"Oh dear! You will begin now with your restrictions."
"No; I only wish you to be ready to get rid of your guilty wife, when and where I shall order you."
"Well, I agree to that. When shall I have the money?"
"To-morrow."
"Good-night, then. I must now go and do a little good. A lady is going to present me to her marriageable daughter, so that I may give her a little dowry. Then we shall have a party of young fellows at the Cock Tavern, that would put the devil to shame. Then we shall, perhaps, go serenading, and who knows what next?"
"Don Pietro! Don Pietro! You will never change your habits; you ought to think that we have to render an account to God of the time wasted so unprofitably. Have on at least a good coat of mail."
"Until now my coat of mail was a good conscience; but I see that after this evening I shall have to wear it. May God keep you in His holy guard." And so saying, he went away hastily.
"And you also. Bianca!" And after a little while, he repeated in a louder tone: "Bianca!"
Bianca Cappello entered, panting, as if she had come in haste from a distant room.
"What does my Lord desire?"