VALDIVIESO. I use it where I like.
FLORENCIO. Gentlemen, gentlemen! This is my house, this is the house of my wife!
ZURITA. Valdivieso!
CASALONGA [_to Florencio_]. I choose you for my second. And you too, my friend--what is your name?
VALDIVIESO. But will you listen to him? Do you suppose that I will fight with this rascal, with the first knave who happens along? I, the father of a family?
CASALONGA. I cannot accept your explanation. My friends will confer with yours and apprise us as to the details. Have everything ready for this afternoon.
VALDIVIESO. Do you stand here and sanction this nonsense? You cannot believe one word that he says. No doubt it would be convenient for you to retire and use me as a Turk"s head to receive all the blows, when you are the one who ought to fight!
FLORENCIO. Friend Valdivieso, I cannot permit reflections upon my conduct from you. After all, you need not have purchased the book, which you did for money, knowing that it was improper, since it contained matter which was offensive to me.
VALDIVIESO. Are you speaking in earnest?
FLORENCIO. I was never more in earnest in my life.
CASALONGA. Yes, sir, and it is high time for us all to realize that it is in earnest. It was all your fault. n.o.body buys without spending the wares. It was your business to have pointed out to me the indiscretion I was about to commit. [_To Florencio._] I am perfectly willing to withdraw if you wish to fight him, to yield my place as the aggrieved party to you. I should be delighted to act as one of your seconds, with our good friend here--what is your name?
ZURITA. Zurita.
CASALONGA. My good friend Zurita.
VALDIVIESO. Am I losing my mind? This is a trap which you have set for me, a despicable trap!
FLORENCIO. Friend Valdivieso, I cannot tolerate these reflections. I am incapable of setting a trap.
ZURITA. Ah! And so am I! When you entered this house you were familiar with its reputation.
CASALONGA. You have forgotten with whom you are speaking.
VALDIVIESO. Nonsense! This is too much. I wash my hands of the whole business. Is this the spirit in which my advances are received? What I will do now is sell the book--and if I can"t sell it, I will give it away! Everybody can read it then--and they can talk as much as they want to. This is the end! I am through.
FLORENCIO. Wait? What was that? I warn you not to sell so much as one copy?
ZURITA. I should be sorry if you did. Take care not to drag me into it.
CASALONGA. Nor me either.
VALDIVIESO. Enough! Do as you see fit--and I shall do the same. This is the end--the absolute end! It is the finish!
[_Rushes out._]
FLORENCIO. Stop him!
CASALONGA. It won"t be necessary. I shall go to the shop and take back the edition. Whatever you intended to pay him you can hand directly to me. I am your friend; besides I need the money. This man shall not get the best of me. Oh! By the way, what are you doing to-night? Have dinner with me. I shall expect you at the hotel. Don"t forget! If you don"t show up, I may drop in myself and have dinner with you.
FLORENCIO. No! What would my wife say? She has trouble enough.
CASALONGA. Nonsense! She knows me, and we should have a good laugh. Is she as charming, as good-looking, as striking as ever? I am keen for her. I don"t need to ask whether she is happy. Poor Patricio was a character! What a sight he was! What a figure! And age doubled him for good measure. I"ll look in on you later. It has been a rare pleasure this time. There are few friends like you. Come, shake hands! I am touched; you know how it is. See you later! If I don"t come back, I have killed my man and am in jail for it. Tell your wife. If I can help out in any way.... Good-by, my friend--ah, yes! Zurita. I have a terrible head to-day. See you later!
[_Goes out._]
FLORENCIO. Did you ever see anything equal of it? I never did, and I knew him of old. But he has made progress.
ZURITA. His a.s.surance is fairly epic.
FLORENCIO. What are you going to do with a man who takes it like this?
You cannot kill him in cold blood--
[_Carolina reenters._]
FLORENCIO. Ah! Carolina! Were you listening? You heard everything.
CAROLINA. Yes, and in spite of it I think he is fascinating.
FLORENCIO. Since Carolina feels that way it simplifies the situation.
ZURITA. Why not? She heard the compliments. The man is irresistible.
FLORENCIO. Carolina, it comes simply to this: n.o.body attaches any importance to the matter. Only two or three copies have been sold.
CAROLINA. Yes, but one of them was to my sisters-in-law, which is the same as if they had sold forty thousand. They will tell everybody.
FLORENCIO. They were doing it anyhow; there is no further cause for worry.
CAROLINA. At all events, I shall not attend the unveiling to-morrow, and you ought not to go either.
FLORENCIO. But, wife!
ZURITA. Ah! The unveiling.... I had forgotten to mention it.
CAROLINA. To mention what?
ZURITA. It has been postponed.
FLORENCIO. How?
ZURITA. The committee became nervous at the last moment over the protests against the nudes. After seeing the photographs many ladies declined to partic.i.p.ate. At last the sculptor was convinced, and he has consented to withdraw the statue of Truth altogether, and to put a tunic upon Industry, while Commerce is to have a bathing-suit.
CAROLINA. That will be splendid!
ZURITA. All this, however, will require several days, and by that time everything will have been forgotten.
[_Casalonga reenters with the books. He is completely out of breath and drops them suddenly upon the floor, where they raise a tremendous cloud of dust._]