The Marchioness
You are taken up too much with yourself—
Quinola And not sufficiently with him—that is just. The duke took us for foul assassins; we were simply asking him, at a rather too advantageous hour, to make us a loan, pledged by our rapiers as collateral. The famous Majoral, who was in command of us, being close pressed by the duke, was forced to disable him by a little thrust, of which he knows the secret.
The Marchioness
O! My God!—
Quinola
Happiness is cheap at such a cost, madame.
The Marchioness (aside)
Hush! He knows my secret.
Quinola When we saw that the duke had not a maravedi about him, we left him where he was. As I was the least culpable of all the gang, I was charged to take him home; in adjusting his pockets, which had been turned inside out, I found the letter which he had written to you, and, learning your position at the court, I understood—
The Marchioness
That your fortune was made?
Quinola
Not at all—that my life was in danger.
The Marchioness
Indeed?
Quinola
To whom are you speaking? Quinola or Lavradi?