He paused, looked at her quickly. Why?"
"Oh, I don't sympathize with the woman—or the man—who's deserted. I pity, but I can't help seeing it's her or his own fault. Lola explains why. Wouldn't you rather laugh than cry? Santuzza may have been attractive in the moments of passion, but how she must have bored Turiddu the rest of the time! She was so intense, so serious—so vain and selfish."
"Vain and selfish? That's interesting." He walked up and down several times, then turned on her abruptly. "Well—go on," he said. "I'm waiting to hear why she was vain and selfish."
"Isn't it vain for a woman to think a man ought to be crazy about her all the time because he once has been? Isn't it selfish for her to want him to be true to her because it gives her pleasure, even though she knows it doesn't give him pleasure?"
"Men and women are all vain and selfish in love," said he.
"But the women are meaner than the men," replied she, "because they're more ignorant and narrow-minded."
He was regarding her with an expression that made her uneasy.
"But that isn't in the play—none of it," said he.
"Well, it ought to be," replied she. "Santuzza is the old-fashioned conventional heroine. I used to like them—until I had lived a little, myself. She isn't true to life. But in Lola——"
"Yes—what about Lola?" he demanded.
"Oh, she wasn't a heroine, either. She was just human—taking happiness when it offered. And her gayety—and her capriciousness. A man will always break away from a solemn, intense woman to get that sort of sunshine."