Claudia
What, is your son dead,why do you sigh?
Capponi
What matter's that. If I sigh it's a habit,a bad habit, if you will
a philosophical habit. But to return to the rose water, could
it have been Persian?
Claudia
Yes, your son called it that.
Capponi
Then I can fill your order, lady, I have it put away back there.
If it stood here with the others all day long the young women
of Bologna would stand here before my shop, and every one of them
would want to small of it without paying for it.
Claudia
To Caterina.
Don't you want a bottle too?
Caterina
What for I don't need such stuff, All I do is to equeeze the
Juice of a Sic franqe into my both.
Claudia
skin to small of flowers and not of fruit.
My husband like my
out the battle to them.)
(Capponi holds
Claudii
That’s it! Smell it Caterina! Now what do you say?
Caterina,
Well perhaps when a man is no longer young--
Claudia
There is your money.
Capponi
Thank you fair lady, but this is only the truth part of what
I should have.
Claudia
I know what I paid for it last winter.
Capponi
times were different then! In a few days I can get a hundred
times as much forthat battle. Everything will be dearer.
It is impossible to bring things into the city! All roads are
elosed. In a week there will be fame here, and we will suffer
if we still live, which is very doubtful. But I don't wish to
insult you ladies.
Claudia
I won't give you any more for your rose water. Tell me truly