dogs to High
Heaven, and one hundred cats to the Moon, to
induce them to restore your lost wits--and you,
you sweet little sugar-plum you, you actually
refuse. Why, even if there were no other fish
in the sea except Princess Turandot, your intentions
would still amount to capital folly. You
must give me credit, my dearest Prince, for talking
so frankly, because I wish you well. Have you,
may I ask, at any time carefully considered what
it means to be shortened by a head? I can hardly
believe you have.

CALAF.

You talk too much and lose your breath, dear sir.
Death is what I demand or Turandot.

ALTOUM.

Death have then, and with death my own despair.

(_To the_ DOCTORS.)

Go, one of you, and bid the Princess come.
And tell her a fresh sacrifice awaits.

(_Exit_ DOCTOR _behind_ EMPEROR, _front of stage_.)

CALAF (_aside_).

Ye heavenly powers, help me, and lend me strength
And self-possession, lest the sight of her
Confuse me: for my mind already sways,
My heart pants, and my lips are quivering.

(_To the assembly._)

Illustrious Divan, most reverend Doctors,
My answers' judges, judges soon to me
Over my life and death, oh, pardon now
My rash adventure, be not pitiless
To one disquieted and blind with love,
Who, heedless of the place and of the hour,
Forces the closed arms of his sullen fate.

SCENE X

(_From the right the sounds of a march with
kettledrums and tambourines._ _First
appears_ TRUFFALDINO, _shouldering his
broadsword, at the head of his eunuchs_.
_After them a troop of female slaves
beating tambourines._ _Then, thickly
veiled, the two favourite slaves of the_
PRINCESS--_the one_, ADELMA, _in rich
Tartar costume; the other_, ZELIMA, _in
more simple Chinese dress_. _The latter
carries a little dish, which contains
sealed leaves with the solutions of
the riddles._ TRUFFALDINO _and the
eunuchs march past the_ EMPEROR'S
_throne, cast themselves face downwards
on the earth, and rise again_. _The
female slaves kneel, and lift their hands
to their foreheads._ _Last appears_ TURANDOT
_in gorgeous Chinese costume,
veiled, and with a haughty attitude of
challenge_. _The eight doctors and the
two ministers cast themselves down
before her, touching the floor with their
brows._ ALTOUM _rises_. TURANDOT
_raises her hand to her forehead and
greets her father with a solemn bow,
then ascends her throne and sits down_.
ZELIMA _stands at her right_, ADELMA _at
her left_. CAL