Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays Part 136

CAROLINA. _Ay!_

CASALONGA. I had you scared! At your service.... Here is the entire edition. I returned him his thousand pesetas--I declined to make it another penny. I told you that would be all that was necessary. I am a man of my word. Now it is up to you. No more could be asked! I am your friend and have said enough. I shall have to find some other outlet for my activities. That will be all for to-day.

FLORENCIO. I will give you two thousand pesetas. But beware of a second edition!

CASALONGA. Don't begin to worry so soon. With this money I shall have enough to be decent at least--at least for two months. You know me, senora. I am Florencio's most intimate friend, as I was Patricio's most intimate friend, which is to say one of the most intimate friends you ever had.

CAROLINA. Yes, I remember.

CASALONGA. But I have changed since that time.

FLORENCIO. Not a bit of it! He is just the same.

CASALONGA. Yes, the change is in you. You are the same, only you have improved. [_To Carolina._] I am amazed at the opulence of your beauty, which a fortunate marriage has greatly enhanced. Have you any children?

CAROLINA. No....

CASALONGA. You are going to have some.

FLORENCIO. Flatterer!

CASALONGA. But I must leave before night: there is nothing for me to do here.

FLORENCIO. No, you have attended to everything. I shall send it after you to the hotel.

CASALONGA. Add a little while you are about it to cover expenses--by way of a finis.h.i.+ng touch.

FLORENCIO. Oh, very well!

CASALONGA. That will be all. Senora, if I can be of service.... My good Zurita! Friend Florencio! Before I die I hope to see you again.

FLORENCIO. Yes! Unless I die first.

CASALONGA. I know how you feel. You take the worst end for yourself.

FLORENCIO. Allow me that consolation.

CASALONGA. G.o.d be with you, my friend. Adios! Rest in peace. How different are our fates! Life to you is sweet. You have everything--love, riches, satisfaction. While I--I laugh through my tears!

[_Goes out._]

CAROLINA. That cost you money.

FLORENCIO. What else did you expect? I gave up to avoid a scandal upon your account. I could see that you were nervous. I would have fought if I could have had my way; I would have carried matters to the last extreme. Zurita will tell you so.

CAROLINA. I always said that monument would cost us dear.

FLORENCIO. Obviously! Two thousand pesetas now, besides the twenty-five thousand which I subscribed for the monument, to say nothing of my uniform as Chief of Staff which I had ordered for the unveiling. Then there are the banquets to the delegates....

ZURITA. Glory is always more expensive than it is worth.

FLORENCIO. It is not safe to be famous even at second hand.

CAROLINA. But you are not sorry?

FLORENCIO. No, my Carolina, the glory of being your husband far outweighs in my eyes the disadvantages of being the husband of his widow.

[_Curtain._]

A SUNNY MORNING

A COMEDY

BY SERAFIN AND JOAQUIN ALVAREZ QUINTERO TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH BY LUCRETIA XAVIER FLOYD.

Copyrighted, 1914, by Lucretia Xavier Floyd under the t.i.tle of "A Morning of Suns.h.i.+ne."

All rights reserved.

CHARACTERS

DOnA LAURA.

PETRA [_her maid_].

DON GONZALO.

JUANITO [_his servant_].

TIME: _The Present_.

Published by special arrangement with Mrs. Lucretia Xavier Floyd and Mr. John Garrett Underhill, the Society of Spanish Authors.

Applications for permission to produce this play must be made to the Society of Spanish Authors, Room 62, 20 Na.s.sau Street, New York.

A SUNNY MORNING

A COMEDY BY SERAFIN AND JOAQUIN ALVAREZ QUINTERO

[_Scene laid in a retired part of a park in Madrid, Spain. A bench at right. Bright, sunny morning in autumn. Dona Laura, a handsome old lady of about 70, with white hair and of very refined appearance, although elderly, her bright eyes and entire manner prove her mental facilities are unimpaired. She enters accompanied by her maid Petra, upon whose arm she leans with one hand, while the other holds a parasol which she uses as a cane._]

DOnA LAURA. I am so glad we have arrived. I feared my seat would be occupied. What a beautiful morning!