SIGNORA FROLA. Oh he really is, he really is! All the men he ever worked for say he's most reliable; and I beg of you, please don't let this other matter interfere. And why then should people go tormenting him with all this prying into his private life, laying bare once more a misfortune which he has succeeded in mastering and which, if it were widely talked about, might upset him again personally, and even hurt him in his career? AGAZZI. Oh no, no, Signora, no one is trying to hurt him. It is nothing to his disgrace that I can see. Nor would we hurt you either. SIGNORA FROLA. But my dear sir, how can you help hurting me when you force him to give almost publicly an explanation which is quite absurd--ridiculous I might even say! Surely people like you can't seriously believe what he says? You can't possibly be taking me for a lunatic? You don't really think that this woman is his second wife? And yet it is all so necessary! He needs to have it that way. It is the only way he can pull himself together; get down to his work again ... the only way ... the only way! Why he gets all wrought up, all excited, when he is forced to talk of this other matter; because he knows himself how hard it is for him to say certain things. You may have noticed it.... AGAZZI. Yes, that is quite true. He did seem very much excited. SIGNORA SIRELLI. Well, well, well, so then it's he! SIRELLI (_triumphantly_). I always said it was he. AGAZZI. Oh, I say! Is that really possible? (_He motions to the company to be quiet_). SIGNORA FROLA (_joining her hands beseechingly_). My dear friends, what are you really thinking? It is only on this subject that he is a little queer. The point is, you must simply not mention this particular matter to him. Why, really now, you could never suppose that I would leave my daughter shut up with him all alone like that? And yet just watch him at his work and in the office. He does everything he is expected to do and no one in the world could do it better. AGAZZI. But this is not enough, madam, as you will understand. Do you mean to say that Signor Ponza, your son-in-law, came here and made up a story out of whole cloth? SIGNORA FROLA. Yes, sir, yes sir, exactly ... only I will explain. You must understand--you must look at things from his point of view. AGAZZI. What do you mean? Do you mean that your daughter is not dead? SIGNORA FROLA. God forbid! Of course she is not dead! AGAZZI. Well, then, he is the lunatic! SIGNORA FROLA. No, no, look, look!... SIRELLI. I always said it was he!...