Page:Plays by Jacinto Benavente - Second series (IA playsbyjacintobe00bena).pdf/217

 the police. [Rings] Public order must be preserved at any cost.

. Is anything wrong? What is the matter?

. No, nothing is the matter. Are there no servants in the house? A good government! A pretty government!

. [As he appears] What is the matter? What has happened?

. Papa!

. A barbarity! An atrocity! Stand back, for God's sake! They have insulted me.

. You!

. A riot! A mob! A demonstration in front of the theatre, and they are marching here singing the "Hymn of Riego"!

. The "Hymn of Riego"? Goodness! When we heard it in my day, we always ran to hide the silver.

. Since then it has marched off to other tunes, so now she can spare herself the trouble.

. Don Santiago! Quick! They are marching on the Palace. You can hear them: "Long live liberty!" and "Death! Death"… [To ] Principally to you.

. Quick! My stick! My hat! No, not my new one… [The women scream. faints] Stand back!

. And all this because you lack character!

. If you had only let me do my duty…

. Now you see what it means to pander to the people.