The Spirit of Contradiction | Page 8

is ready.
Lucas: Yes, but to finish this properly she must be put into a rage. I know the secret of irritating her. When she comes to inspect my garden I will pretend not to say a word. Instead, I will scrape the ground with my shovel--that will infuriate her. I will shake my head--she'll take that for opposition and begin to argue; the fire will ignite, and when her spirit is aflame--she will remember that she is an honest woman and that she told you and you deceived her. And here she is now. I will get her going, then you come in and announce you've decided on Young Richly.
(Exit Nelson and Townly, then enter Mrs. Townly)
Mrs. Townly: You were there quite a while with my husband. Apparently, he knows the one he wants for a son-in-law. Is it Mr. Richly or Mr. Nelson, as I advised him?
Lucas: (turning his hat) HMMM!
Mrs. Townly: You turn your hat. That means my husband didn't take my advice.
Lucas: (shaking his head) PRRR!
Mrs. Townly: Mr. Nelson, you say is not to my husband's taste--and he prefers Richly?
Lucas: Heh, heh, heh.
Mrs. Townly: Because he is younger? Or because Richly is more pleasing to my daughter?
Lucas: Oh, well--
Mrs. Townly: What! You think that the solid wealth of Mr. Nelson is not preferable--
Lucas: Well--
Mrs. Townly: I get mad when I hear nonsense like this.
Lucas: But, but, but--
Mrs. Townly: False reasoning, all of it.
Lucas: (striking the ground with his foot) The devil!
Mrs. Townly: And everything you have told me is what my husband told you?
Lucas: Pah fan goo.
Mrs. Townly: So you've told me word for word everything he said. Well, let me tell you, in spite of him--
Lucas: Han.
Mrs. Townly: Yes, in spite of him. In his teeth.
Lucas: Pao.
Mrs. Townly: Yes. He takes a high handed tone like that with me.
Lucas: Pa, ta, ta.
Mrs. Townly: He will see that I am the boss.
Lucas: Puff.
Mrs. Townly: Oh, that's too much. Husband, you cross me, you insult me, you outrage me!
(Lucas signals Townly to come in and places Townly beside his wife; Lucas exits)
Mrs. Townly: (seeing him after a moment in Lucas' place) Continue, sir, continue. I really want to know where you get the things you say to me.
Townly: I didn't say a word.
Mrs. Townly: Go ahead, be brave. It takes a lot to get me worked up.
Townly: It's true that I've come to speak to you.
Mrs. Townly: To speak to me without reason, without sense, that Mr. Nelson wouldn't be good for my daughter.
Townly: Still, Richly--
Mrs. Townly: Don't say another word--
Townly: I ask you to consider Richly.
Mrs. Townly: No, sir. Richly presents nothing worthy of my consideration.
Townly: Well, for my sake then--
Mrs. Townly: >From today, I give my daughter to Mr. Nelson.
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