FID. Ay, 'tis a love-song. Oh, misery, misery, misery, misery, oh! BEA. Nay, sweet Fidelio, be not so unkind! I tell you, for the first time in my life I am in love! Do you be mannerly now, And cease to mock me, FID. What would you have me do? BEA. I would have you shake your head, and pat my shoulder, And smile and say, "Godspeed." FID. [Doing so very tenderly.] Godspeed. BEA. [Bursting into tears.] I do not know if I am happy or sad. But I am greatly moved. I would Bianca Were here. I never lacked her near so much As tonight I do, although I lack her always. She is a long time gone.--If I tell you something, Will you promise not to tell. FID. Nay, I'll not promise, But I'll not tell. BEA. Fidelio, I do love so The King from Lagoverde! I do so love him! FID. Godspeed, Godspeed. BEA. Ay, it is passing strange; Last week I was a child, but now I am not. And I begin my womanhood with weeping; I know not why.--La, what a fool I am! 'Tis over. Sing, Fidelio. FID. Would you a gay song, My Princess? BEA. Ay.--And yet--nay, not so gay. A simple song, such as a country-boy Might sing his country-sweetheart.--Is it the moon Hath struck me, do you think? I swear by the moon I am most melancholy soft, and most Outrageous sentimental! Sing, dear fool. FID. [Singing.] "Butterflies are white and blue In this field we wander through. Suffer me to take your hand. Death comes in a day or two. All the things we ever knew Will be ashes in that hour. Mark the transient butterfly, How he hangs upon the flower. Suffer me to take your hand. Suffer me to cherish you Till the dawn is in the sky. Whether I be false or true, Death comes in a day or two." CURTAIN ACT III Scene 1--The following summer, [A field or meadow near Fiori. As the curtain rises voices are heard off-stage singing a bridal song.] SONG: Strew we flowers on their pathway! Bride and bride-groom, go you sweetly. There are roses on your pathway. Bride and bride-groom, go you sweetly. Sweetly live together. [Enter Viola, Lilina, Lela, Arianna and Claudia, laden with garlands, flowering boughs and baskets of flowers. They met Anselmo coming from another direction, also bearing flowers.] VIO. How beautiful, Anselmo! Where did you find them? ANS. Close by the brook. LIL. You gathered all there were? ANS. Not by one hundredth part. LEL. Nay, is it true? We must have more of them! ARI. And are they fragrant As well? ANS. Ay, by my heart, they are so sweet I near to fainted climbing the bank with them. [The ladies cluster about Anselmo and smell the flowers.] LIL. Oh! VIO. Ah! CLA. How drowsily sweet! LEL. Oh, sweet! ARI. What fragrance! [Enter Laura and Giovanna, followed by Carlotta and Raffaele.] LAU. La, by my lung! I am as out of breath As a babe new-born! Whew! Let me catch the air!