Mourning Becomes Electra Page #10

Hurry.

Hurry, Orin.

Don't tell me what to do.

How could you love

that vile old woman so?

But you did.

It's ended.

May God find forgiveness

for your sins.

May the soul of our cousin, Adam Mannon,

rest in peace.

Rest in hell, you mean.

I've pried open everything

I could find.

Come along, quickly.

I must go through his pockets first

to make it look like a robbery.

I'll sink this stuff from the dock.

There's the pistol. Don't forget it.

Orin.

He looks like Father.

Come along.

Just like my dream.

I've killed him before, over and over.

It's like me, too.

Maybe I've committed suicide.

Orin.

If I were in his place

I would have done what he did.

I'd have loved her as he loved her.

And killed Father, too, for her sake.

For heaven's sake,

do you want us to be caught here?

It's queer.

It's a rotten dirty joke on someone.

Orin. Vinnie.

It's me, Ma'am.

I was just going down the street.

You're sure you met the train

from Blackridge?

Ayeh, weren't a sign of 'em.

They should have been back

this morning.

I'm worried. And frightened.

You want I should stay here?

No.

You oughta try to get some sleep,

Ma'am.

Sleep.

I don't believe there is such a thing

on this earth as sleep.

It's only in the earth one sleeps.

One must feel so at peace at last,

with all one's fears ended.

Why do you stare at me like that?

You Mannons. I hate you.

Why am I so afraid?

Orin. Vinnie.

So this time at least you're waiting

to meet me when I come home.

Orin...

I've been so frightened.

You stayed all this time at Blackridge?

We didn't go to Blackridge.

We took the train there but we decided

to stay right on and go to Boston instead.

To Boston?

And in Boston we waited till

the evening train came in.

We had an idea you might be on it

and you were.

We followed you

when you called on your lover.

Orin, how dare you talk like...

Don't lie.

I was on deck listening.

What would you have done

if you discovered me?

Would you have gotten him

to murder me, Mother?

Orin, what have you done? Tell me.

I killed him.

Oh, no, Orin. You're just telling that to me to punish me, aren't you?

You said you loved me,

protect me. Protect your mother.

You couldn't murder.

You could murder Father, couldn't you?

Here. Read this if you don't believe me.

We waited and got it in Boston

to see whom the police would suspect.

They'll think he was killed

by waterfront thieves.

There's nothing to connect us

with his death.

Mother, don't moan like that.

How can you grieve for that swine?

I know it was he who planned

Father's murder.

You couldn't have done that.

He got you under his influence

so as to revenge himself.

I knew you weren't yourself

the moment I got home, remember?

How else could you have imagined

you loved the son of a servant?

How else could you ever have said

the things you...

I heard you planning to go with him

to the island.

Our island.

Mother, don't moan like that.

You'll forget him.

I'll make you forget him.

We'll leave Vinnie here and we'll go away

on a long voyage to the South Seas.

Orin.

Mother. Mother.

Didn't you hear me?

Mother, why don't you speak to me?

Answer me.

Tell me you forgive me.

Orin. After all that's happened

are you becoming her cry baby again?

Mother, please.

Leave her alone.

Go in the house.

Do you hear me?

March!

Yes, sir.

Why are the shutters still closed?

Father's gone.

They ought to let in the moonlight.

You know it was justice.

It was the only true way justice

could be done.

He paid the just penalty for his crime.

Mother.

What are you going to do?

You can live.

Live?

It is justice.

It is justice.

It's your justice, Father.

Mother!

Mother!

Mother!

Vinnie!

She had Father's pistol.

Get a doctor.

Orin!

No, it's too late. She's dead.

Why, why did she, Vinnie?

I drove her to it.

She couldn't forgive me.

Why did I boast of killing him, why?

Be quiet.

Why didn't I let her believe

the burglars killed him?

Then she would've forgiven me.

Then she would have turned from him

and turned to me...

I murdered her.

Shhh. Be quiet, Orin.

I've got to find her.

I've got to make her forgive me.

Orin...

You still have me, haven't you?

I love you.

I'll take you away.

I'll help you forget, Orin.

Say, Vinnie.

Did you hear a gun go off?

I want you to go for Dr. Blake.

Tell him that Mother has killed herself

in a fit of insane grief over

Father's death.

Will you remember to tell him that?

Ayeh, I'll tell him.

Anything you say, Vinnie.

Orin.

Orin, we're home.

Seth. You can bring our things up

after you've put up the horses.

Ayeh.

What are you afraid of, Orin?

This is the test.

You've got to face it, Orin.

Hazel and Peter are waiting inside.

Don't you want to see Hazel?

Why don't you look at the house?

Orin.

I want you to look at it now.

Do you hear me?

Well.

You don't see any ghosts, do you?

No.

Let's go in.

It was here she...

the last time I saw her alive.

That's all passed and finished.

Why do you look at me like that?

I've done my duty to you.

That's finished and forgotten.

Mother!

Mo... What...

Orin.

Orin, what is it?

She's not here.

She's not anywhere.

Orin, will you be quiet.

Well, let her go, then.

I'm not her son any more.

I'm Father's. I'm a Mannon.

Stop it. Do you hear me?

Don't be angry, Vinnie.

I'm not angry, dear.

But do get hold of yourself.

You frighten me

when you act so strangely.

I want to talk to you

before we see Peter and Hazel.

Won't you be happy to see Hazel

again?

Their friendship and love will help us

more than anything to forget.

Forget?

I thought you'd forgotten long ago,

if you ever remembered.

Love. What right have I or you

to love?

Every right.

Mother felt the same about him.

You've no idea how like Mother

you've become, Vinnie.

I mean the change in your soul.

I've watched it ever since we sailed

for the East.

It's as if her death had set you free to...

to become her.

What's come over you, Orin?

You haven't had one of these

morbid spells since we left the islands.

I had to get you away from the islands.

My brotherly duty.

If we had stayed there much longer...

I don't know what you're talking about.

I only went there for your sake.

Yes...

But afterwards...

You promised me you weren't going to talk

any more morbid nonsense.

Come sit down.

I want you to start again by facing

all your ghosts

so that you can rid yourself

of your silly guilt.

Who murdered Father?

Brant did, for revenge.

Who murdered father?

Answer me.

Mother was under his influence.

That's a lie.

It was he who was under hers.

She betrayed Father and murdered him,

didn't she?

Yes.

And if we'd done our duty, under the law

she would have been hanged, wouldn't she?

Yes.

But we protected her.

She could have lived

but she chose to kill herself.

It was an act of justice.

You had nothing to do with it.

You see that now, don't you?

Tell me.

Yes.

And your feeling of being responsible

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