Don Fregose Sarpi, you may file these ministerial documents; I will keep that of the king. (To Fontanares) Well, my fine fellow, the letter of the king seems to me to be positive. You are undertaking, I see, to achieve the impossible! However great you may be, perhaps it would be well for you to take the advice, in this affair, of Don Ramon, a philosopher of Catalonia who, on this subject, has written some famous treatises-- Fontanares In a matter of this kind, your excellency, the finest dissertations in the world are not worth so much as a practical achievement. Don Fregose That sounds presumptuous. (To Sarpi) Sarpi, you must place at the disposal of this gentleman whatever vessel in the harbor he may choose. Sarpi (to the viceroy) Are you quite sure that such is the king's wish? Don Fregose We shall see. In Spain it is best to say a _paternoster_ between every two steps we take. Sarpi Other letters on the same subject have reached us from Valladolid. Faustine (to the viceroy) What are you talking about? Don Fregose Oh, it is nothing but a chimera. Faustine But don't you know that I am rather fond of chimeras? Don Fregose This is the chimera of some philosopher which the king has taken seriously on account of the disaster of the Armada. If this gentleman succeeds, we shall have the court at Barcelona. Faustine We shall be much indebted to him for that. Don Fregose He has staked his life on a commission to propel a vessel, swift as the wind, yet straight in the wind's eye, without the employment of either oars or sails. Faustine Staked his life? He must be a child to do so. Sarpi Alfonso Fontanares reckons that the performance of this miracle will win for him the hand of Marie Lothundiaz. Faustine Ah! He loves her then-- Quinola (whispering to Faustine) No, senora, he adores her. Faustine The daughter of Lothundiaz! Don Fregose You seem suddenly to feel a great interest in him. Faustine I hope the gentleman may succeed, if it were only for the purpose of bringing the court here. Don Fregose Senora, will you not come and take luncheon at the villa of Avaloros? A vessel is at your service in the harbor. Faustine No, my lord, the night of pleasure has wearied me, and a sail would prove too much. I am not obliged, like you, to be indefatigable; youth loves sleep, give me leave then to retire and take a little rest. Don Fregose You never say anything to me but that your words contain some innuendo. Faustine You ought to be grateful that I do not take you seriously! (Exeunt Faustine, the Viceroy and Paquita.) SCENE SIXTEENTH Avaloros, Quinola, Monipodio, Fontanares and Sarpi. Sarpi (to Avaloros) It is too late for a sail. Avaloros I do not care; I have won ten crowns in gold. (Sarpi and Avaloros talk together.) Fontanares (to Monipodio) Who is this person? Monipodio It is Avaloros, the richest banker of Catalonia; he has bought the whole Mediterranean to be his tributary.