Phedro
[Approaches Gwymplane making him a low bow.]
Prince Ian of Vaucluse.
[Gwymplane, as if he saw madness, loses the nervous control of his features by which he can efface his terrible grin, and his face grows convulsed with it.]
Queen [regarding him and laughing shrilly]
Here is some monstrous joke devised by Phedro. Why, Josephine, if this were true, then he—the clown—would be your fiancé, nor have a right to reject you, since sharing in your rather disreputable offence. Ah, what folly! [she places her hand upon her heart, gazing at Prince Charles] But how I would like to credit the wildest phantasy tonight.
[The Duchess is looking on disdainfully as if witnessing rather a boring farce.]
Phedro [looking intensely at the Queen]
When the thing that we have longed for comes true, it may sound like madness. I have every credential to prove my extraordinary announcement.