THE SECOND ACT
[The scene remains unchanged. It is late evening of the same day. The lanterns out-of-doors have been burning so long that some of them have already guttered out. The room is lighted by two oil lamps.
Tony lies groaning faintly on a cot, his legs encased in a plaster cast, his eternal wine bottle by his side. The Doctor sits beside him.
Outside, the festa is in full swing. A desperate Italian tenor is singing “La Donna è Mobile” from “Rigoletto” as the curtain rises. His tones ring frantically out.
A short pause follows the song. The hiss of a sky rocket is audible. The light from the rocket flares through the windows and a tong “Ah” rises from the crowd out-of-doors.]
Tony
Fireworks!
The Doctor
Lie quiet.
71
