Mourning Becomes Electra Page #7

Remember, Orin.

Come on in, dear.

Vinnie, I...

I appreciate your grief

has made you not quite normal.

But now Orin is here, I...

Don't stare like that.

What did you do that night

after I fainted?

I've missed something, some...

medicine that...

I take to make me sleep.

You did... you found it.

But can't you see

how insane to suspect...

And Doctor Blake knows

he died of...

I see what you've been waiting for.

To tell Orin your lies

and get him to go to the police.

Isn't that it?

Answer me when I speak to you.

What are you plotting?

Mother!

Coming, dear.

The happiness

of seeing Orin was a little too much

for me.

I sudenly felt as if I were going

to faint.

So I rushed out in the fresh air.

Poor Mother.

She's worn out, Orin.

I've been trying to get her

to go to bed

but she won't listen to me.

Go to bed the minute he comes home?

I should say not.

You come and sit down.

You're not going to do anything

to make yourself feel ill...

Having you back is the medicine I need.

He's the one who needs looking after.

Yes, Orin, you've got to take care

of yourself too.

We'll look after you, Hazel and I,

won't we, dear?

Of course we will.

Don't stand, dear.

Come and sit down.

Hazel, will you bring me that cushion?

We'll make you comfortable.

There.

Peter will be getting jealous.

You'd better call Vinnie

and put a pillow behind him.

I can't picture Vinnie being so soft.

You ought to see her with Father.

She was always fussing over him.

And he likes it.

Even though he does pretend...

Orin, you're talking as if he were alive.

We'd all of us forgotten he was dead,

hadn't we?

I can't believe it even yet.

I feel him in this house, alive.

Orin!

Everything's changed in a queer way.

This house, all of us.

Except Father.

He'll always be here, the same.

Don't you feel that, Mother?

You mustn't make her think of it, Orin.

You're the same, Hazel.

Sweet and good.

At least Hazel hasn't changed.

Hazel will never change, I hope.

I'm glad you appreciate her.

Poor boy.

Does it pain now?

Not much.

Not at all when your hand's there.

You're so different. What is it?

It's just that I'm getting old, dear.

You're more beautiful than ever.

And younger, too, somehow.

That's not it.

Maybe I can guess.

Younger and more beautiful.

Listen to that, Hazel.

He's learned to be very gallant,

I must say.

Do you remember, Hazel,

how you waved your handkerchief to me

that day I set out to become a hero?

I thought you'd sprain your wrist.

Orin.

All the mothers and wives,

and sisters and girls are the same.

Some time, in some war...

they ought to make the women

take the men's place for a month or so.

Give them a taste of murder.

After that, maybe they'd stop...

waving handkerchiefs and gabbing

about heros.

Orin...

Give it a rest, Orin, it's over.

None of us liked it any more than you did.

You're right, Peter.

I'm sorry, Hazel.

That was rotten of me.

It was nothing.

I understand how you feel,

really I do.

Orin, come and see Father.

You sounded just like him.

I meant to look at him the first thing,

but...

I got to talking

No, wait!

Can't you let him have a minute

to rest?

You can see how worn out he is.

I've hardly had a chance to say

a word to you yet.

Stay with me a little while,

won't you, dear?

Of course, Mother.

Don't be long, Orin.

And remember what I said.

I think we must be getting home.

Yes, we must.

It was so kind of you to come.

Please come again, dear, soon.

You'll do Orin more good than anyone.

Good night, Orin.

Nice to have you back.

Good bye.

What's made you take

a fancy to Hazel all of a sudden?

You never used to like

my going around with her.

All I want now is your happiness, dear.

I know how much

you used to like Hazel.

It was just to make you jealous.

I haven't been home an hour

and you're trying to marry me off.

Must be anxious to get rid of me.

Don't say that.

Who is this Captain Brant

who's been calling on you?

On me? You mean on Lavinia,

don't you?

Wherever did you get that silly idea?

Of course. Vinnie must have written you

the same nonsense she did your father.

She wrote him?

What did he do?

Why, he laughed at it, naturally.

I'm really worried about Vinnie,

dear.

She imagines the most fantastic things.

And that silly feud she's always had

with me is worse than ever.

She's not like us, Orin.

I feel you are really my

flesh and blood.

She isn't, she's your father's.

You are a part of me.

I feel that too, Mother.

We had a secret little world of our own

in the old days, didn't we?

No Mannons allowed,

that was our password.

It's what your father and Vinnie

could never forgive us.

It may seem a hard thing to say

about the dead,

but the truth is your father

was jealous of you.

He hated you because he knew

I loved you better

than anything in the world.

I knew he had it in for me...

but I never thought he went so far

as to hate me.

He did, just the same.

All right, then,

I won't pretend I'm sorry he's dead.

Oh, how happy we'll be together,

you and I.

If you only won't let Vinnie

poison your mind against me

with her disgusting lies.

What lies?

You haven't told me about

that Brant yet.

There's nothing to tell.

Except in Vinnie's morbid mind.

She worried and brooded

until I really believed

she went out of her head.

She does seem strange, but...

Her craziness all works out in hatred for me.

Take this Captain Brant of hers,

for example.

A stupid ship captain I happened to meet

at your grandfather's...

took it into his silly head to call here

a few times without being asked.

I honestly believe

Vinnie fell in love with him

but she soon discovered

that he wasn't after her at all.

Whom was he after? You?

Orin,

you don't seem to realize

that I'm an old married woman

with two grown-up children.

All he was after was to insinuate

himself as a family friend

and use your father when

he came home

to get him a better ship.

Oh, I soon saw through his little scheme

and he'll never call here again,

I promise you that.

That's the whole of the great

Captain Brant scandal.

Are you satisfied now,

you jealous goose, you?

Mother.

I'm a fool.

The war has got me silly, I guess.

It was Vinnie's fault

you ever went to war.

I'll never forgive her for that.

But I was going to give you

an example

of her insane suspicions.

She decided that

because his name was Brant

he must be the son of that nurse girl,

Marie Brantme.

Isn't that crazy?

Do you imagine for a moment if he were,

he would ever come here to visit?

I'd like to see him try it.

His mother brought disgrace

enough on our family without...

Orin, don't look like that.

You sound just like your...

But I haven't told you the worst yet.

Vinnie actually accuses me,

your mother,

of being in love with that fool.

And of having met him in New York

and gone to his room.

I don't believe it. Vinnie couldn't.

I told you she had gone crazy.

Oh, it's too revolting, Orin.

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