"No," cried Nicolo, still on his knees, and tightly pressing the old gentleman's thin spindle-shanks together, "no, Signor Pasquale, I will not let you go until you give me your word that you will be present in my theatre the night after to-morrow. You need not fear any new attack! Why, don't you think that the Romans, once they have heard your work, will bring you home in triumph by the light of hundreds of torches? But in case that does not happen, I myself and my faithful comrades will take our arms and accompany you home ourselves."
"You yourself will accompany me home, with your comrades?" asked Pasquale; "and how many may that be?"
"Eight or ten persons will be at your command, Signor Pasquale. Do yield to my intercession and resolve to come."
"Formica has a fine voice," lisped Pasquale. "How finely he will execute my arias."
"Do come, oh! do come!" exhorted Nicolo again, giving the old gentleman's knees an extra grip.
"You will pledge yourself that I shall reach my own house without being molested?" asked the old gentleman.
"I pledge my honour and my life," was Nicolo's reply, as he gave the knees a still sharper grip.
"Agreed!" cried the old gentleman; "I will be in your theatre the day after to-morrow."
Then Nicolo leapt to his feet and pressed Pasquale in so close an embrace that he gasped and panted quite out of breath.
At this moment Marianna entered the room. Signor Pasquale tried to frighten her away again by the look of resentment which he hurled at her; she, however, took not the slightest notice of it, but going straight up to Musso, addressed him as if in anger,—"It is in vain for you, Signor Nicolo, to attempt to entice my dear uncle to go to your theatre. You are forgetting that the infamous trick lately played by some reprobate seducers, who were lying in wait for me, almost cost the life of my dearly beloved uncle, and of his worthy friend Splendiano; nay, that it almost cost my life too. Never will I give my consent to my uncle's again exposing himself to such danger. Desist from your entreaties, Nicolo. And you, my dearest uncle, you will stay quietly at home, will you not, and not venture out beyond the Porta del Popolo again at night-time, which is a friend to nobody?"