按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
And you'll discover never
A tale so free from every doubt
All probable； possible shadow of doubt
All possible doubt whatever！
ALL。 A tale free from every doubt； etc。
CAS。 Then do you mean to say that I am married to one of
two gondoliers； but it is impossible to say which？
DON AL。 Without any doubt of any kind whatever。 But be
reassured： the nurse to whom your husband was entrusted is the
mother of the musical young man who is such a past…master of that
delicately modulated instrument （indicating the drum）。 She can；
no doubt； establish the King's identity beyond all question。
LUIZ。 Heavens； how did he know that？
DON AL。 My young friend； a Grand Inquisitor is always up to
date。 （To Cas。） His mother is at present the wife of a highly
respectable and old…established brigand； who carries on an
extensive practice in the mountains around Cordova。 Accompanied
by two of my emissaries； he will set off at once for his mother's
address。 She will return with them； and if she finds any
difficulty in making up her mind； the persuasive influence of the
torture chamber will jog her memory。
RECITATIVECASILDA and DON ALHAMBRA。
CAS。 But； bless my heart； consider my position！
I am the wife of one； that's very clear；
But who can tell； except by intuition；
Which is the Prince； and which the Gondolier？
DON AL。 Submit to Fate without unseemly wrangle：
Such complications frequently occur
Life is one closely complicated tangle：
Death is the only true unraveller！
QUINTETDUKE； DUCHESS； CASILDA； LUIZ； and GRAND INQUISITOR。
ALL。 Try we life…long； we can never
Straighten out life's tangled skein；
Why should we； in vain endeavour；
Guess and guess and guess again？
LUIZ。 Life's a pudding full of plums；
DUCH。 Care's a canker that benumbs。
ALL。 Life's a pudding full of plums；
Care's a canker that benumbs。
Wherefore waste our elocution
On impossible solution？
Life's a pleasant institution；
Let us take it as it comes！
Set aside the dull enigma；
We shall guess it all too soon；
Failure brings no kind of stigma
Dance we to another tune！
LUIZ。 String the lyre and fill the cup；
DUCH。 Lest on sorrow we should sup。
ALL。 Hop and skip to Fancy's fiddle；
Hands across and down the middle
Life's perhaps the only riddle
That we shrink from giving up！
（Exeunt all into Ducal Palace except Luiz； who goes off in
gondola。）
（Enter Gondoliers and Contadine； followed by Marco； Gianetta；
Giuseppe； and Tessa。）
CHORUS。
Bridegroom and bride！
Knot that's insoluble；
Voices all voluble
Hail it with pride。
Bridegroom and bride！
We in sincerity
Wish you prosperity；
Bridegroom and bride！
SONGTESSA。
TESS。 When a merry maiden marries；
Sorrow goes and pleasure tarries；
Every sound becomes a song；
All is right； and nothing's wrong！
From to…day and ever after
Let our tears be tears of laughter。
Every sigh that finds a vent
Be a sigh of sweet content！
When you marry； merry maiden；
Then the air with love is laden；
Every flower is a rose；
Every goose becomes a swan；
Every kind of trouble goes
Where the last year's snows have gone！
CHORUS。 Sunlight takes the place of shade
When you marry； merry maid！
TESS。 When a merry maiden marries；
Sorrow goes and pleasure tarries；
Every sound becomes a song；
All is right； and nothing's wrong。
Gnawing Care and aching Sorrow；
Get ye gone until to…morrow；
Jealousies in grim array；
Ye are things of yesterday！
When you marry； merry maiden；
Then the air with joy is laden；
All the corners of the earth
Ring with music sweetly played；
Worry is melodious mirth；
Grief is joy in masquerade；
CHORUS。 Sullen night is laughing day
All the year is merry May！
（At the end of the song； Don Alhambra enters at back。 The
Gondoliers and Contadine shrink from him； and gradually go off；
much alarmed。）
GIU。 And now our lives are going to begin in real earnest！
What's a bachelor？ A mere nothinghe's a chrysalis。 He can't
be said to livehe exists。
MAR。 What a delightful institution marriage is！ Why have
we wasted all this time？ Why didn't we marry ten years ago？
TESS。 Because you couldn't find anybody nice enough。
GIA。 Because you were waiting for us。
MAR。 I suppose that was the reason。 We were waiting for
you without knowing it。 （Don Alhambra comes forward。） Hallo！
DON AL。 Good morning。
GIU。 If this gentleman is an undertaker it's a bad omen。
DON AL。 Ceremony of some sort going on？
GIU。 （aside）。 He is an undertaker！ （Aloud。） Noa little
unimportant family gathering。 Nothing in your line。
DON AL。 Somebody's birthday； I suppose？
GIA。 Yes； mine！
TESS。 And mine！
MAR。 And mine！
GIU。 And mine！
DON AL。 Curious coincidence！ And how old may you all be？
TESS。 It's a rude questionbut about ten minutes。
DON AL。 Remarkably fine children！ But surely you are
jesting？
TESS。 In other words； we were married about ten minutes
since。
DON AL。 Married！ You don't mean to say you are married？
MAR。 Oh yes； we are married。
DON AL。 What； both of you？
ALL。 All four of us。
DON AL。 （aside）。 Bless my heart； how extremely awkward！
GIA。 You don't mind； I suppose？
TESS。 You were not thinking of either of us for yourself； I
presume？ Oh； Giuseppe； look at himhe was。 He's heart…broken！
DON AL。 No； no； I wasn't！ I wasn't！
GIU。 Now； my man （slapping him on the back）； we don't want
anything in your line to…day； and if your curiosity's
satisfiedyou can go！
DON AL。 You mustn't call me your man。 It's a liberty。 I
don't think you know who I am。
GIU。 Not we； indeed！ We are jolly gondoliers； the sons of
Baptisto Palmieri； who led the last revolution。 Republicans；
heart and soul； we hold all men to be equal。 As we abhor
oppression； we abhor kings： as we detest vain…glory； we detest
rank： as we despise effeminacy； we despise wealth。 We are
Venetian gondoliersyour equals in everything except our
calling； and in that at once your masters and your servants。
DON AL。 Bless my heart； how unfortunate！ One of you may be
Baptisto's son； for anything I know to the contrary； but the
other is no less a personage than the only son of the late King
of Barataria。
ALL。 What！
DON AL。 And I trustI trust it was that one who slapped me
on the shoulder and called me his man！
GIU。 One of us a king！
MAR。 Not brothers！
TESS。 The King of Barataria！ ＇Together＇
GIA。 Well； who'd have thought it！