INES MENDO; OR, THE TRIUMPH OF PREJUDICE. A COMEDY. "Que si de los zuecos la sacais á chapines, no se ha de hallar la mochacha, y á cada paso ha de caer en mil faltas." DON QUIXOTE, Part ii. chap. v. DRAMATIS PERSONE. DON ESTEBAN DE MENDOZA. JUAN MENDO. DON CÆSAR BELMONTE (Portuguese Officer). PEDRO (Servant to Esteban). HOST. DONNA INES DE MENDOZA. DONNA SERAFINE (Duchess of Montalvan). ABBESS OF THE URSULINES at Badajos. The Scene is at the Château de Mendoza in Estremadura, at Elvas, and at Badajos. INES MENDO; OR, THE TRIUMPH OF PREJUDICE. SECOND PART. DAY I.-SCENE I. An Apartment in the Château de Mendoza. DON ESTEBAN-INES. DON ESTEBAN. Well! will you never correct yourself? must you always be repeating your village phrases? INES. How can I help it? what is bred in the marrow will never come out of the bone. DON ESTEBAN. A pretty proverb in the mouth of the Baroness de Mendoza ! INES. You do nothing but tease me about trifles. One has not a moment's peace with you. Ah! DON ESTEBAN. INES. Is it my fault that you are out of temper? Because our neighbours annoy us, must I suffer for it? DON ESTEBAN. Impertinents! but I shall be revenged on them! INES. Why seek them out in their little country-housesto invite them here? They are as poor as church mice, and vain as peacocks-would think themselves, indeed, dishonoured, to shew us the least respect! And all on account of my poor father! Dearly has he purchased his nobility! You ought to remember it, Esteban. DON ESTEBAN. Dear Ines, I shall never forget it! But tell me, would not the calmest man in the world be ruffled to see these lordlings arrive one after the other with the same story? "My wife, the countess such-a-one, is indisposed."-"Donna Isabella has a cold!" And then their studied impertinence towards your father! The affectation of never calling you Donna Inesof never addressing their conversation to you!-Oh! I was so enraged. INES. Nonsense! laugh at it. |