Part I — Scene 2

Question 1

START OF SCENE

Answer 1

I don’t think I will be able to get through the summer.

Question 2

DOCTOR. You’ll get through it, Alma.

Answer 2

How? How, Dr. John?

Question 3

DOCTOR. One day will come after another and one night will come after another till sooner or later the summer will be all through with, and then it will be fall, and you will be saying, “I don’t see how I’m going to get through the fall.”

Answer 3

But even if I survive it, I won’t be the same.

Question 4

DOCTOR. No?

Answer 4

I’ll be terribly changed in some way.

Question 5

DOCTOR. What way do you think you’ll be changed in?

Answer 5

If I knew that it wouldn’t scare me so. I wonder if it’s noticeable to people? Can people see it in me? Or do they just think, “Miss Alma’s fading this summer”?

Question 6

DOCTOR. Are you in love? Are you in love with someone?

Answer 6

Oh, Doctor John!

Question 7

DOCTOR. Well, are you?

Answer 7

There is someone who wants me to marry him.

Question 8

DOCTOR. Oh, you’ve had a proposal!

Answer 8

How astonished you sound!

Question 9

DOCTOR. Not a bit in the world! I’m only astonished it hasn’t happened sooner!

Answer 9

Well, it has happened lately. Finally.

Question 10

DOCTOR. Well, well, well! Miss Alma is going to be married.

Answer 10

Don’t you dare speak of this!

Question 11

DOCTOR. Haven’t you spoken of it?

Answer 11

No! To nobody—but you.

Question 12

DOCTOR. Who’s the young man, Miss Alma?

Answer 12

—A nice young man, a very nice young man.

Question 13

DOCTOR. Well, there are several in town. Which one?

Answer 13

I doubt that you know him. He’s almost a stranger in town. He and his mother came here recently from Meridian, and he is—he is—a very active church-worker…

Question 14

DOCTOR. A church-worker?

Answer 14

Our Sunday School superintendent.

Question 15

DOCTOR. Ah?

Answer 15

He’s talented, too, in music—plays the French horn. His name is Roger Doremus!

Question 16

DOCTOR. Ah…

Answer 16

You know him?

Question 17

DOCTOR. Oh, yes—yes, I know him.

Answer 17

What do you think of him?

Question 18

DOCTOR. Just what you said. He’s nice.

Answer 18

Yes, he really is—very nice…

Question 19

DOCTOR. A little bit on the—uh—

Answer 19

What?

Question 20

DOCTOR. Well— But some young men are like that…

Answer 20

Oh…

Question 21

DOCTOR. However…

Answer 21

What?

Question 22

DOCTOR. Well—nothing.

Answer 22

No! Please say what you think! After all, it’s important to me!

Question 23

DOCTOR. Is it?

Answer 23

What you do mean?

Question 24

DOCTOR. Important?

Answer 24

Is what important?

Question 25

DOCTOR. Whatever you said was?

Answer 25

All I said was that I wanted to know what you think, but you keep—evading the—issue.

Question 26

DOCTOR. A little rain would certainly be a relief.

Answer 26

That isn’t what we were talking about, Dr. John.

Question 27

DOCTOR. Old men get absent-minded…

Answer 27

You just don’t want to express a candid opinion.

Question 28

DOCTOR. On what?

Answer 28

On this young man.

Question 29

DOCTOR. I told you I agreed with you.

Answer 29

That he’s nice! Naturally! That’s understood.

Question 30

DOCTOR. Well, what more do you want me to say about him?

Answer 30

I don’t know why we began to talk about him in the first place. Except that you are the one person in town that I have ever been able to rely on for a kind and honest and understanding discussion of my—problems…. This very well be my last offer of marriage!

Question 31

DOCTOR. Why do you say that?

Answer 31

I am getting along. All of the girls I grew up with have either married or—gone into something else. Well—to get back to what we were talking about, I do like him, I respect him enormously for his—many—good—qualities. He has a responsible position in the Delta Planters’ Bank. And Mr. Hutcheson has told Father that they think very well of him there, that he is in line for promotion. He is distantly related to Mr. Hutcheson. In fact, not so distantly. His mother was Mr. Hutcheson’s mother’s first cousin. They think very well of him there and of course the family connection won’t do him any harm, either.

Question 32

DOCTOR. He strikes me as the sort of young man who would get along very well in the banking profession.

Answer 32

Then what is your specific objection to him?

Question 33

DOCTOR. What is yours?

Answer 33

I have none!

Question 34

DOCTOR. Then what the hell are we talking about, Miss Alma—if you’ll excuse the emphasis? I’ve never known anybody as God-damn touchy as you are!

Answer 34

I am sorry that I have exasperated you to the point of profanity. My objection to him is just that I don’t love him and cannot imagine myself—

Question 35

DOCTOR. In bed with him?

Answer 35

Dr. John!

Question 36

DOCTOR. Well?

Answer 36

Yes.—I suppose that’s it!

Question 37

DOCTOR. Well, why didn’t you come out and say so? Instead of all this beating around the bush!

Answer 37

But suppose I got left high and dry? With no one, nobody!

Question 38

DOCTOR. Well—you could go to New Orleans as your aunt did and have a mysteriously colorful career on the old side of town.

Answer 38

What an unkind thing to say!

Question 39

DOCTOR. Well, my head is spinning!

Answer 39

You won’t take care of yourself. Shall I go now? I shouldn’t have bothered you. I wouldn’t have, but I saw you sitting alone in here, so I—dropped in.

Question 40

DOCTOR. I thought you wanted to ask my advice about something?

Answer 40

You had nothing to say.

Question 41

DOCTOR. I have this to say, Alma. You’ve got to ask yourself whether or not the sexual side of marriage means anything to you. I gentlemanly fellow, abstemious and easy-going, is all some women look for. On the other hand there are some women who want to love and be loved with physical passion. Which are you, Miss Alma?

Answer 41

I believe in the possibility of a deep love between a man and a woman.

Question 42

DOCTOR. Good! A physical love?

Answer 42

With me it could not be based on physical passion. I think the very term is somewhat unpleasant.

Question 43

DOCTOR. Forgive me for using it.

Answer 43

But, naturally, marriage leads to contacts—embraces?

Question 44

DOCTOR. Yes?

Answer 44

And I don’t see how I could ever with Roger. It even offends me when he touches my hand—in spite of all the respect that I do have for him, and even affection…

Question 45

DOCTOR. Has anyone else ever touched you—I mean your hand—without creating this—distasteful feeling?

Answer 45

Yes, I’m not a cold person…

Question 46

VOICE OFFSTAGE. JOHNNY, JOHNNY!

Answer 46

Where’s—where’s Johnny? I haven’t seen him lately. Is he out of town?

Question 47

DOCTOR. You’re not the only young lady who’s asked me that.

Answer 47

That doesn’t answer my question.

Question 48

DOCTOR. The last I heard he was taking part in what is called a “floating crap game.”

Answer 48

When do you expect him back?

Question 49

DOCTOR. When he has lost his shirt, socks, tie, and the belt to his trousers.

Answer 49

When he comes back—I wish you’d remind him of something. A month ago he said he would take me riding some afternoon in his automobile, but he seemed to forget all about it.

Question 50

DOCTOR. I’m afraid you’ll have to remind him of it yourself. When he comes back, if the no-good whelp comes back, he’ll find his belongings moved to the Alhambra Hotel. There is no place in the medical profession for wasters and drunkards and lechers, and there is no place in my house for wasters, drunkards, and lechers.

Answer 50

Why do you say lechers?

Question 51

DOCTOR. He spends his nights at Zacharias’ place on the Lake. He isn’t fit for you to associate with, as your father told you a long time ago.

Answer 51

You’ve got to be patient, because he’s young and confused. We’ve all of us got to be patient. At least till the end of summer. If we can go that far. We can go much further, and somewhere, some time—there must be some revelation, the visit of some angel to straighten things out. Good-bye, I’m going now… John!

Question 52

JOHN. Hello, Miss Alma. Dad.

Answer 52

Don’t be too severe with him!