Act I. Beauty and riches have made the young peasant woman, _Adina_,

exacting. She laughs at the embarrassed courting of the true-hearted peasant lad, _Nemorino_; she laughs at the story of "Tristan and Isolde," and rejoices that there are now no more elixirs to bring the merry heart of woman into slavish dependence on love. Yet she does not seem so much indifferent to _Nemorino_ as piqued over his lack of courage to come to the point.

_Sergeant Belcore_ arrives in the village at the head of a troop of soldiers. He seeks to win _Adina's_ heart by storm. The villagers tease _Nemorino_ about his soldier rival. The young peasant is almost driven to despair by their raillery. Enter the peripatetic quack, _Dr. Dulcamara_. For a ducat _Nemorino_ eagerly buys of him a flask of cheap Bordeaux, which the quack assures him is an elixir of love, and that, within twenty-four hours, it will enable him to win _Adina_. _Nemorino_ empties the flask at a draught. A certain effect shows itself at once. Under the influence of the Bordeaux he falls into extravagant mirth, sings, dances--and grieves no more about _Adina_, who becomes piqued and, to vex _Nemorino_, engages herself to marry _Sergeant Belcore_. An order comes to the troops to move. The _Sergeant_ presses for an immediate marriage. To this _Adina_, still under the influence of pique, consents. _Nemorino_ seeks to console himself by louder singing and livelier dancing.