SCENE FIVE
(Enter Maria, then Giuliano.)
MARIA Signor Giuliano requests permission to enter.
LUCIA He is here? I cannot have this scene! (Starts to leave.)
GIULIANO No, please, I beg you, stay. (Composed, he holds her back. She looks into his face for an instant, then sits, affecting calm.) Signora Giovanna, you know the respect I have always borne for you. You will understand that it must be a serious matter which brings me here unannounced at this hour. I beg you to read this letter that your daughter sent me this morning, and give me your opinion. (Rummages through his pockets unsuccessfully.) Damn! (Finds the letter and gives it to her.)
GIOVANNA (Coldly.) If you will have a seat. (Emilio hurriedly brings a chair. Giuliano sits. Giovanna reads aloud.) "Signore, you must understand that after the events of last evening—"
GIULIANO I shall tell you in a moment what were these terrible events.
GIOVANNA I know already. " ... After the events of last evening, it is impossible for me to remain in your house. I am taking refuge—"
GIULIANO Precisely—taking refuge. So she has told you everything? So much the better!
GIOVANNA "I am taking refuge at my mother's. I presume you shall deem my actions most justified; and at the same time, I report that I have already written to Signor Chelmi requesting to reassume the post which I had wrongly left. Lucia."
GIULIANO So? What do you think?
GIOVANNA It is all very clear. But let us return to these so-called events of last evening. For a man such as yourself to be drawn into the actions of a vulgar beast—
GIULIANO But, signora! If you believe all that your daughter has told you, you would naturally blame me. Has she told you that I beat her?
GIOVANNA No. Lucia has been most clear. You grasped her by the shoulders and forced her to sit.
GIULIANO Forced! Forced! I helped her to sit. Grasped her by the shoulders! I placed my hands on her shoulders. It was necessary to do so, in order to help her sit.
GIOVANNA But why?
GIULIANO (Embarrassed for an instant, then becoming heated.) Why? I shall tell you why! When a man comes home after hours of tedious labour, he has no wish to chat. What could he have to say? And then, he has a lump here (pointing to his throat), a lump formed by fatigue, boredom, anger. (Settling down.) He then comes home. His wish, naturally, is to sit quietly, without thinking or moving. He wants to see around him anything but that which he sees during the day. No sulkers. He does not want to be scolded for his ill humour, for his taciturnity, everything that is natural enough in some men. He wants—
LUCIA Had I said anything?
GIULIANO (Paying her no heed, turning to Giovanna.) Is it necessary to speak in order to offend? Silences can offend more than a word or an act. My wife, seeing I was in ill humour, in order to punish me—
LUCIA (Surprised.) Punish you?
GIULIANO Yes! I said to her: stay here with me. But no, she wanted to leave the room!
LUCIA Who would have thought that my presence would matter to you so? (To Giovanna.) He said it with such indifference: "Stay here." I had things to do, so I sat down to my embroidery.
GIULIANO (Still speaking to Giovanna.) I assure you, signora, I observed her most attentively. She had no embroidery to do; at least, she did not do any.
LUCIA You observed wrongly.
GIULIANO At any rate, this all seems of lesser importance compared to that letter.
GIOVANNA You make excuses for yourself well enough; you can also find reason to pardon my daughter, who, I confess, acted thoughtlessly.
LUCIA I do not need to be pardoned; rather, 'tis I should do the pardoning.
EMILIO But Lucia, do you not see that he is disposed to make peace?
GIULIANO Make peace? I? With my wife? I am come for something else entirely; simply to ask her: (Turning to Lucia, shouting.) Will you return to my house without my pleading, without argument?
LUCIA (Coldly.) No.
GIULIANO No? That is final—no? Then there is nothing more to say. I shall go. (Starts for the door, then turns back.) However, you shall remember having said no in such manner. Do remember—so that you should not be surprised by everything that shall come of it.
GIOVANNA I beg you, Giuliano, calm yourself. This is surely the time to make peace, after a dispute for which you are both to blame. Both, yes. This is not the proper way to ask her to make peace.
GIULIANO Enough of this making peace. We are not children. We are adults with rights and duties. We all of us have certain roles. Whoever has rights must exercise them; whoever has duties must accomplish them. But I do not interpret my rights as you perhaps may think. I shall not lift a finger to force my wife to return. Since she wishes to stay here, let her stay; since you wish to have her, then enjoy her; I've had it to here with her. (Points to his throat.)
LUCIA (With tears in her eyes.) You might have told me sooner. Now I understand why you mistreated me.
GIULIANO I'm glad of it. Good day. (Exits, Matilde following.)
EMILIO (With heavy sarcasm.) Well. Let us all gather round and celebrate.
GIOVANNA It is horrible! I have never seen him in such a state.
LUCIA I would sooner die than set foot in his house again!
GIULIANO (Re-entering with Matilde, who whispers imploringly to him.) Ha, ha, ha! This is choice! But I cannot, signora; truly, I cannot. Tell your husband he must pay today. He has until four this afternoon. He should also take care of that little draft which is due tomorrow. I cannot grant extension, much as I'd like to, dear lady! Ha, ha, ha! (Throws a glance at Lucia, then exits.)
MATILDE (Weeping.) You see, Lucia, we are ruined.
LUCIA (Also weeping.) I would do anything to save you. But you saw with your own eyes! Could I live with such a man?
GIOVANNA What was it you were asking him, Matilde?
MATILDE It will displease Arturo that you are apprised of this. Giuliano came back just now, intending to tell you everything. Arturo owes him money. His debt of three hundred florins is due today and he begged me to ask Giuliano for an extension, for I do not think he has the money.
EMILIO I knew it!
MATILDE (Gloomily.) So now the jolly life begins again! My husband shall once more suffer the old anxieties, owing new debts to pay old ones, having to plead and beg left and right. Farewell, family felicity!
GIOVANNA Only three hundred florins?
MATILDE That is not all. Two more debts are to be paid this month.
GIOVANNA This is very bad!
EMILIO You have yet seen only a small part of the woes that shall befall you through Giuliano's wrath. You know not what he is capable of.
LUCIA (Passionately.) Oh, I would that all these wrongs fall only upon me! But I cannot give in; in any case, I shall not. So it is useless for you all to complain.
MATILDE (Spitefully.) And now it is useless to go back. Giuliano is not a child to be made sport of. What's done is done. (Starts to leave.)
SCENE SIX
(Enter Maria.)
MARIA A letter is arrived for Signora Lucia.
MATILDE (Hesitatingly.) Perhaps it is from your husband. Oh, if it only were!
LUCIA It couldn't be! (Opens the letter.) It is from Signor Chelmi. (Reads aloud.) "Most esteemed lady and dear friend, this is to inform you that upon receiving your letter requesting to reassume the post which you willingly quitted two years past, your husband came to see me, in a most agitated state. He inquired if I had received the aforementioned letter and seemed to know exactly its content. Naturally, I could not conceal nor deny anything. He then made me to understand, in no uncertain terms, that he did not wish you to reassume your post, which in any case is already filled. It was solely through my tact that our exchange did not degenerate into a scandal; for, I repeat, Signor Giuliano appeared most disturbed. And now, esteemed lady and dear friend, I must confess that I do not fully comprehend how matters stand; but at the same time, I should tell you it is not probable that the school board would consider your proposal, for I should be obliged to convey to them that Signor Giuliano not only does not support your wish, but has formally opposed it. Therefore, in order to avoid public dispute resulting in that which I have earlier described, I should advise you to withdraw your request. I shall speak no further of these matters, nor of your husband's visit. With sincerest regard, most esteemed lady and dear friend, I am, Anselmo Chelmi." (Incensed.) Oh, the villain!
MATILDE Now who is complaining?
EMILIO (Laughing ironically.) One entire night of profound reflection has led you to this!
LUCIA It doesn't matter. And you may be certain, Emilio, that I shall not turn to you for my living! (At first calm, then becoming agitated.) I have still some money saved. It is mine; money I earned before I was married. And I have jewelry—not much, but it will serve to sustain me for a little. In any case, I may die of hunger, but I shall not return to his house! Never!
MATILDE Fortitude is such laudable thing! We shall speak of this again in a few days, when you have seen how difficult life can be. Goodbye, Mamma! (Exits.)
GIOVANNA Lucia, you must not take too seriously what Emilio says. He only says it to convince you to do something which he believes you must do for your own sake.
EMILIO Yes, well—it shan't be me to chase her out of here. Let her stay, then! But, just so that we are perfectly clear—I repeat once more that I am absolutely opposed to all this foolishness!
SCENE SEVEN
(Enter Filippo.)
FILIPPO Oh, thank goodness you are all here! (Stuttering slightly.) Lucia! I warn you, I shall send your husband to prison!
EMILIO Why?
FILIPPO He has struck me! (At first stoic, then bursts into tears.)
EMILIO Why?
FILIPPO (Tries to compose himself.) I told him he was an idiot and an ass.
GIOVANNA Then he had good reason!
FILIPPO (Still crying.) But he struck me before that!
EMILIO Before and after?
FILIPPO Yes.
LUCIA One moment! (Pours him a glass of water.) Now tell us.
FILIPPO I'm not speaking to you; in fact, I do not want to speak to you! (Turns away from her.) Actually struck me!
LUCIA But I did not do it!
FILIPPO He did it because of you!
LUCIA Of me?
FILIPPO Yes. You went and told him everything.
LUCIA Come, explain yourself. What do you mean, everything?
FILIPPO (To Giovanna.) Yes, Aunt! I have brought flowers to Lucia many times and told her she was beautiful. But need she tell her husband of this? As for anything other than that, we are innocent.
LUCIA Thank you so much!
FILIPPO Is it not true?
LUCIA (Laughing.) I said nothing to the contrary!
FILIPPO Yes, you did! You told your husband!
LUCIA How do you know that?
FILIPPO Giuliano himself told me. He shouted: "Lucia has confessed everything1" I replied: "then she is a liar, for it is not true." And then he struck me! (Cries.)
LUCIA You see, Mamma! In only one day you have come to know of all Giuliano's virtues.
FILIPPO In the street, no less! At that very moment the landlord passed by. I do not know if he saw what happened, but I greeted him smiling, as if Giuliano had just kissed me, so that he would not think anything amiss. But my distress was not quite enough for Giuliano: he then went up and down the street shouting, so that everyone turned to look! He is a barbarian!
EMILIO You poor devil.
FILIPPO Poor devil, I? Poor devil, he, more like! I should not relish being in his shoes. Ha! I shall have him thrown into gaol!
LUCIA What was it he was shouting in the street?
FILIPPO I could not understand all of it. Only a part. He said that I bring dishonor into people's homes. and, "I'll think of some way to deal with her." And then: "What a family I have married into!"
GIOVANNA He said that? Infamous!
FILIPPO I swear he did, Aunt.
END SCENE
To be continued ....
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