Six One-Act Plays Part 5

GENERAL--To-day is too late. Thou hast not my permission to marry.

RODRIGUEZ--I am old enough to know when, and whom I shall marry.

GENERAL--And if the door of my home is closed to thee?

RODRIGUEZ--If Lagrimas will marry me, I shall make a home of my own.

GENERAL--Fool! If she will marry thee? Dost think she will allow thee to slip through her fingers?

LAGRIMAS--I shall marry no son of thine, General Don Fernando de Lerma.

(_Exit Lagrimas._)

RODRIGUEZ--Lagrimas!

GENERAL--The daughter of a bull-fighter!

RODRIGUEZ--My grandfather fought the bulls.

GENERAL--Thy grandfather! The most gallant gentleman of the Spanish court, who rode into the arena on his own steed, and defied the bull in the name of his lady love. To-day her father prods a sorry hack to its death, and fights ... for a handful of silver!

RODRIGUEZ--She is poor, I grant, but no word of scandal has ever tarnished her name. Why dost thou oppose?

GENERAL--Canst thou blot out thy life, and the traditions of thy race?

Wilt thou not sicken of this girl's people?

RODRIGUEZ--I marry Lagrimas, not her family.

GENERAL--Oh, blindness of youth!

RODRIGUEZ--I have heard thee say Spain must look to the people for her salvation.

GENERAL--Spain must look to her soldiers. Infidels are in the realm.

Help the King crush them out. Fight, fight and put love aside.

RODRIGUEZ--I may fight, but I will not give up Lagrimas.

GENERAL--Thou must decide.

RODRIGUEZ--I have decided.

GENERAL--If thou goest from me to-day, thou goest forever.

RODRIGUEZ--I am a man.

GENERAL--When thou tirest of her, do not beat on my door. Lock thy bitterness in thine own breast, for mine will none of thee. (_Exit._)

(_Rodriguez walks up and down._)

RODRIGUEZ--He is hard, he is unjust. But I have defied him ... I have defied him.

(_Lagrimas enters and goes to the bench against the wall._)

LAGRIMAS--I left my fan.

RODRIGUEZ--Thy fan?

LAGRIMAS--It is enough, Don Rodriguez. (_Starts to go._)

RODRIGUEZ--Hast found it?

LAGRIMAS--It is of no consequence. Do not let me keep thee from thy father.

RODRIGUEZ--Ah, he hurt thee with his cruel speech.

LAGRIMAS--Nay, he was right. I can give thee nothing.

RODRIGUEZ--Thou canst give me what I most lack, faith in myself. I am a make believe soldier, a boy decked out with a sword at my side, and a plume in my hat. Until this day I never questioned his bidding, and now I have defied him, I have defied my father.

LAGRIMAS--Will he forgive thee?

RODRIGUEZ--I know not. Pride of birth, pride of position, pride of power, these are his G.o.ds. I have dared to attack his power.

LAGRIMAS--Make him proud of _thee_. Capture Hafiz. He will forgive thee then.

RODRIGUEZ--Capture Hafiz? That may not be so easy.

LAGRIMAS--Thy plan will succeed because of its very daring. I know thou canst do it. (_Slowly._) I believe thee to be a brave man.

RODRIGUEZ--And thou?

LAGRIMAS--I shall be proud also.

RODRIGUEZ--I must have thy promise. What else is there to inspire me?

LAGRIMAS--Thy name as a soldier of Spain, thy devotion to thy father, thy loyalty to holy church.

RODRIGUEZ--Church, country, my father, these do not count, if I have not thee.

LAGRIMAS--I stand between thee and thy father.

RODRIGUEZ--Between me and life itself.

LAGRIMAS--The sin of separating thee shall not be on my head. Make peace with thy father, fight as a soldier fights, and forget--

RODRIGUEZ--Thee?

LAGRIMAS--Make peace with thy father.