[The shot injures poor old PAULA so badly that she jumps at LUCIA and grabs her by the arm, shaking her furiously]
PAULA
I dare you to say such a thing!
LUCIA
Let me go, you—you—infidel! I'll—
[She wrests herself free and deals PAULA a clout over the head. PAULA lunges at her with vast ferocity, but she quickly delivers another blow. A huge uproar. HELIOGABALUS stretches his neck to see it. RUFINIUS several times steps forward as if to interfere, but always thinks better of it. PAULA has the advantage of weight, but LUCIA is by far the more agile. Various shrill exclamations "Oh, you will, will you? Take that! Ouch! Oh, my ear! Whoop!" etc. To the extreme right, beyond the large bed, is the fleet of coat-racks, each enormously laden with feminine finery. PAULA backs LUCIA into them, but straightway comes to grief herself, for LUCIA upsets the nearest upon her, and, when she falls, heaves another after it. PAULA, completely buried in clothes, yells for help, and the three other wives, who have so far done no more than encourage her with shouts, now come to the attack. LUCIA, leaping behind another rack, pushes it at them, and it halts them. Then, seeing herself outdone by numbers, she calls for help herself]
LUCIA
Oh, oh! Help! Help, Cæsar! Save me!