Candida _on the terrace. The above._
_Candida._ [_Calling him._] Signor Evarist!
_Evarist._ There she is, there she is! Oh, I am in despair!
_Nina._ What, what! the world is not come to an end because of this!
_Candida._ [_Calls more loudly._] Signor Evarist!
_Evarist._ Oh, Candida, my dearest! I am the most miserable, the most
wretched man in the world!
_Candida._ What! you can't get the fan?
_Nina._ [_Aside._] She guesses it at once!
_Evarist._ If you knew what a coil of complications, and all to my
injury! It is too true, the fan is lost, and it is not possible to find
it as yet.
_Candida._ Oh, I know where it is!
_Evarist._ Where? where? If you could give us some hint!
_Nina._ [_To_ Evarist.] Who knows? Some one may have found it.
_Candida._ The fan will be in the hands of her to whom you gave it, and
who will not give it up, and she is right.
_Nina._ [_To_ Candida.] This is not true.
_Candida._ Be silent!
_Evarist._ I swear to you on my honour--
_Candida._ It is enough! My decision is made! I am astonished at you, to
prefer a peasant girl to me. [_Exit._
_Nina._ Peasant girl! What does she mean?
_Evarist._ I swear to Heaven, you are the cause of all my miseries,
which will be my death! She has decided! Well, I have decided too; I
will await my rival here, and will challenge him. Either he or I must
fall! And all this is your fault, Nina!
_Nina._ I go, or I shall lose my reason. [_She turns slowly towards her
house._]
_Evarist._ How passion consumes me! My heart thumps, my brain is in a
whirl, my breath comes heavily. I can scarcely stand! Oh, who will help
me? [_He staggers towards a chair._]
_Nina._ [_Turns round and sees him._] What is this? What do I see? He is
dying! Help, help! Here, Moracchio! here, Limonato!