Page:The genius - Carl Grosse tr Joseph Trapp 1796.djvu/419

 red silk on his hat. This valet was remarkable for his cunning and acuteness, and having agreed among ourselves, not to speak but by signs, he immediately made an excellent substitute for the intriguing couple. But harlequin who began to be tired of being squeezed and pushed about, made an hundred signs to his supposed spouse to retire. The latter from want of recollection, answered his gestures by all sorts of random signals, which the duke was utterly at a loss to understand. Provoked at her stubbornness he finally retired to another room, and left the shepherd and shepherdess to themselves.

Common and insignificant as my own disguise was, I got nevertheless soon surrounded by several persons, who wanted to enter into conversation with me, and endeavored to part me from my friend and the dutchess, while they still continued in the room. At last a mask also wearing a black domino, addressed me in Spanish, saying, "How do you like the Venetian ladies, Don Carlos?"—I made no answer, and so well forced my