Well,” thought the rustic to himself, “if every girl loves me, she ought.” “And I thought to find him in tears, and if he still loved me, he _would_ be,” thought Adina. “You’ll dance, Nemorino.” “Yes, Gianetta, with you.” “With me, your humble obedient servant, signor, too.” “Yes, yes.” “With _you_, indeed! Ah, ah. _Very_ good.” And here the pretty noses were brought into action again. “Can--I--bel--. I DON’T.” “Ne--ne--ne--ne--mo--ri--no!” “THE ELIXIR. She comes!” “Can--I--I CAN’T,” said the doctor. “So, for a few poor crowns, you’ve become soldier, Nemorino. I must speak to you,” said Adina. “Nemorino!” “Well, Gianetta.” “Hark! there’s the music. And you know you promised me.” “True, true, I’m coming. I’ll hear you presently, Adina. Coming, Gianetta, coming.” Scene--a despairing little woman pressing her little hands one within the other. And whether anybody is there she cares not, as she says in a whisper, “I love him, I do love him.” Says Doctor Dulcamara. “Can--I--DO believe my senses. Ah, ah! I’m a gold mine. I’m a Crœsus!” “Ah, ah, ah!” cried a quick, sharp voice, the personal property of Gianetta in fact. And as she went off to the dance, audacious with Nemorino. “Ah, ah, ah, _she_ thinks she’s to have the homage of all the men in the village, but she WONT.” “_She_” heard the remark, but it did not make her angry. “How cruel, how cruel!” “Ah! all my doings.” “Yours, doctor.” “Yes, I have Queen Isotta’s love secret!” “Queen--n--_Isotta’s_! I won’t believe it. And you gave it to Nemorino!” “Oh, yes. To try it on some cruel fair, who would have naught to say to him.” “Ah, then he _was_ in love with--some one.” “Yes, the poor fellow; and to get money for Queen Isotta’s secret, he enlisted.” “The poor youth!” “‘Tis my impression she would buy elixir herself,” said the doctor to himself. “And now, Nemorino is fortunate in love?” “There’s not a girl but--here, just look at them. This way!” “And who is he in love with?” “Faith, I know not, but they are all in love with _him_.” “And once I _know_ he only loved _me_.” “The elixir is not dear. Think! you might have a hundred lovers at your feet!”