Part 6 (2/2)

Worthy In spite of her age, I find her charming. One can still look for the return of youth.

Arabella Ho! You look at me--you are amazed to find me so young with grey hair.

I feel better than all of you: I take four meals a day, and I read without gla.s.ses. I drink rum, or whatever is available, stale or fresh. I drink it to the last drop--and I never mix it with water. I genteelly empty my two bottles.

Jenny Plague!

Arabella Yes, truly, some more champagne--without any delay. You can see all my teeth in my mouth. Do you see, I'll be ninety-eight come Easter?

Jenny Her youth is the last straw.

Arabella There's more still. But I am of a green old age. At the age I'm at, I still don't allow myself any servants--besides, they'd charge me too much. But, do you see, my friend, do you want me to tell you? People today, they're shoddy goods--they're not worth anything, and I wouldn't bend over to pick up the lot of them.

Worthy Is she often overcome with these vapors?

Albert Alas, never. She must be bewitched.

Arabella At my age, I am still worth my weight in gold. My children have done me wrong. I don't look half my age. If I hadn't been married at thirteen--to tell you the truth, marriage and childbearing puts an end to youth. Such great peril. I never can remember having been a child.

To tell you the truth, I was pretty enough. At twenty-seven I had fourteen children.

Jenny What fertility! Fourteen!

Arabella Yes, all swarming. And all boys. I've never had any girls. And you see others turn out like ours. But (winking) they're rogues who'll turn out badly. These evil ones wanted to see me in a hospital. Would you believe that after the death of their late father, they squabbled with me over my dower rights? A dower earned so legitimately.

Albert Alas, can one push mental aberration further?

Jenny (aside) My word, the little baggage plays her role charmingly.

Arabella I will need a hundred crowns. Lend them me, sir, to pay for expenses and to bribe the judge in my unfortunate case.

Albert You dream, my child,--but to satisfy you, I will advance expenses and make your case my business.

Arabella If I don't have money today, I'll be in despair.

Albert But think, child--

Arabella You're an honest man. Don't refuse to give me that sum.

Albert I intend to humor her.

Worthy You're wise to do so. You shouldn't contradict her directly.

Jenny If you resist her, she's the type of girl to go throw herself out the window.

Albert I agree.

<script>