ACT ONE

Living room in the home of Councilman Agazzi. Principal door in the back; side doors at right and left.

SCENE ONE

Amalia, Dina, Laudisi.

As the curtain rises, Lamberto Laudisi is pacing the room in a state of annoyance. About forty years old, slender and brisk, well dressed without affectation, he is wearing a violet jacket with black lapels and black piping.

Laudisi: So he's gone to see the Governor about it?

Amalia (about forty-five, gray hair; her manner clearly shows the feeling of self-importance she derives from her husband's rank in society. But she also indicates that, if it were up to her, she could play the part herself and would then often behave quite differently): Would you believe it, Lamberto, all on account of a man who's his subordinate!

Laudisi: A subordinate when your husband sits on the Governor's council–but not at home!

Dina (nineteen; behaves as though convinced she is much wiser than her mother and even than her father; but this trait is softened by her lively, youthful grace): Even though he moved his mother-in-law in right next to us, on the same floor?

Laudisi: Didn't he have a right to? It was a vacant apartment and he leased it for his mother-in-law. Or is a mother-in-law perhaps obliged to come and call on (exaggeratedly, purposely drawing out the words) the wife and daughter of one of her son-in-law's superiors?

Amalia: Who says she's obliged? As I remember it, we, Dina and I, were the ones who went on our own to call on that lady, and we weren't received.

Laudisi: And why has your husband now gone to the Governor? To put official pressure on her to observe etiquette toward you?

Amalia: To make proper amends to us, if you want to call it that! Because you just don't leave two ladies that way, standing in front of your door like a couple of statues!

Laudisi: That's going too far! Aren't people allowed to stay home and mind their own business?

Amalia: But you totally disregard the fact that we were the ones who took it on ourselves to be polite — to a stranger!

Dina: Uncle, calm down, please! If you want, we'll be honest: there! we admit that our politeness was out of curiosity. But, tell me, don't you find that natural?

Laudisi: Natural, yes: because the two of you are totally idle.

Dina: Come now, Uncle! Let's say you are sitting there, paying no attention to what anyone else is doing around you. Fine. I come along. And here, right on this end table that's standing in front of you, with no expression on my face — no, let's say with an expression like a criminal's, like that man's — I plunk down — what should I say? — a pair of the cook's shoes!

Laudisi (in an outburst): What have the cook's shoes got to do with anything?

Dina (immediately): There, you see? You're surprised! You think it's bizarre, and you immediately ask me why.

Laudisi (surprised, with a cold smile, but quickly recovering): Darling! You're very clever; but, remember, you're talking to me. You've just put the cook's shoes down on this table for no other reason than to arouse my curiosity; and surely — since you did it on purpose — you can't blame me for asking you: "Darling, what are the cook's shoes doing here?" Now you need to prove to me that this Mr. Ponza — a boorish scoundrel, as your father calls