"Cesario, you know everything about my feelings for beautiful Olivia," Orsino said. "Go to her house and speak to her" "But what if she will not allow me to enter?" asked Viola softly, "No man is allowed to go into her house" "You must come back here with word from her, Cesario", said the duke solemnly. "You must tell her how much I love her! A sweet young man like you is sure to win her over!" Cesario blushed with embarassment "I dont think so sir" he said almost in a whisper.  "Of course you'll win her over lad!" replid Orsino, smiling brightly and putting his hand gently on Cesario's shoulder. "Well," Cesario mumbled, "I'll do my best to win the lady's love for you." he said. 

The lady Olivia was walking around her house, lost in thought of her dear dead brother. Her steward Malvolio, a very serious fellow who is always dressed in black and never smiled, but was always full of arrogance as the head servant, followed behind her. In the courtyard, where a beautiful fountain splashed in the bright sunlight. Maria (one of her servants) was giving Olivia's clown, Feste, a ticking off for having gone away for a few days without her permission. 

Seeing them standing there beside the sparkling fountain, Olivia walked up to them. "Take away the fool!" Maria exclaimed, "Then take away the lady!" replied Feste cheekily. "Fool, you aren't funny anymore." "That's because there's a new fool in the house, lady" the clown grinned. "Let me prove it to you!" 

Olivia sighed. "I have five minutes to waste, sir! Where's the fool?" "In front of me, lady! Tell me, why are you so sad?" "Because my brother is dead." "Is he in hell or heaven?" "In heaven, of course!" "Only a fool is sad because her brother's in heaven! Take away the lady!" laughed Feste.

Olivia couldn't help smiling at the clown. "Malvolio, don't you think he's funny?" "He is old my lady, and the older her gets the funnier he is" "Well then I don't see you very funny sire!" Feste giggled. Malvolio and burning with anger from the response, but kept quiet. Maria soon comes up to Olivia, "Madam," she said, "There's a young man at the door." "From Duke Orsino, I expect." sighed OLivia. "Malvolio, go tell this man politely to go away.

Malvolio comes back, "He will not go, my lady. I told him you would not see him, but he refused to move, saying he would stay outside the gate until his feet took root and turned into a tree." Oliva laughed, "Oh, all right," sighed Olivia, "Tell him to come in" Malvolio walked off scowling. 

Walking quickly, Cesario came into the courtyard. Seeing the two women, he immediately asked, "Please, may I speak with Lady Olivia?" "Speak to me, then." Olivia replied sternly. "What I have to say can only be heard by your ears and yours only." Olivia looked at her servants and ordered them to wallk away. "Now, sir, who sent this message?" Olivia asked, though she knew the man's answer. "Duke Orsino," replied Cesario, "The message lies in his heart." "Oh, I have heard heard his lies many times before!" sighed Olivia. "Can't you say something else?" 

"Please, madam, let me see your face" (Olivia is wearing a veil.) Cesario pleaded softly. "Did Duke Orsino ask you to say that?" "No madam," said Cesario gently. "It is my own wish." Olivia sighed and pulled back the veil. "Why this is true beauty! Nature never made a woman lovelier. Madam, you are cruel to keep this beauty from the world". 

"Oh," laughed Olivia scornfully, "I will leave every part of me to the world in my will- one pair of lips, not particularly red, two grey eyes with lids on them and so on and so on, If it makes the world happier. It can do without me now." "You are beautiful, madam, but, oh, you are so cruel!" said Cesario strongly. "My master loves you as no man has ever loved her before." he said, his heart sinking. "How does he love me?" "He cries and sighs for you everyday" "I have already told him I cannot love him." Cesario gazed into the lovely woman's face and whispered. "If I loved you as he does, I wouldn't be able to understand you, my lady." Olivia's heart beating faster, she asked, "What would you do then..?" "I would build myself a house beside your gate and fill the air with sad songs of love, call out your name to the surrounding hills so that the echo cried 'Olivia! Olivia!' Oh, lady, you would not be able to live without taking pity on me!" "How right you are!" thought Olivia to herself, but she continued, "Go tell the Duke I cannot love him. Tell him not to send any more messages," then she said, quickly "Unless, perhaps, you come again to tell me how the duke takes the message."  She held out a bag of money, but Cesario, but he gently pushed it away. "I am a gentleman, madam," he said. "I am no paid messenger. It is my master who needs to be paid for all the love he wastes on you. Goodbye! How can someone be so beautiful yet so cruel?" He walked quickly out of the courtyard and through the gate to where his horse waited, and galloped away on his horse. 

Olivia's heart was racing, her mind was swoon by the lovely gentleman. But assured herself this was just a phase, continuing to her daily mourning, with the gentleman in her mind.