MASC. Great news! great news! a wonderful event which I am now going to
tell you!
CEL. What means this?
MASC. Listen. This is, without any compliments...
CEL. What?
MASC. The last scene of a true and genuine comedy. The old gipsy-woman
was, but this very moment...
CEL. Well?
MASC. Crossing the market-place, thinking about nothing at all, when
another old woman, very haggard-looking, after having closely stared at
her for some time, hoarsely broke out in a torrent of abusive language,
and thus gave the signal for a furious combat, in which, instead of
swords, muskets, daggers, or arrows, nothing was seen but four withered
paws, brandished in the air, with which these two combatants endeavoured
to tear off the little flesh old age had left on their bones. Not a word
was heard but drab, wretch, trull. Their caps, to begin with, were
flying about, and left a couple of bald pates exposed to view, which
rendered the battle ridiculously horrible. At the noise and hubbub,
Andrès and Trufaldin, as well as many others, ran to see what was the
matter, and had much ado to part them, so excited were they by passion.
Meanwhile each of them, when the storm was abated, endeavoured to hide
her head with shame. Everybody wished to know the cause of this
ridiculous fray. She who first began it having, notwithstanding the
warmth of her passion, looked for some time at Trufaldin, said in a loud
voice,--"It is you, unless my sight misgives me, who, I was informed,
lived privately in this town; most happy meeting! Yes, Signor Zanobio
Ruberti, fortune made me find you out at the very moment I was giving
myself so much trouble for your sake. When you left your family at
Naples, your daughter, as you know, remained under my care. I brought
her up from her youth. When she was only four years old she showed
already in a thousand different ways what charms and beauty she would
have. That woman you see there--that infamous hag--who had become
rather intimate with us, robbed me of that treasure. Your good lady,
alas! felt so much grief at this misfortune, that, as I have reason to
believe it shortened her days; so that, fearing your severe reproaches
because your daughter had been stolen from me, I sent you word that both
were dead; but now, as I have found out the thief, she must tell us what
has become of your child." At the name of Zanobio Ruberti, which she
repeated several times throughout the story, Andrès, after changing
colour often, addressed to the surprised Trufaldin these words: "What!
has Heaven most happily brought me to him whom I have hitherto sought in
vain! Can I possibly have beheld my father, the author of my being,
without knowing him? Yes, father, I am Horatio, your son; my tutor,
Albert, having died, I felt anew certain uneasiness in my mind, left
Bologna, and abandoning my studies, wandered about for six years in
different places, according as my curiosity led me. However, after the
expiration of that time, a secret impulse drove me to revisit my kindred
and my native country; but in Naples, alas! I could no longer find you,
and could only hear vague reports concerning you; so that having in vain
tried to meet with you, I ceased to roam about idly, and stopped for a
while in Venice. From that time to this I have lived without receiving
any other information about my family, except knowing its name." You may
judge whether Trufaldin was not more than ordinarily moved all this
while; in one word (to tell you shortly that which you will have an
opportunity of learning afterwards more at your leisure, from the
confession of the old gipsy-woman), Trufaldin owns you (_to Celia_)
now for his daughter; Andrès is your brother; and as he can no longer
think of marrying his sister, and as he acknowledges he is under some
obligation to my master, Lelio, he has obtained for him your hand.
Pandolphus being present at this discovery, gives his full consent to
the marriage; and to complete the happiness of the family, proposes that
the newly-found Horatio should marry his daughter. See how many
incidents are produced at one and the same time!
CEL. Such tidings perfectly amaze me.
MASC. The whole company follow me, except the two female champions, who
are adjusting their toilet after the fray. Leander and your father are
also coming. I shall go and inform my master of this, and let him know
that when we thought obstacles were increasing, Heaven almost wrought a
miracle in his favour. (_Exit Mascarille_).
HIPP. This fortunate event fills me with as much as joy as if it were my
own case. But here they come.