Susanna—­Here’s our young Captain, Madame.

Cherubino [timidly]—­The title is a sad reminder that—­that I must leave this delightful home and the godmother who has been so kind—­

Susanna—­And so beautiful!

Cherubino [sighing]—­Ah, yes!

Susanna [mocking his sigh]—­Ah, yes!  Just look at his hypocritical eyelids!  Madame, make him sing his new song. [She gives it to him.] Come now, my beautiful bluebird, sing away.

Countess—­Does the manuscript say who wrote this—­song?

Susanna—­The blushes of guilt betray him.

Cherubino—­Madame, I—­I—­tremble so.

Susanna—­Ta, ta, ta, ta—!  Come, modest author—­since you are so commanded.  Madame, I’ll accompany him.

Countess [to Susanna]—­Take my guitar.

[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.]

Susanna—­Goodness, isn’t he a pretty girl?  I’m jealous.  Cherubino, you’re altogether too pretty.

Countess—­Undo his collar a little; that will give a more feminine air. [Susanna loosens his collar so as to show his neck.] Now push up his sleeves, so that the under ones show more. [While Susanna rolls up Cherubino’s sleeves, the Countess notices her lost ribbon around his wrist.] What is that?  My ribbon?

Susanna—­Ah!  I’m very glad you’ve seen it, for I told him I should tell.  I should certainly have taken it away from him if the Count hadn’t come just then; for I am almost as strong as he is.