AS. [Drawing her back into the room.] Come away. He is looking up at
us.

AGNES. Are you sure he sees us?

LUCAS. He did.

AGNES. He will want an answer--[She deliberately flings the bouquet
over the balcony into the canal, then returns to the table and picks up
her work.]

LUCAS. [Looking out again cautiously.] He throws his head back and
laughs heartily. [Re-entering the room.] Oh, of course, his policy is
to attempt to laugh me out of my resolves. They send him here merely to
laugh at me, Agnes, to laugh at me--[coming to AGNES angrily.] laugh
at me!

AGNES. He must be a man of small resources. [Threading her needle.] It
is so easy to mock.

END OF THE FIRST ACT

THE SECOND ACT

The Scene is the same as that of the previous Act. Through the windows
some mastheads and flapping sails are seen in the distance. The light
is that of late afternoon.

AGNES, very plainly dressed, is sitting at the table, industriously
copying from a manuscript. After a moment or two, ANTONIO and NELLA
enter the room, carrying a dressmaker's box, which is corded and
labelled.

NELLA. E permess, Signora (Permit us, Signora.)

ANTONIO. Uno scatolone per la Signora (Am enormous box for the
Signora.)

AGNES. [Turning her head.] Eh?

NELLA. E venuto colla ferrovia--(It has come by the railway--)

ANTONIO. [consulting the label.] Da'Firenze. (From Florence.)

AGNES. By railway, from Florence?

NELLA [Reading from the label.] "Emilia Bardini, Via Rondinelli."

AGNES. Bardini? That's the dressmaker. There must be some mistake. Non
e per me, Nella. (It isn't for me, Nella.)

[ANTONIO and NELLA carry the box to her animatedly.]

NELLA. Ma guardi, Signora! (But look, Signora!)

ANTONIO. Alla Signora Cleeve!

NELLA. E poi abbiamo pagato il porto della ferrovia. (Besides, we have
paid the railway dues upon it.)

AGNES. [Collecting her sheets of paper.] Hush, hush! Don't trouble me
just now. Mettez-la n'importe ou. [They place the box upon another
table.]

NELLA. La corda intaccherebbe la forbice della Signora. Vuole che
Antonio la tagli. (The cord would blunt the Signora's scissors. Shall
Antonio cut the cord?)

AGNES. [Pinning her sheets of paper together.] I'll see about it bye
and bye. Laissez-moi!

NELLA. [Softly to ANTONIO.] Taglia, taglia! (Cut, cut!) [ANTONIO cuts
the cord, whereupon NELLA utters a little scream.]

AGNES. [Turning, startled.] What is it?

NELLA. [Pushing ANTONIO away.] Questo stupid