ACT 1 (In the sala of Don Pedro’s Home. Don Pedro is seated reading the paper. Doña Mameng is standing, nagging her husand.! TIM"# $pm Doña M# I told %ou %ou so. I told %ou so. so. This son&in&la' son&in&la' of %ours %ours 'ill neer neer e a real someod%. )h%, he is *ust eginning to hae a des+ent la' pra+ti+e and no' he is tr%ing to go into politi+s. And he 'ill e dragging all these lo'&+lass people into the hous house e these these lead leader ers, s, thes these e ote oters, rs, thes these e lee+ lee+hes hes-- M%, M%, m%, m%, 'hat 'hat is goin going g to happen to our so+ial standing And here %ou are sitting +ompla+entl% 'ithout een lifting %pur little /nger to preent %our son&in&la' from disgra+ing the famil%. I tell %ou, if I 'ere a man, I.. Don P# (0lo'l% rasing his e%es from the paper! Are %ou taling to me Doña M# )hat do %ou thin I am doing, taling to m%self Don P# 2h, 'ell, I thought %ou 'ere pra+ti+ing a monologue or something. Doña M# Don’t get funn%. funn%. I 'ant to tal to %ou aout the son&in&la' of %ours. Don P# M% son&in&la'son&in&la'- )here )here do %ou get that stu3 M% son&in&la'son&in&la'- He is m% son&in& son&in& la' 'hen %ou get sore 'ith him, and he is %our son&in&la' 'hen %ou lie him. Doña M# )ell, %ou 'ere the one 'ho +onsented to their marriage, 'eren4t %ou Don P# And %ou +onsented to hae me +onsent, didn’t %ou (0tands.! And 'hat is 'rong 'rong 'ith 5o 5odolfo dolfo,, an%'a% ()als ()als to tale do'n left!. left!. 5odolfo 5odolfo is a good o%. o%. (5emoes glasses!. 6eside me, he is the onl% one 'ith rains in the famil%. famil%. Doña M# 7ou 7ou hate %ourself, don’t don’t %ou (0its.! (0its.! if 5odolfo 5odolfo has rains, he is afraidto afraidto 'ear them out, or he 'ouldn’t e going into politi+s. Don P# 8et tehm tal their head o3- This so+iet% stu3 is maing me si+- High so+iet%- Huh- )here 'ealth is the pri+e p ri+e of admission- )here adulterers, eme99lers, and and othe otherr +rim +rimin inal als, s, unde under+ r+o oer er of gold golds, s, rush rush elo elo's 's 'ith 'ith good good me men. n. High High so+iet%- High so+iet% that taes o3 its hat to an e:&+oni+t riding in a pa+ard, ut 'ould not een gie an en+ouraging loo to a poor, honest neighor- (During this and his ne:t spee+h, Don P’s anger +arries him aout the room. He pauses here and there to emphasi:9e some point.! Dona M# ;ot all of them are ad. Don P# I no' that, ut do the good ones hae hae enoughn +ourage +ourage to set a standard of de+en+% that that 'ould ostra+i9e ostra+i9e e:&+oni+ts, depried husands and faithful 'ies High so+iet%- And loo at their o3spring- All the% do is organi9e all inds of +ra9% so+ieties 'ith no serious purpose. All the% no' is a good time, and *a99 and *a99 and more *a99, a un+h of thrill&hunting good&for¬hings. (0its do'n, right!. The 'oment are pampered % a group of s'ooning. 6ing Cros%s 'ho moon around tr%ing to imitate si+ +ats.
Don P# (0tanding! )ell, that’s a part of a game. 0u++ess is <=> lu+. The 'hole of life is a gamle. )e are gamlers in one form or another. I gamled 'hen I married %ou. Doña M# Don’t e insulting. 7ou forget that %ou 'ere onl% a +ler t'ent% %ears ago. Don P# (0itting on sofa eside Doña M! ;o o3ense intended m% dear, no o3ense. All I 'anted to sa% is that 'hen a 'ife taes a husand, or a husand taes a 'ife, it is *ust lie u%ing a +ar. 7ou neer no' 'hat %ou are getting until %ou’e got it. And %ou spea of 5odolfo’s spoiling %our so+ial standing. )h%, thin of eing the mothe& in&la' of the Honorale 5odolfo Cru9, Congressman from the ?ourth Distri+t og Manila. Here is %our +han+e to e inited in Mala+añang. ACT @ ( A month late in the sala of 5odolfo’s house . Clara is seated in a +hair mending so+s, 5odolfo on the arm of the +hair. TIM" pm 5# )ell, Clara dear, one 'ee more of the +ampaign. C# 7es, darling, one 'ee more. 5# 7es, one 'ee more and I’ll e 'ith %ou again in the eenings. C# 8iing 'hat 'e onl% see no' in dreams 5# A 'ee from no' %ou 'ill hae more than one o% to help %ou +lean the housse. C# And %ou lieries +hau3eur to drie the +ar for %ou. 5# And %ou a regular +oo to do the +ooing for %ou. C# And %ou a priate se+retar% to do the t%ping for %ou. 5# And %ou a maid to mend so+s for %ou and sae these little /ngers from the neeedle. (Taes her hand and isses /nger one % one.!
5# I an%od% 'ants to see me, loo at him +losel%. If he 'ears smoed glasses, +arries a leather a, and has a pair of adl% 'orn shoes, tell him I am out. Buan# 7es, sir. (Door ell rings. Buan goes and returns in half a minute. )hile he is gone, Clara pi+s up a so+ and put her hands in it. Her /ngers +omes out through a hole.0omeod% 'ants to see %ou sir. 5# Does he 'ear smoed glasses B# 7es, sir. 5# )orn&out shoes B# 7es, sir. 5# )ell, 'h% didn’t %ou tell him I am out B# I did sir, ut he insisted on entering. He said he 'ould sleep here.
5# (Tunring to Clara! Can %ou eat that He is going to sleep here, that pest- (To Buan! Tae a seat. 0ir. As I todl %ou, Don 5odolfo is out. (Mang Cario puts do'n his leather sat+hel.! MC# That’s all right. I hae the 'hole night to 'ait. Ho' are things going 'ith %our master B# )ell, sir, I don’t no'. I am afraid the% are not going. MC# )hat do %ou mean B# The% a+t rather ueer sometimes, sir, he and his 'ife. MC# A+t ueer ":plain %ourself, B# The% don’t seem to e er% 'ell, sir. MC# I still don’t understand. B# Here the% +ome, sir4 %ou +an *udge /or %ourself. ("nter 5odolfo and Clara 'ith rooms and mops, dressed lie serants4 the% do not loo at Mang Cario. It is their s+heme for eading ill +olle+tors. Mang Cario follo's their moements, appearinf mu+h perple:ed.! 5# )ell, Buana. This tiresome house'or has got to e done efore the oss +omes, that’s all there is to it. C# It’s all right. It 'on’t e long efore 'e’ll hae an arm% of helpers in this house. 2n o%- )hen the oss gets ele+ted- 5e+eptions, parties and anuets galoreC# 7es, and 'or galore(The% s'eep against Mang Cario, driing him to'ard the door! MC# 0on, 'hat do %ou suppose %ou are doing 5# 2h, +leaning the house and driing the pests a'a%. MC# Pests )hat pests C# The pests that gie our oss a pain in the ne+. 5# And 'hat do %ou suppose %ou are doing MC# I 'ant to see 5odolfo. I 'ant to see %ou.
(Door ell rings. 5odolfo turns 'ith 6ruño.!
5# )ell, sir, this is most unusual. Aisit form m% opponent at this time. Ma% I as to 'hat I o'e the pleasure of this +all 6# I +ame here to do %ou a faor. 5# Did %ou +ome here to insult me, Mr. 6ruño 6# ;o, indeed. indl% listen for a moment. I ni' also that m% ele+tion is assured, and %our e3orts 'asted. 5# I am not looing for s%mpath%, ut go ahead 'ith %our stor%. 6# Bust a moment, please. I am giing %ou a +han+e to +ut do'n %our losses. Ten thousand pesos if %ou 'ithdra' from this /ght. 5# Mr, 6ruño, %ou don’t understand me. I entered this /ght to support +ertain prin+iples. And those prin+iples are not for sale- If this is the purpose of %our (sar+asti+all%! ind ist, (standing! I 'ish %ou goodnight. (Door ell rings, enter 0heri3! 0# Eood eening, M5. Cru9. 5# Eood eening. 0# (0ho'ing adge! I am sorr% I hae to perform a 5# I suppose %ou’e +ome to arrest me, I’m read%. C# (":+ited! 5odolfo, +an it go this far 5# That’s all right, m% dear. This +harge is onl% a ig lie. The% +an’t do me an% harm. C# (Turns to the 0heri3! 2F+er, 'ait *ust a moment, please. (5uns to the telephone! Eie me G&&<. 7es. 8et me tal to father, ui+4 this is Clara. Hello- ?ather?ather- Please +ome here at on+e. 5odolfo is under arrest. 7es- Hurr% up- (Hangs up to the re+eier! 2F+er, 'ait for m% father, 'ill %ou 0# 7es, Mrs. Cru9, I 'ill. 5# 2F+er Hae %ou an% 'arrant for arrest 0# 7es, sir. Here it is. (5odolfo returns 'arrant to 0heri3! C# 2F+er, please 'ait a 'hile, m% father 'ill e here in a fe' se+onds. 0# 7es, Mrs. Cru9, I 'ill. C# 2h, 5odolfo- (Eoes to 5odolfo, mu+h upset.!
5# Don’t tae it so seriousl%. 7ou no' it is false. (Pats her on the shoulder, tr%ing to +omfort her. "nter Don Pedro!
