Eugene O'Neill - The First Man

SHEFFIELD- [Honestly moved but unable to resist this opportunity for Latin-solemnly.] De mortuis nil nisi bonum.

JAYSON- [Who has been giving all his attention to his son.] Curt! Curt! EMILY-Hadn't the doctor better-

JAYSON-Shhh! He begins to recognize me. Curt!

CURTIS- [Looking around him bewilderedly.] Yes. [Suddenly remembrance comes and a spasm of intolerable pain contracts his features. He presses his hands to the side of his head and groans brokenly.] Martha! Gone! Dead! Oh! [He appeals wildly to the others.] Her eyes-she knew me-she smiled-she whispered- forgive me, Curt,-forgive her-when it was I who should have said forgive me-but before I could-she- [He falters brokenly.]

EMILY- [Looking from one to the other meaningly as if this justified all their suspicions.] Oh!

CURTIS- [A sudden triumph in his voice.] But she loved me again- only me-I saw it in her eyes! She had forgotten-IT. [Raging.] Never let me see it! Never let it come near me! It has murdered her! [Springing to his feet.] I hate it from the bottom of my soul-I will never see it-never-never-I take my oath! [As his father takes his arm-shaking him off.] Let me go! I am going back to her! [He strides out of the door in a frenzy of grief and rage. They all stand transfixed, looking at each other bewilderedly.]

EMILY- [Putting all her venomous gratification into one word.] Well!

[The Curtain Falls]

SCENE-Same as Act I. It is afternoon of a fine day three days later. Motors are heard coming up the drive in front of the house. There is the muffled sound of voices. The MAID is seen going along the hall to the front door. Then the family enter from the rear. First come JAYSON and ESTHER with MRS. DAVIDSON-then LILY, DICK and SHEFFIELD-then JOHN and his wife. All are dressed in mourning. The only one who betrays any signs of sincere grief is MRS. DAVIDSON. The others all have a strained look, irritated, worried, or merely gloomy. They seem to be thinking "The worst is yet to come."

JAYSON- [Leading MRS. D., who is weeping softly, to the chair at left of table-fretfully.] Please do sit down, Aunt. [She does so mechanically.] And do stop crying. [He sits down in front of table. ESTHER goes to couch where she is joined by EMILY. MARK goes over and stands in back of them. DICK and JOHN sit at rear of table. LILY comes down front and walks about nervously. She seems in a particularly fretful, upset mood.]

LILY- [Trying to conceal her feelings under a forced flippancy.] What ridiculous things funerals are, anyway! That stupid minister- whining away through his nose! Why does the Lord show such a partiality for men with adenoids, I wonder.

JAYSON- [Testily.] Sshhh! Have you no respect for anything?

LILY- [Resentfully.] If I had, I'd have lost it when I saw all of you pulling such long faces in the church where you knew you were under observation. Pah! Such hypocrisy! And then, to cap it all, Emily has to force out a few crocodile tears at the grave!

EMILY- [Indignantly.] When I saw Curt-that's why I cried-not for her!

JAYSON-What a scene Curt made! I actually believe he wanted to throw himself into the grave!

DICK-You BELIEVE he wanted to! Why, it was all Mark and I could do to hold him, wasn't it, Mark? [SHEFFIELD nods.]

JAYSON-Intolerable! I never expected he'd turn violent like that. He's seemed calm enough the past three days.

LILY-Calm! Yes, just like a corpse is calm!

JAYSON- [Distractedly.] And now this perfectly mad idea of going away to-day to join that infernal expedition-leaving that child on our hands-the child he has never even looked at! Why, it's too monstrously flagrant! He's deliberately flaunting this scandal in everyone's face!

JOHN- [Firmly.] He must be brought to time.

SHEFFIELD-Yes, we must talk to him-quite openly, if we're forced to. After all, I guess he realizes the situation more keenly than any of us.

LILY- [Who has wandered to window on right.] You mean you think he believes-Well, I don't. And you had better be careful not to let him guess what you think. [Pointing outside.] There's my proof. There he is walking about with Bigelow. Can you imagine Curt doing that-if he thought for a moment-

DICK-Oh, I guess Curt isn't all fool. He knows that's the very best way to keep people from suspecting.

ESTHER- [Indignantly.] But wouldn't you think that Bigelow person- It's disgusting, his sticking to Curt like this.

SHEFFIELD-Well, for one, I'm becoming quite resigned to Bigelow's presence. In the first place, he seems to be the only one who can bring Curt to reason. Then again, I feel that it is to Bigelow's own interest to convince Curt that he mustn't provoke an open scandal by running away without acknowledging this child.

LILY- [Suddenly bursting forth hysterically.] Oh, I hate you, all of you! I loathe your suspicions-and I loathe myself because I'm beginning to be poisoned by them, too.

EMILY-Really, Lily, at this late hour-after the way Curt has acted-and her last words when she was dying-

LILY- [Distractedly.] I know! Shut up! Haven't you told it a million times already? [MRS. DAVIDSON gets up and walks to the door, rear. She has been crying softly during this scene, oblivious to the talk around her.]

JAYSON- [Testily.] Aunt Elizabeth! Where are you going? [As she doesn't answer but goes out into the hall.] Esther, go with her and see that she doesn't-

ESTHER- [Gets up with a jealous irritation.] She's only going up to see the baby. She's simply forgotten everything else in the world!

LILY- [Indignantly.] She probably realizes what we are too mean to remember-that the baby, at least, is innocent. Wait, Esther. I'll come with you.

JAYSON-Yes, hurry, she shouldn't be left alone. [ESTHER and LILY follow the old lady out, rear.]

DICK- [After a pause-impatiently.] Well, what next? I don't see what good we are accomplishing. May I run along? [He gets up restlessly as he is speaking and goes to the window.]

JAYSON- [Severely.] You will stay, if you please. There's to be no shirking on anyone's part. It may take all of us to induce Curt-

SHEFFIELD-I wouldn't worry. Bigelow is taking that job off our hands, I imagine.

DICK- [Looking out of the window.] He certainly seems to be doing his damnedest. [With a sneer.] The stage missed a great actor in him.

JAYSON- [Worriedly.] But, if Bigelow should fail-

SHEFFIELD-Then we'll succeed. [With a grim smile.] By God, we'll have to.

JAYSON-Curt has already packed his trunks and had them taken down to the station-told me he was leaving on the five o'clock train.

SHEFFIELD-But didn't you hint to him there was now this matter of the child to be considered in making his plans?

JAYSON- [Lamely.] I started to. He simply flared up at me with insane rage.