The Cardinal is observed to be out of humour.

He has said publicly,--and the words are portentous,--"The silly girl is as mad as her father; what she asks is preposterous!" Conference follows conference; the Cardinal talks to the poor child very solemnly in his closet,--all in vain.

Naples is distracted with curiosity and conjecture.

The lecture ends in a quarrel, and Viola comes home sullen and pouting: she will not act,--she has renounced the engagement.
Pisani, too inexperienced to be aware of all the dangers of the stage, had been pleased at the notion that one, at least, of his name would add celebrity to his art.

The girl's perverseness displeased him.