Page:Plays by Jacinto Benavente - Second series (IA playsbyjacintobe00bena).pdf/192

. I am not alone; the maid brought me. And I am going to stay with you forever! Our house is worse than the Inquisition.

. No, Esperanza

. If we didn't know better, we might think you were one of the martyrs.

. How little outsiders can tell! Papa has done nothing all day but buy me presents.

. Horrible!

. Yes, I knew you would laugh at me. Whenever papa buys me presents, it is because he means to do something unpleasant, and he wants to get me into good humor beforehand.

. Have you found out what it is that he is going to do?

. Have I? This afternoon he called me into his study, and he said to me, he said to me

. Go on.

. "Esperanza, my dear daughter"—whenever papa calls me his dear daughter, it is always because he means to do something unpleasant—"my dear daughter, I would not for the world displease you in anything."

. Of course not.

. Wait! "Do you love Polito or do you love Manolo? Decide. Choose for yourself and let us not have any more of this coquetry, playing off one against the other and making both yourself and your parents ridiculous."

. There is some sense in what he says.

. Is there any sense in his telling me to make up my mind without anybody's giving me any advice, without its being anything to anybody whether I am unhappy afterward or not for the rest of my life? Then if I complain, they will say: "You did it yourself; it was your own fault."