The happy engagement of Silvio, the son of Dr. Lombardi, with young Clarice could only take place thanks to a very unfortunate circumstance - the death in a duel of Signor Federigo Rasponi, whom Clarice had long been promised as a wife by her father, Pantalone dei Bizonosi.
Hardly, however, the fathers solemnly handed the young people to each other in the presence of the servant Pantalone Smeraldina and Brigella, the owner of the hotel, as if out of nowhere appeared a nimble fellow, to everyone's amazement, who called himself Trufaldino from Bergamo, a servant of Turin Federigo Rasponi. At first they did not believe him - so faithful sources reported Federigo’s death, and friendly assurances that his master had died, even forced Trufaldino to run to the street to make sure that he was alive. But when Federigo himself appeared and showed Pantalone letters addressed to him by mutual acquaintances, doubts were dispelled. The engagement of Sidvio and Clarice was broken, the lovers were in despair.
Only Brigella, before moving to Venice for several years living in Turin, immediately recognized in a stranger Federigo's sister, dressed in a man’s dress, Beatrice Rasponi. But she begged him not to reveal her secrets until time, in support of the request, having promised Brigella ten doubloons for silence. A bit later, seizing the moment, Beatrice told him that her brother had indeed died in a duel at the hands of Florindo Arethusi; Beatrice and Florindo had long loved each other, but for some reason Federigo was strongly opposed to their marriage. After the duel, Florindo was forced to flee Turin, while Beatrice followed him in the hope of finding and helping with money - Pantalone just owed her late brother a round sum.
Trufaldino wondered how to have a quicker and more plentiful lunch, when he suddenly had the chance to serve Florindo Arethusi, who had just arrived in Venice. Tom liked the agile fellow, and he asked if Trufaldino wished to become his servant. Judging that two salaries are better than one, Trufaldino agreed. He brought the housewares to the Brigella hotel, and then went to the post office to see if there were letters for Florindo.
Beatrice stayed at the same hotel and also first sent Trufaldino for letters addressed to Federigo or Beatrice Rasponi. Before he could leave the hotel, he was stopped by Silvio, tormented by jealousy, and demanded to call the owner. Trufaldino, of course, did not specify which one, and called the first one - Florindo. He and Silvio did not know each other, but from the ensuing conversation Florindo opened up the news that embarrassed him: Federigo Rasponi is alive and is in Venice.
Three letters were handed to Trufaldino at the post office, and not all of them were for Florindo. Therefore, unable to read, he invented a story about a friend named Pasquale, also a servant who asked to pick up letters for his master, whose name he, Trufaldino, forgot. One of the letters was sent to Beatrice from Turin by her old faithful servant - having printed it, Florindo found out that his beloved, dressed as a man, went to Venice with him. Thrilled to the extreme, he gave Trufaldino a letter and ordered him to find this Pascual at all costs.
Beatrice was very unhappy, having received an important letter printed, but Trufaldino managed to speak her teeth, again referring to the notorious Pasquale. Pantalone, meanwhile, was burning with a desire to quickly give out for her, that is, for Federigo, Clarice, although her daughter begged him not to be so cruel. Beatrice took pity on the girl: having left her face to face, she revealed to Clarice that she was no Federigo, but at the same time she took an oath of silence. Pleased that after a meeting in private, his daughter looked extremely pleased, Pantalone decided to schedule a wedding the next day.
Dr. Lombardi tried to convince Pantalone of the actual engagement of Silvio and Clarice by rigorous logical arguments, in Latin citing the fundamental principles of law, but in vain. Silvio in conversation with the failed father-in-law was more decisive, even harsh, and in the end grabbed his sword. Pantalone would have been ill here if Beatrice hadn’t happened nearby, who stood up for him with a sword in her hand. After a brief fight, she threw Silvio to the ground and already put the blade to his chest, when Clarice rushed between her and Silvio.
Silvio, however, immediately told his beloved that he did not want to see her after she had been alone with the other for so long. No matter how hard Clarice tried to convince him that she was still faithful to him, her mouth was bound by an oath of silence. In desperation, she grabbed the sword, wanting to stab herself, but Silvio considered her impulse an empty comedy, and only Smeraldine’s intervention saved the girl’s life.
Beatrice, meanwhile, told Trufaldino to order a big dinner for her and Pantalone, and before that, hide a bill for four thousand scudos in the chest. Trufaldino had been waiting for instructions about lunch for a long time from both of his owners and finally waited for at least one thing: he had a lively discussion with Brigella’s menu, the issue of serving turned out to be more complicated and thinner, therefore, it was necessary to clearly depict the arrangement of dishes on the table - here the bill, which was torn into pieces depicting a particular dish.
Fortunately, the bill was from Pantalone - he immediately agreed to rewrite it. They didn’t begin to peel the Trufaldino, but instead ordered them to serve lunch at a leisurely pace. Then Florindo appeared on his head and ordered him to be covered in a room adjacent to the one where Beatrice and Pantalone dined. Trufaldino had to sweat, serving at two tables at once, but he did not lose heart, consoled by the thought that, having worked for two, he was eating for four.
Everything was calm with the gentlemen, and Trufaldino sat down at the well-deserved plentiful meal, from which Smeraldina tore him off, having brought for Beatrice a note from Clarice. Trufaddino had long laid eyes on a pretty maid, but before that he had no chance to amuse herself with her. Then they talked heartily and somehow, between times, opened a note to Clarice, which they still could not read.
Having already received the second letter printed, Beatrice was seriously angry and thoroughly trimmed Trufaldino with a stick. seeing this execution from the window, Florindo wanted to figure out who dares to beat his servant. When he went outside, Beatrice had already left, and Trufaldino came up with such an unfortunate explanation that Florindo nailed him with the same stick - for cowardice.
Comforting himself with the consideration that a double lunch would nevertheless completely redeem a double thrashing, Trufaldino pulled both master chests onto the balcony in order to aerate and clean the dress - the chests looked like two drops of water, so he immediately forgot where whose. When Florindo ordered the black camisole to be filed, Trufaldino pulled him out of Beatrice's chest. What was the amazement of the young man, who discovered in his pocket his own portrait, which he once gave to his beloved. In response to perplexed questions, Florindo Trufaldino lied that the portrait had come to him from his former master, who had died a week ago. Florindo was in despair - after all, this owner could only be Beatrice disguised as a man.
Then, accompanied by Pantalone, Beatrice came and, wanting to check some accounts, asked in Trufaldino her memorial book; he dragged a book from Florindo's chest. He explained the origin of this book in a proven way: they say he had a host named Florindo Arethusi who died last week ... Beatrice was struck by his words: she bitterly screamed, no longer worrying about keeping the secret.
Her woeful soliloquy convinced Pantalone that Federigo Rasponi was actually dead, and in front of him was his disguised sister, and he immediately ran to give this good news to the inconsolable Silvio. Pantalone had barely left, Florindo and Beatrice, each from his room, went out into the hall with daggers in their hands and with the clear intention of depriving themselves of their hateful life. This intention would have been fulfilled, if they had not suddenly noticed each other - then they could only drop their daggers and rush into the desired arms.
When the first enthusiasm passed, the lovers wanted to properly punish the crooks-servants, who, with their chatter, almost led them to suicide. This time, Trufaldino also twisted around, having flattered Florindo about his inconsolable friend Pasquale, consisting in serving with Signora Beatrice, and Beatrice - about the stupid Pascual, the servant of Signor Florindo; he implored both of them to treat Pasquale's demeanor with leniency.
Meanwhile, Pantalone, Dr. Lombardi and Smeraldina had to work hard to reconcile Silvio and Clarice, who had scattered each other, but in the end their work was crowned with success - the young people hugged and kissed.
Everything seemed to be settled, the matter went to two weddings, but here, through the fault of the servants, there was one more, last, misunderstanding: Smeraldina asked Clarice to grab her for the servant of Signora Beatrice; Trufaldino did not know about this and, for his part, persuaded Florindo to ask Pantalone Smeraldina for his wife. It was, as it were, about two different applicants for the hand of one servant. The desire to unite fate with Smeraldina nevertheless made Trufaldino admit that he served two masters at once, that no such Pasquale existed and that he alone was thus to blame. But contrary to Trufaddino’s fears, he was forgiven for joy and did not punish him with sticks.
