when aldorandin returns with le magnifique, he tells clémentine that she will meet with le magnifique in exchange for the horse. he warns her that le magnifique will try to seduce her and advises that she remain silent throughout his advances. when aldorandin leaves her to fetch le magnifique, clémentine sings of her fear of hurting the man she secretly loves, le magnifique, with the silence she is forced to keep to assuage aldorandin ("quelle contrainte"). aldorandin and le magnifique return and aldorandin places his rival and clémentine at one side of the stage while he and fabio observe from the other, out of earshot. le magnifique professes his love for clémentine, and, realizing her forced silence, tells her to drop the rose she is holding if she would be willing to marry him. she complies and he bows to pick up the rose, then departs to the sounds of aldorandin's and fabio's mockery.