Chapter 2

Townly: But the reason.

Mrs. Townly: The reason is that I wish it. And to prove that I am right it's going to happen as I wish and immediately. Mr. Nelson is here. Get ready to sign the papers.

(Exit Mrs. Townly to the house, and after a moment enter Lucas)

Townly: Well--did I play my part well?

Lucas: Like an expert this time. She is going to do what we want willingly and for the first time in her life.

Townly: There--is the lawyer here?

Lucas: I'll go see. And when I see her, I am going to tell her I like Richly better. To add a little fuel to the fire.

(Exit Lucas)

(Enter Angelica)

Townly: We've done wonderfully, daughter.

Angelica: I've heard. I was under the swing with the lawyer--he's just come. It's time and he's on schedule.

Townly: I am going to speak to him. Go quickly and rejoin your mother.

(Exit Townly)

Angelica: Things are at the point where I wish them. And the measures I have taken will succeed. Watch and see what happens.

(Exit Angelica; after a moment enter Mrs. Townly and a Lackey)

Mrs. Townly: Tell me child, where did you get this letter from? Who is your master?

Lackey: I am forbidden to tell you that--and to prevent you from forcing it out of me, I am leaving right away.

(Exit Lackey)

Mrs. Townly: Now what's this mystery?

(Reading low) Hmm, hmm, hmm. "I advise you that your daughter is in communication with Mr. Nelson and wants to marry him and to make you sign the wedding contract, they have a lawyer ready who will appear as if by chance." Indeed, that's the lawyer I just saw with Angelica. The warning is obviously true. "In a word your husband pretended not to want Nelson so you would prefer him." So! Mr. Nelson is the choice of my husband.

(Enter Lucas and Townly)

Lucas: Courage, sir. Tell her quickly that I am against Mr. Nelson.

Townly: Listen, my dear wife--

Lucas: I tell you that--

Townly: I want you to know that--

Lucas: (to Mrs. Townly) That I and your husband--

Townly: You say that you want Mr. Nelson for a son-in-law, right? I tell you that my daughter doesn't want him.

Lucas: The matter is a little delicate.

Mrs. Townly: It isn't my daughter's will or mine that ought to decide--it's yours my husband--and in this and in everything else, you are master.

Lucas: As for me, I think--

Mrs. Townly: You're a good advisor, Lucas, and I willingly listen to your advice.

Townly: In a word, my wife, you have proposed Mr. Nelson to me, and I don't want him.

Mrs. Townly: Let's speak softly. I love peace and harmony. I will do whatever you find most agreeable.

Townly: (aloud) What's agreeable to me is

(low) not to have such complaisance about this.

Mrs. Townly: To me it's to have a husband that I love and respect.

Townly: You're joking, but I tell you Mr. Nelson is not to my taste.

Mrs. Townly: Your taste determines mine and I tell you I won't give another thought to Mr. Nelson.

Townly: Lucas?

Lucas: (low) Try harder. Her contradictory spirit isn't on fire yet.

Townly: Tell me, Madam, are you making fun of me?

Mrs. Townly: But what makes you think that when I give you my word?

Lucas: Good! Your word comes and goes like the air.

Mrs. Townly: (sweetly) Wait till you see.

Lucas: You can't make up your mind.

Mrs. Townly: To prove my sincerity and my submission, I am going this moment to forbid Mr. Nelson to set foot in this house.

(Exit Mrs. Townly)

Townly: I believe she's going to do it. What should have caused this miracle?

Lucas: Listen, it must be that--

Townly: It would be, just my luck. The only time in her life she doesn't contradict me it's to contradict me.

Lucas: For her to obey you is not natural.

Townly: I am going to see what's happening. I still don't believe it.

(Exit Townly)

Nelson: (entering) Well, well, Lucas. We are going to sign the contract. Here's the money I promised you--

Lucas: Madam is going to give you your walking papers--she's looking for you to do just that.

Nelson: She doesn't want me, you say?

Lucas: Something has happened, I don't know exactly what. Wait for me here, I'm going to see for myself.

(Exit Lucas)

Nelson: I love waiting for this little Angelica--but I'm joking about that. If I don't marry her, I can marry at least four others.

(Enter Angelica followed by Edward who is determined to fathom her tricks)

Nelson: Well, well, poor girl, it's bad for you. You won't get married.

Angelica: What an irritating thing.

Nelson: It makes me mad, but I'm easy. You're crying because you love me, and that's swell. Don't cry, come on, don't cry. You'll make me do it, too.

Angelica: Go quickly, join my father, second him, speak together to my mother. Beg her. Press her.

Nelson: Shh! Shh! There's your other lover who's listening.

Angelica: Ha--are you there, Mr. Richly?

Edward: What I've just heard, what you've just said, has exposed you to me. The lawyer I've just been with proved sufficiently your betrayal, but you aren't worthy of my reproaches. I will take the way of scorn and silence.

(Shouting) Don't wait for me, nor beg, nor reproach--ingrate! No, faithless one, no traitress--

Nelson: Do you call this the way of silence?

Edward: Just Heaven--

Nelson: What are you complaining of? That she promised you something?

Edward: Nothing at all, Mr. Nelson. I would like to know indeed, sir, by what right you insult me? How, I beg you, can you have any hope? First of all, my father has as much money as you--and the little merit that you have--

Nelson: (showing his hand) Why, do you see this hand? These five fingers alone are worth more than all your father's wealth.

Angelica: For me, I prefer Mr. Nelson's good nature to this wild passion which you never give up--

Nelson: Fie! He's crazy in love--like in a novel.

Angelica: His kind words touch me more than your despairing face.

Nelson: I've heard it said that women don't care for the affected, but I pity him. Go young man, go--console yourself. I will lend you some money.

Edward: Why, damn you, sir--

Angelica: (taking Edward by the arm) You're beside yourself. Go away, I beg you. I don't like to be bothered like that.

Nelson: Hey, me either. I'm going to rejoin your father.

(Low to Angelica) I order you to get rid of him. Give him his walking papers and come find me.

(Exit Nelson)

Edward: Your procedure seems to me so outre that I cannot believe that you are feigning. I don't flatter myself, but if you were pretending because Nelson was around--now he is gone--justify yourself!

(Enter Mrs. Townly)

Mrs. Townly: (aside) My daughter alone with Richly!

Edward: Justify yourself--or admit you have betrayed me. Speak, we are alone.

Angelica: I will speak to you just as I spoke in the presence of Mr. Nelson. My father wants me to marry him and I tell you I am delighted.

Edward: Oh! I give up. No more explanations. I am going to find your mother.

Angelica: Go, sir, go, you can tell her that I want no part of you.

Edward: (seeing Mrs. Townly) Have you heard, Madam? I am betrayed, Madam. For it is no longer time to hide from you my love for this ingrate--you see she has betrayed me.

Mrs. Townly: I feel sorry for you, sir. You see father and daughter plotted against you and me, too. I enter into your feelings because I always sympathize with the feelings of others.

Edward: No. After what she's done, I never wish to speak of her again.

Mrs. Townly: I swear to you I have no objection to your proposing to my daughter.

Edward: You propose her to me in vain.

Mrs. Townly: But to prove to you, a reasonable man, that reason alone guides me in all I do--I wish to offer you--

Edward: I refuse your offers, Madam. I am not a man to force her inclinations.

Mrs. Townly: So that I may have the pleasure of avenging you on my husband, on my daughter--on all those who conspire to contradict me--I beg you, sir.

Edward: Can't do it.

Mrs. Townly: What! You contradict me, too? Oh, I will do so much for you, if you will marry my daughter!

Angelica: What! Mother! You wouldn't marry me against my will?

Mrs. Townly: Against your will, daughter? Don't think of it--because you have no will, remember?

Angelica: Alas, when I spoke to you thus, I didn't speak sincerely. Why will you prevent a rich match with Mr. Nelson?

Mrs. Townly: He's got more wealth than you deserve.

Angelica: Hey, mother, I beg you--

Mrs. Townly: Shut up! I know all your tricks. The lawyer told me everything. You wanted to betray me. To expose me to the will of a husband! To punish you I will make you sign the contract you drew up against me. Only, I'm going to fill in the name of Richly.

(Exit Mrs. Townly)

Edward: No, Madam, I will never sign. I prefer to die rather than marry your daughter.

Angelica: (imitating him) I prefer to die rather than marry your daughter-- You say it very naturally.

Edward: As I feel it, ingrate.

Angelica: And as I wished it. For if you had done it to persuade my mother it wouldn't have worked for it wouldn't have sounded right. You could not have deceived her if you hadn't been deceived yourself.

Edward: Explain yourself.

Angelica: To make my mother agree to what I want it was also necessary to deceive my father. He tried to trick her naturally enough, and when I saw how they were working for Mr. Nelson, by pretending the contrary, I sent her an anonymous letter explaining what they were up to. And it did the trick. Seeing all the world against you, she has taken your part--and wishes to make us marry to contradict them--and you, too.

Edward: Can what I hear be true? Misfortune overwhelms me, and joy confounds me. But I don't know which.

Angelica: I don't want you to show it until after the signature. I fear some indiscreet transport of joy. No, Edward, don't believe yet that I love you.

Edward: (wildly) Ah! Darling, Angelica--divine lady--

Angelica: Someone's coming. Keep pretending.

(Enter Lucas)

Angelica: No, Edward, no. I will not be married to you against my will.

Lucas: No, dammit, it will not be against your will--for you'll marry him with joy. But it may not happen yet for I doubt you can both scheme together or that you can pretend to be pretending. Your mother's on her way, but I've warned you so that you may deceive her.

Angelica: Ah! Heavens.

Edward: How wretched you are!

Lucas: For you it will be wretched. For Madam changes her mind quickly if she suspects for a minute that you want it too. That's too bad cause, Mr. Nelson promised me a hundred pounds.

Edward: You rogue. Why didn't you ask for two hundred from me?

Lucas: There's no time. Madam knows all. Meanwhile, if I take your money it will be true that Madam knows all--for dammit she knows nothing.

Angelica: Ah, my poor Lucas.

Edward: Wait, take my purse.

Lucas: And here comes Madam returning. I am going to assist you.

(Enter Mrs. Townly, Mr. Townly, Mr. Nelson, and the lawyer)

Lucas: Come quickly, Madam, see the young folks are fighting. Come quickly, separate them. They find everything the other one says enraging--so much so that I would think they are already married.

Mrs. Townly: Does my daughter revolt against me! Insolent! You here, too, sir.

(To Nelson) Leave instantly.

Nelson: Go, go. I am more complacent than you. You kick me out and I'm leaving.

Mrs. Townly: You're a brute.

Nelson: Goodbye old battle cruiser.

Mrs. Townly: A booby, a simpleton.

Nelson: I never contradict anyone.

(Exit Nelson)

Townly: Really, my dear wife--

Mrs. Townly: Shut up, my dear husband--

Lawyer: May I dare explain to you, Madam--

Mrs. Townly: I am delighted that you are all against Young Richly. He lacked only you. Give me the contract that I may sign-- (signing) Come, Angelica, sign after me. Obey me.

Angelica: (signing) I still can't be married, because my father won't sign, so there.

Mrs. Townly: (to Edward) To oblige you, sir, I have put a gift for you in the contract.

Edward: (signing) Hey! I didn't do it because of the gift. Go ahead, sir, don't waste a minute for fear Madam will change her mind.

(Townly pushed by his wife, signs)

Lawyer: These proceedings are closed. (Folds up the contract, bows and exits)

(Lucas whispers to Mrs. Townly)

Mrs. Townly: What do you say?

Lucas: I wish to say simply that they love each other.

Townly: And I only wanted to marry her. No matter to whom.

Mrs. Townly: I've been betrayed.

Angelica: I throw myself at your feet, mama.

Edward: A thousand pardons, Madam.

Mrs. Townly: I will never pardon you in my life.

Townly: You signed.

Mrs. Townly: Yes, but I will disinherit her. I will never see my son-in-law again. I will divorce my husband. I will hang Lucas and the lawyer. I am going crazy.

(Mrs. Townly runs out in a fury)

Edward: We'd better bring her back before she does something dangerous.

Townly: So much for the spirit of contradiction.

CURTAIN