[Cherubino sings his ballad to the air of 'Malbrouck.' The Countess reads the words of it from his manuscript, with an occasional glance at him; he sometimes looks at her and sometimes lowers his eyes as he sings. Susanna, accompanying him, watches them both, laughing.]
Countess [folding the song]--Enough, my boy. Thank you. It is very good--full of feeling--
Susanna--Ah! as for feeling--this is a young man who--well!
[Cherubino tries to stop her by catching hold of her dress. Susanna whispers to him]--Ah, you good-for-nothing! I'm going to tell her. [Aloud.] Well--Captain! We'll amuse ourselves by seeing how you look in one of my dresses!
Countess--Susanna, how can you go on so?
Susanna [going up to Cherubino and measuring herself with him]--He's just the right height. Off with your coat. [She draws it off.]
Countess--But what if some one should come?
Susanna--What if they do? We're doing no wrong. But I'll lock the door, just the same. [Locks it.] I want to see him in a woman's head-dress!
Countess--Well, you'll find my little cap in my dressing-room on the toilet table.
[Susanna gets the cap, and then, sitting down on a stool, she makes Cherubino kneel before her and arranges it on his hair.]