Music & Libretto by Michael Pratt
Act 3, Scene 2: the interior of Villa Puccini, the same as act one.
(Puccini is in his study packing things from the piano and work table. Enter Tello from the upstage doorway.)
Tello: You asked me to come, Maestro.
Puccini: I am leaving tonight for Paris. I am only taking what I need. Please send the rest.
Tello: I will take care of it, Maestro.
Puccini: That is not all. I want to ask again please drop your lawsuit. If you do that,Tello, Elvira will not have to go to prison. Your sister's name is clear. You have your justice. Do not be vengeful. I know you have suffered and so has you family. Let me make it up to you. Twelve thousand lire. Please, do this for me.
Tello: We have our justice, Maestro, and the whole world knows. My sister can rest in peace, Maestro. I cannot understand you. You should let her rot in prison. But, for you, Maestro, I will accept your offer.
(Puccini writes a check and hands it to Tello.)
Tello: Goodbye, Maestro. I will miss you.
(Tello exits the upstage doorway.
Puccini finishes his packing, closes his case, sets it down in the middle of the room and begins to look around. Elvira enters from the stage left stairway.)
Elvira: Deserting me after all?
Puccini: I am not deserting you. I am fleeing from you.
Elvira: Fleeing from yourself, maybe. Fleeing from your guilt.
Puccini: Elvira, I love you but I cannot bear to be near you any more. It is for your own good. It is for my own sanity.
Elvira: You would leave now? I’m going to prison? What kind of a man are you?
Puccini: You do not have to go to prison. I made a settlement with Tello.
Elvira: Thank God.
Puccini: Thank me. I’m leaving because around you my love grows weaker.
Elvira: You are leaving to be free to pursue anyone you like.
Puccini: I am leaving tonight for Paris. I must find some peace somewhere. There is none here any longer. Goodbye, Elvira.
(Puccini picks up his case and walks towards the upstage doorway.)
Elvira: This is not the end of it. I will see to that.
(Puccini stops, turns around, looks at Elvira, turns back and exits the upstage doorway. Elvira looks at the doorway for a long while as if expecting him to return. She then walks around the study looking at things. She picks up a music box and opens it. It begins playing.)
He brought me this one time from Paris.
(She listens to the music box for a while and then closes the lid and sets it down. She picks up a picture.)
How young we look in this picture.
(She sets the picture down, goes to the piano, plays a few notes, stops and begins to cry.)
Why does he have to be like he is? Why can't he be true?
(She sits at the work table.)
I know what dishonor is like. I know what disgrace is like. I endured dishonor. I endured disgrace. And now this. How can I endure this? He has left me before. He has said the same things before. What if this time it is true? I could not stand that. He does not tell me where he is going. He tells me Tello has the address. He is punishing me. He is torturing me.
(Elvira covers her face with her hands.)
Why does he hate me so much?
(She sinks to her knees.)
Giacomo, will you return to me this time? Without you. I could not continue.
(After a while Elvira rises, goes over to the gun cabinet and gets out the pistol she fired in the first act.)
Perhaps this is the solution. Doria certainly thought so. He won’t be back.
(Elvira aims the pistol at her head.)
No, I can’t do this. I have no courage. And he will be back.
(Elvira places the pistol on the work table. She stares downstage for a long time.)
That is not true. He will not return. Never. Never. I can find the courage. I must find the courage.
(Elvira picks up the pistol and aims it at her head. During the following the curtain starts to slowly descend.)
This time I will not be a coward and fire at the ceiling. My life is useless. I cannot go on any longer...
(The curtain should have reached her knees by the last line. A shot fires and the curtain immediately descends to the floor. We cannot tell if she has really shot herself or not.)
