"Thank you. So now we take a carefully chosen scion. Tell me, pray, who wants to play that jest on me?"
"This scion is beautifully developed, let us take it—Siegfried."
"Siegfried? What does he intend to do?"
"Keep your hands busy, and do not look surprised. That clandestine marriage, of which you are to be a witness, is a comedy. The Capuchin monk, who is to perform the ceremony, is Seestern, the famous German actor, who is here under an assumed name, as he does not want to be pestered to play or amuse the others."
My hands trembled, but I kept on and said—
"Siegfried has sworn to me that he is madly in love with Countess Cenni, and that he will marry her, come what may."
"What for?"
"What a question! For love, and—because—he wants the million florins of her grandfather's which the countess has."
"Hand me the knife, for you will assuredly cut your finger, and give me that scion, so that I may try to insert it. Cenni is no countess at all, but the niece of Leestern and daughter of an actress, who at one time did my aunt a great service, and, when dying, made Aunt Diodora promise to take care of her little girl. Aunt gave her at confirmation the name of Cenerentola, which we have shortened to Cenni. Her real name is Klara. She has no other money or dower but what Aunt Diodora will give her, which will not be much, for in money matters she is not very liberal, and Cenni is called 'comtesse' because it suits Aunt Diodora's whims. That million of which Siegfried spoke exists; but it is mine, and not Cenni's. Is this scion well inserted?"
"No. I will show you the whole process again. What is Siegfried's object in the deception?"