Did you not tell me that your grandfather
went, some fifty years ago, with Cortez, to Mexico; has he ever been
heard of?
Fontanares
Never.
Quinola
Don't forget you have a grandfather! You will be enabled to continue
your work, until you reach the day of your triumph.
Fontanares
Do you wish to ruin me?
Quinola
Do you wish to see me go to prison and your machine to the devil?
Fontanares
I do not.
Quinola
Permit me then to bring about the return of this grandfather? He will
be the first of his company to return from the West Indies.
SCENE SIXTH
The same persons and Monipodio.
Quinola
How goes it?
Monipodio
Your princess has received her letter.
Fontanares
What kind of a man is this Don Ramon?
Monipodio
He is an ass.
Quinola
Is he envious?
Monipodio
As three rejected play-writers. He makes himself out to be a wonderful
man.
Quinola
But does any one believe him?
Monipodio
They look upon him as an oracle. He scribbles off his treatises,
explaining that the snow is white because it falls from heaven, and he
maintains, in contradiction to Galileo, that the earth does not move.
Quinola
Do you not plainly see, senor, that I must rid you of this
philosopher? (To Monipodio) You come with me; you must be my servant.
(Exeunt.)
SCENE SEVENTH
Fontanares (alone)
What brain, even though it be encased in bronze, could stand the
strain of this search after money, while also making an inquiry into
the most jealously guarded secrets of nature? How can the mind,
engaged in such quests, have time for distrusting men, fighting them,
and combining others against them? It is no easy thing to see at once
what course had best be taken, in order to prevent Don Ramon from
stealing my glory, and Don Ramons abound on every side.
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