he himself is the person who jumped into the garden. But here the gardener produces Cherubino's enlistment paper (it had fallen from him). Figaro's presence of mind comes to his rescue, and he announces on the spot that he had taken it from Cherubino in order to have it stamped with the official seal in the city. Yet no sooner does Figaro get clear of this awkward predicament than he falls into one more awkward still, for Bartolo, Basilio, and Marcellina all enter, demanding that he keep his promise to marry Marcellina, the ugly housekeeper. The Count agrees to take the legal side of this case into consideration, and the act ends with each of those present giving voice to his feelings over the tangled state that matters have reached.

Act Three

The scene: a spacious hall in the house of Count Almaviva.

The Count is not entirely con-vinced that his wife is innocent, and that Figaro's conduct stands above the heights of doubt and suspicion. But Susanna calms his fears with a short, sweet song beginning "Long Have You Deceived Me," and promises to meet him in the garden that evening. Presently Marcellina, Bartolo, and the lawyer Don Curzio arrive, and the farcical "trial scene" begins.

The lawyer demands of Figaro either that he repay Marcellina's debt or that he honor what he pledged in the formal undertaking and wed her. But Figaro's thoughts were turned to other matters: for no short time he has suspected that he is of noble birth, stolen from his parents as an infant, his arm marked with a secret birthmark. Marcellina rejoices at what she hears, rec-

ognizes this mark, and embraces Figaro — for he is her lost son!...

Susanna enters at that very moment, and it takes a great effort to convince her that Marcellina is embracing Figaro because she is his mother and not her rival.

No sooner is this scene over than we hear a graceful sung dialogue between Barbarina, the gardener's daughter, and the servant Cherubino, followed by a sweet song from the Countess, telling of her love for the Count, which she believes she has lost.

But the plotting does not end there. In the song "How Gentle Is the Breeze" the Countess dictates to Susanna a letter confirming the rendezvous with the Count in the garden — the Countess her-self having resolved to disguise herself in Susanna's clothes and meet the Count.

Barbarina arrives with a com-pany of young girls bearing the Countess a gift of roses; Cherubino, disguised in a girl's dress, has mingled among them. But Antonio exposes him. This poor fellow is forever being found out on suspicious occa-sions! Jealousy flares up in the Count's breast anew, but this time Barbarina saves the situ-ation, announcing that she and Cherubino are in love and wish to marry.

The curtains at the back of the stage part to show a broad staircase, down which comes a great throng of people who have come to celebrate the wedding of Figaro and Susanna.

The act closes with dancing, in a merry atmosphere of weddings and rejoicings.

Act Four

The scene: the garden of Count Almaviva's house.

This closing act brings the happy

resolution of the various plots whose threads have been spun in the course of the story. Its events take place at night, in the garden.

At the opening of this scene Figaro sings the song "Open Your Eyes a Little," addressing it to men, and speaking in it of the faithlessness of wives. Susanna is heard singing, for her part, the song "Ah, Why Have You Delayed So Long?" in which she speaks of her love for Figaro; but Figaro, eavesdropping at the edge of the garden, believes that she is singing of her love for the Count.

Cherubino arrives and sets about searching for Barbarina in the darkness; he stumbles upon the Countess disguised in Susanna's clothes and begins to flirt with her. The Count discovers the pair, drives Cherubino away, and flirts with her in his turn, believing his wife to be Susanna. Figaro, meanwhile, who is gradually following what is going on around him, finds Susanna disguised in the Countess's clothes and sets about courting her. Matters grow more and more entangled when the Count discovers Figaro's pres-ence and believes he is courting the Countess (who is in truth Susanna); he seizes him and calls the others. Susanna keeps up her disguise and, in alarm, begs the Count's pardon. Before long the real Countess appears and reveals herself...

The Count realizes that he has fallen into the trap; he drops to his knees before the Countess and asks her forgiveness, begging pardon. The Countess forgives him his offense. And the opera ends with the coming together of the happy couples... the Count and the Countess, Figaro and Susanna, Cherubino and Barbarina, and Dr. Bartolo and Marcellina.