FullReads

What, again?

LANCELOT.
Yes–again–and as soon as possible–to Vivien.

GUENEVERE.
I congratulate you.

LANCELOT.
I love her.

GUENEVERE.
Naturally.

LANCELOT.
She loves me.

GUENEVERE.
I trust so.

LANCELOT.
Then why should I be at this moment
aching to kiss you ? Tell me that?

GUENEVERE.
( looking at him calmly )

It does seem strange.

LANCELOT.
It is absolutely insane! It’s preposterous! It’s contradictory!

GUENEVERE.
Are you quite sure it’s all true?

LANCELOT.
Yes! I’m sure that I never would commit the rashness of matrimony again without being in love. Very much in love. And I’m equally sure that I would not stand here and tell you what a fool I am about you, if that weren’t true. Do you think I want to be this way? It’s too ridiculous–I didn’t want to tell you. I wanted to go. You made me stay. Well, now you know what a blithering lunatic I am.

GUENEVERE.
( quietly )

It is lunacy, isn’t it?

LANCELOT.
Is it?

GUENEVERE.
Sheer lunacy.
In love with one woman, and wanting to kiss another.
Disgraceful, in fact.

LANCELOT.
I know what you think! You think I’m paying you an
extremely caddish compliment–or else–

GUENEVERE.
( earnestly, as she rises )

No, I don’t think that at all, Lancelot. I believe you when you say that about me. And I don’t imagine for one moment that you’re not really in love with Vivien. I know you are. I could pretend to myself that you weren’t–just as you’ve tried to pretend to yourself sometimes, that I’m not really in love with Arthur. But you know I am–don’t you?

LANCELOT.
Yes. …

GUENEVERE.
Well, Lancelot, there are–two lunatics here.

( He stares at her.)

It’s almost funny. I don’t know why I’m telling you. But–

LANCELOT.
You–!

GUENEVERE.
Yes. I want to kiss you, too.

LANCELOT.
But this won’t do. As long as there was only one of us–

GUENEVERE.
There’s been two all along, Lancelot.
I’ve more self-control than you–that’s all. But I broke down tonight.
I knew I oughtn’t to tell you–now. But I knew I would.

LANCELOT.
You, too!

They have unconsciously circled

about to the opposite side of the room.

GUENEVERE.
Oh, well, Lance, I fancy we aren’t the only ones.
It’s a common human failing, no doubt.
Lots of people must feel this way.

LANCELOT.
What do they do about it?

GUENEVERE.
Well, it all depends on what kind of people they are.
Some of them go ahead and kiss. Others think of the consequences.

LANCELOT.
Well, let’s think of the consequences, then. What are they? I forget.

GUENEVERE.
I don’t. I’m keeping them very clearly in mind. In the first place–

LANCELOT.
Yes?

GUENEVERE.
What was it? Yes–in the first place, we would be sorry.
And in the second place–

LANCELOT.
In the second place–

GUENEVERE
.
In the second place–I forget what’s in the second place.
But in the third place we mustn’t. Isn’t that enough?