Florencio. And all the time we thought he suspected nothing!
Carolina. You do jump so at conclusions, Florencio. How could he suspect? You know how careful we were about everything, no matter what happened, so as not to hurt his feelings.
Florencio. This only goes to show all the good that it did us.
Carolina. He could only suspect—that it was the truth; that we were loving in silence.
Florencio. Then perhaps you can explain to me what was the use of all this silence? Don't you see that what he has done now is to go and blurt the whole thing out to this rascal Casalonga?—an unscrupulous knave whose only interest in the matter is to turn these confidences to his own advantage! It is useless to attempt to defend it. Such foolishness was unpardonable. I should never have believed it of my friend. If he had any doubts about me—about us—why didn't he say so? Then we could have been more careful, and have done something to ease his mind. But this notion of running and telling the first person who happens along.... What a position does it leave me in? In what light do we appear at this time? Now, when everybody is paying respect to his memory, and I have put myself to all this trouble in order to raise money for this monument—what are people going to think when they read these things?
Carolina. I always said that we would have trouble with that monument.
Florencio. How shall I have the face to present myself to-morrow before the monument?
Carolina. My sisters-in-law were right. We are going to be conspicuous.
Florencio. Ah! But this must be stopped. I shall run at once to the offices of the papers, to the judicial authorities, to the governor, to all the booksellers. As for this Casalonga—Ah! I will settle with him! Either he will retract and confess that these letters are forgeries from beginning to end, or I will kill him! I will fight with him in earnest!
Carolina. Florencio! Don't forget yourself! You are going too far. You don't mean a duel? To expose your life?