Act 2 Summary

A few hours have passed, and the Ball is underway at the chateau. As the act begins, Capulet wheels Madame Desmortes into the conservatory for a respite from the ballroom activities. Madame Desmortes laments her advanced age and lack of anything interesting in her life. Even the ball going on is an aggravation and something she does not enjoy.

Capulet tells Madame Desmortes that there may be exciting things going on inside that they are not yet aware of, such as the possibility that a young, rich, handsome man has smuggled his love into the dance. Capulet cannot stop herself from revealing that a plot is underway and that the young lady's mother is anxiously awaiting its outcome. Madame Desmortes demands to know the meaning of Capulet's statements, and yet Capulet only makes allusions to the poor beautiful girl loved by the handsome...