Her Husband by Luigi Pirandello

Author:Luigi Pirandello [Pirandello, Luigi]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Duke University Press
Published: 2012-06-01T05:00:00+00:00

5 THE CHRYSALIS AND THE CATERPILLAR

1

Disappointed, always. But on top of everything, to be discouraged after you put all your efforts into something from which you expected praise and gratitude seemed too much. And yet. . .

Giustino wanted the two carriages to fly, fly home quickly from the train station where he had gone to meet Silvia, along with Dora Barmis and Attilio Raceni.

His wife’s appearance on her arrival had disconcerted him, even more so her few words and looks during the short walk to the station exit, where she got into a carriage with Signora Barmis and he jumped into another with Raceni.

“The trip … She’s probably tired…. Then, so alone…” Raceni said to Giustino, also disturbed by Signora Roncella’s glum expression and icy demeanor.

“Ah, yes …” Giustino agreed at once. “I see now. I should have gone up there to get her. But how could I have? Here, with the house to take care of, everything topsy-turvy. And then there was her uncle’s death. That, too. She felt it. Yes, she took that death very hard. . . .”

This time Raceni agreed at once: “Yes . . . yes.”

“See?” Giustino went on. “She was with him on the trip up–now she’s come back alone. . . . She left him there. . . . But it’s not just her uncle! Of course! I most certainly should have gone to get her at Cargiore…. There’s also the separation from her child, for heaven’s sake! You see, don’t you?”

And Raceni again: “Yes. Yes. Certainly. Certainly.”

How many things had slipped their minds, the three of them working so hard to get the new house ready!

They had gone to the station in a festive mood, with the satisfaction of having managed, with incredible effort, to get everything in order for her, only to realize suddenly that not only did they not deserve any thanks or gratitude, but they had to regret not only having forgot about the mourning of that recent death, but also about the mother’s torment at leaving her baby.

Every moment seemed an hour to Giustino. He hoped that as soon as Silvia saw her new house, the surprise would make her forget everything. … He had deliberately not mentioned it in his letters.

Miracles–that was the right word–he had performed miracles, with the assiduous advice and help of Signora Barmis and… yes, also of Raceni, poor man!

He had said house, but just as a manner of speaking. House? It wasn’t a house. It was … “But hush, for heaven’s sake, because Silvia doesn’t know yet!” It was a small villa–sshh! A small villa on that new street lined with other villas, beyond Margherita Bridge, at the Prati, on Via Plinio. One of the first, with a little yard around it, gate, and everything. Out of the way? What do you mean out of the way! A short walk and you’re on the Corso, Rome’s main street. A high-class neighborhood, quiet; it couldn’t be better for a writer! But there’s more. He wasn’t renting that little villa.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.