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No. 9: Quartette (Alfredo, Utrice, Teresa and Elvino)
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| ALFREDO (to Teresa). | Fair maid, take pity on my state! Look down with eyes compassionate |
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| On my condition lonely; | ||
| Nor think me too impertinent, If I implore you to relent, And my sweet Duchess represent |
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| On this occasion only! | ||
| THERESA. | I thank you, sir, but it would be Presumptuous, indeed, in me |
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| To personate a Duchess. | ||
| But I know one who’d have a face
To jump at mimicking her Grace; No compliment seems out of place |
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| Her vanity that touches. | ||
| ULTRICE. | D’you mean me, miss? | ||
| THERESA. | I mean you, miss, | ||
| All above. | |||
| ULTRICE. | You’re too free, miss. | ||
| THERESA. | Try it, do, miss — | ||
| There’s a love! | |||
| ULTRICE. | I agree, miss! | ||
| THERESA. | That’s explicit: | ||
| Take your ground! | |||
| ULTRICE. | You shall see, miss. | ||
| THERESA. | Wouldn’t miss it | ||
| For a pound. | |||
| ULTRICE. | Though your spite all bounds surpasses, | |
| Pay attention, I beseech you. | ||
| Manners of the upper classes | ||
| I shall be most pleased to teach you. | ||
| THERESA. | Thank you, dear — pray, take your station— | |
| Malice soon will spread the rumour. | ||
| It will be a personation | ||
| Teeming with unconscious humour! | ||
ENSEMBLE.
| ULTRICE. | OTHERS. | ||
| Watch me as I take my station, | Watch her as she takes her station, | ||
| Spread about the welcome rumour. | Malice soon will spread the rumour. | ||
| No attempt at provocation | It will be a personation | ||
| Touches my extreme good humour. | Teeming with unconscious humour! | ||
| ULTRICE. | Now, look at me, And you will see How ladies grand Present their hand; |
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| It’s copied from the highest ladies in the land. | ||
| THERESA. | I always thought A lady ought To walk with grace And not grimace; |
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| But that, it’s very evident, is not the case. | ||
| ULTRICE. | Then as they walk, They blandly talk, And look at us With eye-glass — thus — |
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| And what they’ll have for dinner they, perhaps, discuss. | ||
| THERESA. | It would appear They flout and fleer, Stick up their nose, Turn in their toes — |
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| You’re teaching me gratuitously, I suppose? | ||
| ULTRICE. | Then as she takes her place upon
the throne that is prepared, The people bow them to the ground, and every head is bared, They keep their proper places as she looks them through and through — |
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| THERESA. | And I suppose they try to keep their
countenances too? If that is what is called Court etiquette, it’s very plain The ways of high society I never shall attain; It seems you must be ill-bred, and as awkward as can be, Which is ABC to you, my love, but difficult for me. |
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| ULTRICE. | OTHERS. | ||||
| As that is what is called Court etiquette, it's | If that is what is called Court etiquette, it's | ||||
| very plain | very plain | ||||
| The ways of high society you never will | The ways of high society I never shall | ||||
| attain; | attain; | ||||
| It seems you are as ill bred, and as | It seems you must be ill-bred, and as | ||||
| awkward as can be, | awkward as can be, | ||||
| So it's difficult to you, my love, | Which is A, B, C for you, my love, | ||||
| but A, B, C for me. | but difficult for me | ||||
Exeunt ELVINO, bowing before ALFREDO and ULTRICE, TERESA following and mimicking ULTRICE’s walk and gestures.
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