Flor. Truffaldino, will you come to Tu...

Flor. Truffaldino, will you come to Turin with me? Truff. When? Flor. Now; at once. Truff. Before dinner? Flor. No, we will have dinner, and then we will go. Truff. Very good, sir. I'll think it over at dinner. Flor. Have you been to the Post? Truff. Yes, sir. Flor. Have you found my letters? Truff. I have, sir. Flor. Where are they? Truff. I will give you them. [Takes three letters out of his pocket. Aside] The devil! I have mixed up one master's letters with the other's. How shall I find out which are his? I cannot read. Flor. Come, give me my letters. Truff. Directly, sir. [Aside] Here's a muddle. [To Flor.] I must tell you, sir; these three letters are not all for your honour. I met another servant, who knows me; we were in service together at Bergamo; I told him I was going to the Post, and he asked me to see whether there was anything for his master. I think there was one letter, but I don't know which of them it was. Flor. Let me see; I will take mine and give you the other back. Truff. There, sir; I only wanted to do my friend a good turn. Flor. [aside]. What is this? A letter addressed to Beatrice Rasponi? to Beatrice Rasponi at Venice? Truff. Did you find the one that belongs to my mate? Flor. Who is this mate of yours who asked you to do this for him? Truff. He is a servant—his name is Pasqual'— Flor. Whom does he wait upon? Truff. I do not know, sir. Flor. But if he told you to fetch his master's letters, he must have told you his name. Truff. Of course he did. [Aside] The muddle's getting thicker. Flor. Well, what name did he tell you? Truff. I don't remember. Flor. What? Truff. He wrote it down on a bit of paper. Flor. And where is the paper? Truff. I left it at the Post. Flor. [aside]. Confusion! What does this mean? Truff. [aside]. I am learning my part as I go along. Flor. Where does this fellow Pasquale live? Truff. Indeed, sir, I haven't the slightest idea. Flor. How will you be able to give him the letter? Truff. He said he would meet me in the Piazza. Flor. [aside]. I don't know what to make of it. Truff. [aside]. If I get through this business clean 'twill be a miracle. [To Flor.] Pray give me the letter, sir, and I shall find him somewhere. Flor. No; I mean to open this letter. Truff. Oh, sir, do not do that, sir. Besides, you know how wrong it is to open letters. Flor. I care not; this letter interests me too much. It is addressed to a person on whom I have a certain claim. I can open it without scruple. [Opens letter.] Truff. As you will, sir. [Aside] He has opened it! Flor. [reads]. Madam, your departure from this city has given rise to much talk, and all understand that you have gone to join Signor Florindo. The Court of Justice has discovered that you have fled in man's dress and intends to have you arrested. I have not sent this letter by the courier from Turin to Venice, so as not to reveal the place whither you were bound, but I have sent it to a friend at Genoa to be forwarded to Venice. If I have any more news to tell you, I will not fail to send it by the same means. Your most humble servant, Antonio. Truff. That's a nice way to behave! Reading other people's letters! Flor. [aside]. What is all this? Beatrice has left home? in man's dress? to join me? Indeed she loves me. Heaven grant I may find her in Venice. [To Truff.] Here, my good Truffaldino, go and do all you can to find Pasquale; find out from him who his master is, and if he be man or woman. Find out where he lodges, and if you can, bring him here to me, and both he and you shall be handsomely rewarded. Truff. Give me the letter; I will try to find him. Flor. There it is. I count upon you. This matter is of infinite importance to me. Truff. But am I to give him the letter open like this? Flor. Tell him it was a mistake, an accident. Don't make difficulties. Truff. And are you going to Turin now? Flor. No, not for the present. Lose no time. Go and find Pasquale. [Aside] Beatrice in Venice, Federigo in Venice! If her brother finds her, unhappy woman! I will do all I can to discover her first. [Exit towards the town Truff. Upon my word, I hope he is not going away. I want to see how my two jobs will work out. I'm on my mettle. This letter, now, which I have to take to my other master—I do not like to have to give it to him opened. I must try to fold it again. [Tries various awkward folds.] And now it must be sealed. If I only knew how to do it! I have seen my grandmother sometimes seal letters with chewed bread. I'll try it. [Takes a piece of bread out of his pocket.] It's a pity to waste this little piece of bread, but still something must be done. [Chews a little bread to seal the letter and accidentally swallows it.] The devil! it has gone down. I must chew another bit. [Same business.] No good; nature rebels. I'll try once more. [Chews again; would like to swallow the bread, but restrains himself and with great difficulty removes the bread from his mouth.] Ah, here it is; I'll seal the letter. [Seals the letter with the bread.] I think that looks quite well. I'm always a great man for doing things cleanly. Lord! I had forgotten the porter. [Calls off] Friend, come hither; take the trunk on your shoulder.

Goldoni, Carlo, The Servant of Two Masters, 1746, https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/goldonident-twomasters/goldonident-twomasters-00-h.html