Valentine has opened a letter-writing shop in Milan, but confesses to Speed that he is having difficulty concentrating on his work, for he has fallen in love with Silvia. Silvia arrives at Valentine's shop to send a letter:. After convincing Valentine to rescue her fromThurio, Silvia declares, "I came in here to write to my lover Eglamour. Instead I found a truer love." She and Valentine make plans to elope that night, and she leaves. Proteus and Launce enter and are joyously reunited with Valentine and Speed. Valentine confides in them his love for Silvia. Valentine gets on his bicycle (which has appropriate Renaissance/Baroque decorations) and exits in search of a "night ladder" for the elopement. Launce and Speed go off in search of ale. Left alone, Proteus confesses to the audience that he is filled with jealousy towards his friend Valentine, for he too has fallen in love with Silvia. It is only with great sarcasm that he pretends to be happy for Valentine. He makes a plan: he will forswear both his love for Julia and his friendship with Valentine. By revealing the elopement plans to the Duke, he will surely cause Valentine's banishment, gain favor with the court, and become the front runner for Silvia's hand. He runs off to carry out his scheme. ACT II Using a "Renaissance" telephone, Proteus calls the Duke and anonymously warns him of Valentine and Silvia's plans. Julia and Lucetta, disguised as boys, enter in time to overhear Proteus proclaim his love to the many pictures of Silvia he has now draped around the stage. Before they can leave, Proteus sees them. He asks about their origins, and Lucetta wryly explainsthat they come from the land of betrayal. Proteus does not recognise the two "men," and takes them into his employ. Valentine enters on his bicycle, and is stopped by the Duke and Thurio, who reveal that Valentine is concealing a rope ladder under his cape. The Duke promptly has Valentine drafted into the army, and Proteus himself leads Valentine out of the city. A distraught Silvia complains bitterly to her father, who orders her back to her tower. Thurio is worried that Silvia will not accept him instead of the more manly Valentine, but the Duke reassures Thurio that she had nothing but praise for him. Meanwhile, in the local tavern, Launce and Speed are "glowingly" drunk, but not so lucky in love as their employers. Each wishes that he too could become a "Hot Lover. Proteus gives "Sebastian" (Julia) the same ring that she had given him back in Verona, with instructions to present it to Silvia. Left alone, Julia muses upon some improbable yet pleasant methods for regaining Proteus' heart. Proteus returns, having gathered the Ensemble to assist him in serenading Silvia. During his song Proteus tries in vain to get the ring away from Julia, but then does succeed in bringing on a tearful Launce to give away - again! - his dog, Crab. As the Ensemble converges on Silvia and smothers her with gifts, she suddenly breaks free, protesting that she is no idol. During the final verse, a dove flies to her (on a wire) from over the audience; she ties a note to it and sends it flying back again. Silvia's long-lost love, Eglamour appears in the rear balcony of the audience, dressed in an army uniform and carrying Silvia's dove on his shoulder. He is Chinese. As he and Silvia sing he literally climbs down to her on the stage. Eglamour and Silvia escape to the forest, and the Duke raises the alarm. Proteus leads the charge as the Ensemble heads to the forest to hunt down the escaped lovers. Deep within the forest, amidst trees and a full moon, Eglamour and Silvia reach his encampment and go into his tent. Meanwhile, in another part of the forest is Valentine, standing guard in his army uniform, and thinking about his lost love. Proteus finds the tent and reacts to what he has sees inside. Proteus jumps into the tent, forcing Silvia and Eglamour to come rushing out. After chasing Eglamour
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