Man of La Mancha Read Online Free Page B

thinking and worrying about him!
    I’ve been told he’s chasing dragons and I fear it may be true.
    If my groom should hear about it, heaven knows what he will do!
    Oh, I dearly love my uncle but for what he’s done to me
    I would like to take and lock him up and throw away the key!
    But if I do …
    But if I do …
    There is one thing that I swear will still be true …
ANTONIA and
      HOUSEKEEPER
PADRE
I’m only thinking of him;
I’m only thinking of him;
I’m only thinking and
           worrying about him.
I know, I know, my dear,
Of course you are, my dear;
I understand.
    HOUSEKEEPER
    Oh, I think he’s been too lonely, living years without a spouse,
    So when he returns I fear I may have trouble in the house;
    For they say he seeks a lady, who his own true love shall be;
    God forbid that in his madness he should ever think it’s me!
    (
The
PADRE
steals a look around the screen at her, incredulously
)
    If he should try
    I’ll surely die,
    And I will grimly guard my honor as I cry—
HOUSEKEEPER
PADRE
ANTONIA
(Her
I’m only thinking of him;
I know, I know, my dear;
wail continues throughout)
I’m only thinking of him;
Of course you are, mydear;
Woe, woe, woe …
I’m only thinking and worrying about him.
I understand.
 
    HOUSEKEEPER
    Woe!
    (
Her wail makes the
PADRE
wince and recoil toward
ANTONIA )
    ANTONIA
    Woe!
    (
The
PADRE
winces and recoils in the other direction
)
PADRE
HOUSEKEEPER
ANTONIA
(
Slipping to
his knees;
addressing God
)
Woe, woe …
Woe, woe …
    They’re only thinking of him,
of him
    They’re only thinking
of him,
    How saintly is their
plaintive plea—
    They’re only thinking
of him!
    What a comfort, to be
sure
    That their motives are
so pure—
    As they go thinking and
worrying about him!
    (CERVANTES
appears in the lights, ushering forward
THE DUKE ,
now dressed in academic cap and gown
)
    CERVANTES    And now there appears on the scene a man of breeding … intelligence … logic. He is Antonia’s fiancé, Doctor Sansón Carrasco—Bachelor of Science—graduate of the University of Salamanca! (
Drily
) A man who carries his own self-importance as though afraid of breaking it. (
Places
CARRASCO
in one corner of the stage. The quartet immediately starts arguing
. CERVANTES
claps his hands for silence
) I had forgotten that family quarrels have a way of getting out of hand. With so much at stake in the game, let us rearrange the pieces! (
Moving
ANTONIA
to a second corner
) The queen—cunning! (
Moving the
HOUSEKEEPER
to a third corner
) Thecastle—formidable! (
Moving the
PADRE
to the fourth corner
) The bishop—charmingly diagonal! (
Sitting center
) And now—the problem of the knight!
    ANTONIA Sansón!
    PADRE    Have you heard?
    DR. CARRASCO    On my way here I was informed by at least ten people. (
To
ANTONIA ) My dear, your uncle is the laughingstock of the entire neighborhood. Padre? What do you know of this?
    PADRE    Only that the good Señor Quijana has been carried away by his imagination.
    DR. CARRASCO    Señor Quijana has lost his mind and is suffering from delusions.
    PADRE    Is there a difference?
    DR. CARRASCO    Exactitude of meaning. I beg to remind you, Padre, that I am a doctor.
    ANTONIA    Please don’t argue, we must
do
something about him!
    DR. CARRASCO    I’m a little more concerned about
us
.
    ANTONIA    What do you mean, us?
    DR. CARRASCO    Our marriage, my dear. There is a certain embarrassment at having a madman in the family. In the eyes of others—
    PADRE    (
Alarmed at this drift
) Oh, come, come, Doctor.
    DR. CARRASCO    I do not relish claiming a lunatic as uncle!
    HOUSEKEEPER    (
Nodding, a sibyl
) The innocent must pay for the sins of the guilty.
    PADRE    Guilty of what? A gentle delusion!
    DR. CARRASCO    How do you know it is gentle? By this time who knows what violence he has committed! He was armed?
    HOUSEKEEPER    With sword and lance.
    (CARRASCO