The ballroom in Villa Orlofsky

Adele greets her sister who is amazed to see her there.
She did not send Adele a letter and therefore did not ask her to come to the party.
They decide to present Adele to the prince as Olga, an artist.
Orlofsky complains to Falke that he can not laugh anymore and is bored to death everywhere.
Falke replies that he will probably laugh tonight, because he has put on a dramatic banter,
called The Revenge of the Bat, and one of the actresses has just arrived.
Ida presents Adele as her sister Olga. Orlofsky gives the ladies an envelope with money to try their luck at the game.
Then arrives Eisenstein who is represented by Falke as marquis Renard, and Orlofsky drinks a vodka with him.
The girls return from the gaming tables because they have lost everything.
Eisenstein recognizes Adele, still in his wife’s gown, but pretends to be badly insulted
that he is looking for a lady from a stand for a chambermaid. Eisenstein kicks in and makes excuses.
Then prison director Frank appears, who is presented by Falke as chevalier Chagrin.
Orlofsky asks Falke about that bat, and then Eisenstein tells he and Falke
I went to a costumed ball where Falke was dressed as a bat,
that he left him in the morning on the market square,
after which Falke had to walk home in the bat costume under the laughter and shrieking of the people.
Orlofsky asks if Falke has not yet taken revenge, but Eisenstein replies that he is on his guard.
On the question of when will be eaten Falke says that one still has to wait for a lady,
a Hungarian countess who will arrive incognito because she wants to remain unknown.
The lady eventually arrives; it is Rosalinde who reacted to a letter from Falke
in which he asks her to come see her husband’s punishment: on the arm of a lady, whom she recognizes as Adele.
She decides to take revenge. Eisenstein discovers the unknown lady and begins to decorate her with a tinkling ladies
watch. With a ruse, Rosalinde knows how to put her hand on the clock and leaves a bewildered Eisenstein.
The party continues and the champagne flows richly, and both Eisenstein and Frank get pretty tipsy.
Then the clock hits six o’clock, and the party-goers leave.

The office of prison director Frank

Cipier Frosch has had a tough night, especially because the gentleman from cell no. 12, Alfred,
has sung all night and now calls for a lawyer.
Fortunately, Frosch has his drink that keeps him going.
A rather tipsy Frank arrives at his office and asks about the course of events.
Frosch says that number 12 wants a lawyer, and Frank says he should give him his sentence.
Then the bell and Adele and Ida come in.
Adele confesses that she is not an artist, but only the chambermaid of Eisenstein.
She wants to ask Frank if he does not want to give her training. Then the bell rings again. It is Eisenstein who is
serving his sentence.
Frank has to laugh at this, because he, he believes, arrested Eisenstein himself last night,
while he was supper with his wife. Eisenstein understands nothing and decides to find out how it is.
Frank is called away by Frosch and then comes Dr. Blind in, who is called as a lawyer for Eisenstein.
Eisenstein takes him off his clothes and wig and closes him up.
Alfred then appears for an interview with his lawyer, and a little later Rosalinde arrives, who does not recognize her
husband, disguised as a lawyer.
They tell their story and Eisenstein waves a finger of accusation, which both find rather strange as he is their lawyer.
Then he no longer stops and he reveals who he is, and screams for revenge.
Then Rosalinde leaves Eisenstein’s bell tinkling and asks who wants revenge here now.
Eisenstein now realizes that Rosalinde was the unknown Hungarian, but he does not understand anything else.
Then the whole company of the previous evening comes in, and Falke reveals that everything was a big joke he
had come up with to pay Eisenstein the bat affair.
Eisenstein asks Rosalinde for forgiveness, Orlofsky decides to give Adele a training and everyone is happy again.