FLORENCIO. How ridiculous! That only shows how far we are behind the times. You certainly have no feeling of that sort after having been the companion of that great, that liberal man. I remember the trip we took to Italy together--you surely recollect it, Carolina. I never saw a man so struck with admiration at those marvelous monuments of pagan and Renaissance art. Oh, what a man! What a wonderful man! He was an artist.
Ah! Before I forget it, Carolina, Gutierrez asked me for any pictures you have for the special edition of his paper, and I should like to have him publish the verses which he wrote you when you were first engaged.
Did you ever see those verses? That man might have been a poet--he might have been anything else for that matter. Talk about letters! I wish you could see his letters. Carolina, let us see some of those letters he wrote you when you were engaged.
CAROLINA. Not now. That is hardly the time....
FLORENCIO. Naturally. In spite of the satisfaction which we feel, these are trying days for us. We are united by our memories. I fear I shall never be able to control myself at the unveiling of the statue.
CAROLINA. Florencio, for heaven"s sake, you must! You must control yourself.
ZURITA. Yes, do control yourself. You must.
FLORENCIO. I am controlling myself.
ZURITA. If there is nothing further that I can do....
CAROLINA. No, thank you, Zurita. I am awfully obliged to you. Now that I know what I am to wear, the situation does not seem half so embarra.s.sing.
ZURITA. I understand. A woman"s position is never so embarra.s.sing as when she is hesitating as to what to put on.
CAROLINA. Until to-morrow then?
ZURITA. Don Florencio!
FLORENCIO. Thank you again for your charming article. It was admirable!
Admirable!
[_Zurita retires._]
FLORENCIO. I see that you feel it deeply! you are touched. So am I. It is foolish to attempt to conceal it.
CAROLINA. I don"t know how to express it, but--I am upset.
FLORENCIO. Don"t forget the pictures, however, especially the one where the three of us were taken together on the second platform of the Eiffel tower. It was particularly good.
CAROLINA. Yes, something out of the ordinary. Don"t you think, perhaps, that our private affairs, our family life.... How do we know whether at this time, in our situation....
FLORENCIO. What are you afraid of? That is the woman of it. How narrow-minded! You ought to be above such pettiness after having been the wife of such an intelligent man. Every detail of the private life of the great has its interest for history. Those of us who knew him, who in a certain sense were his colaborers--you will not accuse me of immodesty--his colaborers in the great work of his life, owe it to history to see that the truth be known.
CAROLINA. Nevertheless I hardly think I would print those letters--much less the verses. Do you remember what they said?
FLORENCIO. Of course, I remember:
"Like a moth on a pin I preserve all your kisses!..."
Everybody makes allowances for poetry. n.o.body is going to take seriously what he reads in a poem. He married you anyway. Why should any one object?
CAROLINA. Stop, Florencio! What are you talking about? We are making ourselves ridiculous.
FLORENCIO. Why should we make ourselves ridiculous? Although I shall certainly stand by you, whatever you decide, if for no other reason than that I am your husband, his widow"s husband. Otherwise people might think that I wanted you to forget, that I was jealous of his memory; and you know that is not the case. You know how I admired him, how I loved him--just as he did me. n.o.body could get along with him as well as I could; he was not easy to get along with, I do not need to tell you that. He had his peculiarities--they were the peculiarities of a great man--but they were great peculiarities. Like all great men, he had an exaggerated opinion of himself. He was horribly stubborn, like all strong characters. Whenever he got on one of his hobbies no power on earth could pry him off of it. It is only out of respect that I do not say he was pig-headed. I was the only one who had the tact and the patience to do anything with him; you know that well enough. How often you said to me: "Oh, Florencio! I can"t stand it any longer!" And then I would reason with you and talk to him, and every time that you had a quarrel I was the one who consoled you afterward.
CAROLINA. Florencio, you are perfectly disgusting! You have no right to talk like this.
FLORENCIO. Very well then, my dear. I understand how you feel. This is a time when everybody is dwelling on his virtues, his good qualities, but I want you to remember that that great man had also his faults.
CAROLINA. You don"t know what you are talking about.
FLORENCIO. Compare me with him--
CAROLINA. Florencio? You know that in my mind there has never been any comparison. Comparisons are odious.
FLORENCIO. Not necessarily. But of course you have not! You have never regretted giving up his distinguished name, have you, Carolina, for this humble one of mine? Only I want you to understand that if I had desired to shine, if I had been ambitious.... I have talent myself. Now admit it!
CAROLINA. Of course I do, my dear, of course! But what is the use of talking nonsense?
FLORENCIO. What is the matter with you, anyway? You are nervous to-day.
It is impossible to conduct a sensible conversation.--h.e.l.lo! Your sisters-in-law! I am not at home.
CAROLINA. Don"t excite yourself. They never ask for you.
FLORENCIO. I am delighted!... Well, I wish you a short session and escape.
CAROLINA. I am in a fine humor for this sort of thing myself.
[_Florencio goes out. Eudosia and Paquita enter._]
EUDOSIA. I trust that we do not intrude?
CAROLINA. How can you ask? Come right in.
EUDOSIA. It seems we find you at home for once.
CAROLINA. So it seems.
PAQUITA. Strange to say, whenever we call you always appear to be out.
CAROLINA. A coincidence.
EUDOSIA. The coincidence is to find you at home. [_A pause._] We pa.s.sed your husband on the street.
CAROLINA. Are you sure that you would recognize him?
PAQUITA. Oh! he was not alone.
CAROLINA. Is that so?
EUDOSIA. Paquita saw him with Somolino"s wife, at Sanchez the confectioner"s.
CAROLINA. Very possibly.