should
always get on best. I have not myself always
had the best of luck in these parts... Would you
believe it, my voice used to be a very fine, deep
baritone. But now... (_Sings falsetto_):

I am not young; I am not old;
I live, yet have no life!
Ask him who hath suffered woes untold
From some volcanic strife
Of passionate years, if he remember,
Tombed in the grave of life's December,
Its vanished golden June.

What do you say about my voice? Lady-like?
Well, yes, you see I've spent so much of my
time in the society of ladies that I'm afraid my
voice has assimilated the quality of theirs. (_Sighs
deeply._) Oh, yes. Not that there is any lack of
good nourishment. Oh, no. Nor of liquid
refreshment. Oh, no. Nor of refined and entertaining
company. Oh, no. Nor could any one
suggest that I am not in high favour. Oh, no.
I have been appointed Chief... Inspector...
Oh, no, no, Chief... Manager... Oh, no, no,
no... Chief Administrator... Quite so!
Chief Administrator of the Harem of her Imperial
Highness the Princess Turandot. A position of
distinction, a--

(PANTALONE _pulls his sleeve, and drags him away_.)

PANTALONE.

Confound you, sir!... (_To the hangman, who
has appeared on the wall._) Another inch or so
to the right. Halt! a fine place that.

TARTAGLIA.

Too far to the right, my dear colleague. Much
too far to the right. There's a fine place quite
near there between the young Maharajah of Timbuctoo
and the Crown Prince of Beluchistan. (_To
the headsman._) Just a shade farther--to the
left, that's it, you've got it--straight up, straight
up. Halt!

PANTALONE.

That will never do, my dear Lord Chancellor.
That will never do. Really, we _can't_ have three
moustaches together. Back to the right--to the
right. The Prince of Hyrcania is clean-shaven.
His Royal Highness, the dear fellow, will have
quite a martial appearance next to him. That's
it, right in the middle. A little bit more to
the front. Right you are. Halt! (_To the
Prince._) I do hope your Royal Highness is
delighted with the situation we have been at such
pains to select for you. Commanding position,
don't you think? Eh? Very well, then, that's
all right. Drive it in fast. Down with you.
Quick--march! And now, your Royal Highness,
my dear old fellow, may we request the honour of
your company back to town? We shall proceed,
according to instructions, past the harem of our
illustrious Princess to the place