ACT II
 

Scene 1 takes place three months later. The love affair begun at Violetta's party has developed, and now she and Alfredo are comfortably ensconced in a suburban cottage outside Paris. Alfredo, in his opening aria, De' miei bollentii spiriti, tells us how good she is for him and also how wild she is about him. But it is Violetta who is paying all the bills for the establishment; and by questioning the maid, Annina, Alfredo finds out that she is even selling her personal belongings. The hotheaded young fellow thereupon dashes off to Paris himself to raise the necessary thousand louis. And so when Alfredo's father, a few minutes later, calls on Violetta, he finds the lady alone.
 

A long and doquent duet follows. At first he demands that she give Alfredo up. Slowly he realizes that there is real nobility in Violetta, and then he pleads with her. Alfredo's sister, he says, will never be able to marry well while her brother maintains so disreputable a connection. He utters this rather caddish sentiment in more tactful terms—and very mellifluously, too; yet that is what it amounts to. And strangely, Violetta is impressed. Before his rather lengthy farewell- taking, she has promised to give up the love of her life and not even to let him know why. Quickly she pens a farewell note to Alfredo, and also accepts an invitation to a party from Flora Bervoix, one of the old gay crowd.
 

Before she is finished, Alfredo returns. He is full of confidence, sure that his father wffl love her as soon as he sees her. Her heart breaking, Violetta begs him always to love her and then secretly leaves for Paris. A moment later a servant brings him the farewell letter. Greatly distraught, he is about to run after her, when his father appears and stops him. Now old Germont has his great aria Di Provenza il mar, in which be reminds his son of their home in Provence, and begs him to return. Alfredo's answer is to find Flora's invitation, to decide that that is why she has left, and to dash off (as he says) to avenge the insult.

Scene 2 takes us to a party like the one that opened the opera. This time the hostess is Flora Bervoix, and she has provided sumptuous entertainment for her guests. Gypsy dancers and singers are performing as the scene opens, and pretty soon Alfredo puts in an appearance. Everyone is surprised to see him without Violetta, but he makes it clear that he does not much care what has happened to her. That lady herself arrives shortly after, on the arm of Baron Douphol, one of her friends of the bad old days. The Baron and Alfredo take an almost instant dislike to one another, and they start gambling for pretty high stakes. Alfredo wins repeatedly; and as the orchestra plays a nervous little theme, Violetta sits on one side praying that the men will not come to blows. Fortunately, just when Alfredo has all but wiped out his older opponent, supper is announced. Violetta calls Alfredo to her side and begs him to leave. She fears, otherwise, that there may be fighting. Alfredo says he will leave-but only with her, and then he demands to know whether or not she loves the Baron. Remembering her promise to old Germont, Violetta tells a lie: yes, she says, she loves the Baron. Thereupon Alfredo summons the entire company, dramatically denounces Violetta, and hurls all his winnings directly at her. It is shocking behavior—even for a hot-blooded young Frenchman of the 1840’s. No one is more shocked than Alfredo’s own father, who arrives on the scene just in time to denounce Ыпь Even Alfredo is ashamed — ashamed of himself — and the scene ends with a great ensemble number, as the Baron challenges Alfredo to a duel.