(She
lets go and he races out. Music. Fosca crosses to her drawing room
on one side of the stage while on the other side Giorgio and Clara's
meeting place appears. Clara is in bed. Silently, Giogio comes to
her and embraces her passionately as she begins to strip off his
clothes. Augenti enters Fosca's drawing room with a letter. He hands
her the letter, then exits. Fosca tears open the letter)
Trio |
| Fosca |
I
am writing to you, Signora
Just as soon as I've arrived
With a most unhappy heart. |
|
| Giorgio |
God,
you are so beautiful - |
| Fosca |
I
do not wish to cause you pain - |
| Giorgio |
As
I remember every night - |
| Fosca |
So
please consider what I say - |
| Giorgio |
Clear
and beautiful - |
| Fosca |
With
calm. |
| Giorgio |
Every
night, every day,
Every part of you - |
|
| Fosca |
My
heart - |
|
| Clara |
You
feel so good - |
|
| Fosca |
My
heart belongs - |
| Clara |
As
if you'd never been away - |
| Fosca |
My
heart belongs to someone else. |
| Clara |
Your
breath so warm
Your touch so sure - |
| Giorgio |
Your
skin so delicate ... |
| Clara |
Your
arms so strong ... |
| Fosca |
I
am in love, hopelessly in love -
Hopelessly in love, and I am loved
Hopelessly in turn, Signora. |
| Giorgio,
Clara |
All
this happiness - |
|
| Fosca |
You
and I - |
|
| Giorgio,
Clara |
Being
here with you in the dark. |
|
| Fosca |
We're
not meant for each other. |
|
| Giorgio,
Clara |
So
much happiness - |
| Fosca |
If
I seemed to imply
Something more - |
| Giorgio,
Clara |
Even
more than what I felt before! |
| Fosca |
I
apologize. |
| Giorgio,
Clara |
To
feel your touch again - |
| Fosca |
But
since we're forced to be together - |
| Giorgio,
Clara |
When
so much time has passed - |
| Fosca |
Let
us try to face the fact. |
| Giorgio,
Clara |
To
dream of you and then to be with you again
And have some time at last ... |
| Fosca |
Let
us both behave with tact. |
|
| Giorgio,
Clara |
How
long were we apart - |
| Fosca |
If
this letter seems cold- hearted - |
| Giorgio,
Clara |
A
month, a week, a day? |
| Fosca |
It
conceals my own distress.
Nonetheless - |
| Giorgio,
Clara |
To
feel your touch again - |
| Fosca |
We
must end what never started. |
| Giorgio,
Clara |
You've
never been away. |
| Fosca |
You
must recognize - |
|
| Clara |
Still,
I've missed you - |
| Fosca |
There
is nothing - |
| Giorgio |
Hush. |
| Fosca |
Between
us. |
| Clara |
-
so much. |
| Fosca |
Nothing
... |
| Giorgio |
Shhh.
I'm here now. |
| Fosca |
Nothing,
nothing ... |
| Clara |
Welcome
home ... |
(Clara
and Giorgio embrace passionately as Fosca, sone-faced remains alone
in her drawing room; her Attendants ever with a shawl, which they
wrap about her, and a needlepoint frame, which she takes and begins
feverishly working at.
Fosca's Attendants set the stage for Giorgio's entrance)
Transition |
| Attendants |
I've
watched you from my window
I saw you on the day that you arrived.
Perhaps it was the way you walked.
The way you spoke to your men.
You were different then,
You were kind and good.
I thought you understood ... |
|
Scene Six Fosca's
drawing room.
Fosca sits doing needlepoint. She appears even
sicker than usual. An attendant goes off and returns with Giorgio.
Fosca greets Giorgio with a cold smile and signals the attendant
to leave. |
| |
|
 |
| Fosca |
I
received your letter and I thank you. I hope we can still take hands.
(She extands her hand to him) |
| Giorgio |
Of
course. We can certainly be friendly. |
| Fosca |
You
don't know how mortified I am.
|
| Giorgio |
Mortified? |
| Fosca |
About
everything that has happened. My emotions sometimes overpower my
judgement. |
|
| Giorgio |
I
found your affection flattering. |
 |
| Fosca |
How
indulgent you are with me. Did you amuse yourself in Milan? |
| Giorgio |
Very
much. |
| Fosca |
Admit
that you only took leave to visit my rival. |
| Giorgio |
Your
rival? Yes, of course that was the purpose of my visit. |
| Fosca |
Excuse
me. I can be very naive sometimes. I should have understood what
you meant by your "urgent need to leave". Will you be going back
soon? |
| Giorgio |
Whenever
I can. As soon as possible. |
|
| Fosca |
If
you get another leave. |
|
| Giorgio |
Naturally. |
|
| Fosca |
Perhaps
I should put in a word to my cousin. My help might serve you well.
On the other hand, a negative word ... |
 |
| Giorgio |
Place
more value on your dignity. Don't offend your pride, Signora. |
| Fosca |
We
each deal with our pride as best we can. Do you love this woman
very much? |
| Giorgio |
I
wrote to you. |
|
| Fosca |
Is
she beautiful? |
|
| Giorgio |
As
an angel. |
|
| Fosca |
Then
why don't you marry her? |
|
| Giorgio |
She
is already married. |
|
| Fosca |
And
you respect her. |
|
| Giorgio |
Respect
has everything to do with love. |
|
| Fosca |
That's
not true, but it hardly matters. And is your angel also a mother? |
|
| Giorgio |
Let's
stop torturing each other like this. It's humiliating and unworthy
of us. I find your sarcasm unattractive. |
|
| Fosca |
I
have many flaws, Captain. |
|
| Giorgio |
Our
situation is well-defined. Let's not discuss this subject again. |
|
| Fosca |
That
is what I would like. |
|
| Giorgio |
Good.
Perhaps we should have no further occasion to speak of ourselves. |
|
| Fosca
| You
may also hope that we do not see each other again. |
|
| Giorgio |
That
may be the best course of action. |
|
| Fosca |
You
may go now, Captain. I have more important things to do. |
|
(Giorgio
clicks his heels and exits. As Clara walks through, reading a letter.
We segue to the Doctor's office) |
