Come hither, all you people--
When you hear the fearful news,
All the pretty women weep'll,
Men will shiver in their shoes.

LUD:
And they'll all cry "Lord, defend us!"
When they learn the fact tremendous
That to give this man his gruel
In a Statutory Duel--

BOTH:
This plebeian man of shoddy--
This contemptible nobody--
Your Grand Duke does not refuse!

(During this, Chorus of men and women have entered, all trembling
with apprehension under the impression that they are to be
arrested for their complicity in the conspiracy.)

CHORUS:

With faltering feet,
And our muscles in a quiver,
Our fate we meet
With our feelings all unstrung!
If our plot complete
He has managed to diskiver,
There is no retreat--
We shall certainly be hung!

RUD.  (aside to LUDWIG):
Now you begin and pitch it strong--walk into me abusively--

LUD.  (aside to RUDOLPH):
I've several epithets that I've reserved for you xclusively.
A choice selection I have here when you are ready to begin.

RUD:
Now you begin

LUD:
No, you begin--

RUD:
No, you begin--

LUD:
No, you begin!

CHORUS (trembling):
Has it happed as we expected?
Is our little plot detected