CAROLINA. Florencio!
FLORENCIO. Stop at nothing! Do not haggle over terms. Let it be pistols with real bullets, as we pace forward each to each!
ZURITA. But, Don Florencio!
CAROLINA. Don"t go, I beg of you! Don"t leave the house!
FLORENCIO. You are my friend--go at once!
CAROLINA. No, he will never go!
ZURITA. But, Don Florencio! Consider.... The situation is serious.
FLORENCIO. When a man is made ridiculous the situation ceases to be serious! How shall I have the face to show myself before the monument!
I--his most intimate friend! She, my wife, his widow! And everybody thinking all the while of those letters, imagining that I, that she....
No, no! Run! Bring me that retraction at once.
ZURITA. Not so fast! I hear the voice of Valdivieso.
FLORENCIO. Eh? And Casalonga"s! Has that man the audacity to present himself in my house?
ZURITA. Be calm! Since he is here, perhaps he comes to explain. Let me see--
[_He goes out_.]
CAROLINA. Florencio! Don"t you receive him! Don"t you have anything to do with that man!
FLORENCIO. I am in my own house. Never fear! I shall not forget to conduct myself as a gentleman. Now we shall see how he explains the matter; we shall see. But you had better retire first. Questions of honor are not for women.
CAROLINA. You know best; only I think I might remain within earshot. I am nervous. My dear!--Where are your arms?
FLORENCIO. What do I need of arms?
CAROLINA. Be careful just the same. Keep cool! Think of me.
FLORENCIO. I am in my own house. Have no fear.
CAROLINA. It upsets me dreadfully to see you in such a state.
FLORENCIO. What are you doing now?
CAROLINA. Removing these vases in case you should throw things. I should hate awfully to lose them; they were a present.
FLORENCIO. Hurry, dear!
CAROLINA. I am horribly nervous. Keep cool, for heavens" sake! Control yourself.
[_Carolina goes out. Zurita reenters._]
ZURITA. Are you calmer now?
FLORENCIO. Absolutely. Is that man here?
ZURITA. Yes, Valdivieso brought him. He desires to explain.
FLORENCIO. Who? Valdivieso? Naturally. But that other fellow, that Casalonga--what does he want?
ZURITA. To have a few words with you; to offer a thousand explanations.
FLORENCIO. No more than one explanation is possible.
ZURITA. Consider a moment. In my opinion it will be wiser to receive him. He appears to be innocent.
FLORENCIO. Of the first instincts of a gentleman.
ZURITA. Exactly. I did not venture to put it so plainly. He attaches no importance to the affair whatever.
FLORENCIO. Of course not! It is nothing to him.
ZURITA. Nothing. However, you will find him disposed to go to any length--retract, make a denial, withdraw the book from circulation. You had best have a few words with him. But first promise to control yourself. Shall I ask them to come in?
FLORENCIO. Yes ... yes! Ask them to come in.
ZURITA. Poor Valdivieso is awfully put out. He always had such a high opinion of you. You are one of the two or three persons in this town who buy books. It would be a tremendous relief to him if you would only tell him that you knew he was incapable....
FLORENCIO. Thoroughly! Poor Valdivieso! Ask him to come in; ask them both to come in.
[_Zurita retires and returns presently with Valdivieso and Casalonga._]
VALDIVIESO. Senor Don Florencio! I hardly know what to say. I am sure that you will not question my good faith in the matter. I had no idea ... in fact, I never suspected....
FLORENCIO. I always knew you were innocent! but this person....
CASALONGA. Come, come now! Don"t blame it on me. How the devil was I to know that you were here--and married to his widow! Sport for the G.o.ds!
FLORENCIO. Do you hear what he says?
ZURITA. I told you that he appeared to be innocent.
FLORENCIO. And I told you that he was devoid of the first instincts of a gentleman; although I failed to realize to what an extent. Sir--
CASALONGA. Don"t be absurd! Stop making faces at me.
FLORENCIO. In the first place, I don"t recall that we were ever so intimate.
CASALONGA. Of course we were! Of course! Anyhow, what difference does it make? We were together for a whole season; we were inseparable. Hard times those for us both! But what did we care? When one of us was out of money, all he had to do was to ask the other, and be satisfied.
FLORENCIO. Yes; I seem to recall that the other was always I.