Requiem for a Nun

280 WILLIAM FAULKNER

Temple steps quickly forward and slaps Nancy across the face.

Nancy steps back. As she does so, the packet of money and

the jewel box fall to the floor from inside her topcoat. Temple

stops, looking down at the money and jewels. Nancy recovers.

Yes, there it is, that caused all the grief and ruin. If you hadn't been

somebody that would have a box of diamonds and a husband that you could

find almost two thousand dollars in his britches pocket while he was

asleep, that man wouldn't have tried to sell you them letters. Maybe if

I hadn't taken and hid it, you would have give it to him before you come

to this. Or maybe if I had just give it to him yesterday and got the

letters, or maybe if I was to take it out to where he's waiting in that

car right now, and say, Here, man, take your money-

TEMPLE

Try it. Pick it up and take it out to him, and see. If you'll wait until

I finish packing, you can even carry the bag.

NANCY

I know. It aint even the letters any more. Maybe it never was. It was

already there in whoever could write the kind of letters that even eight

years afterward could still make grief and ruin. The letters never did

matter. You could have got them back at any time; he even tried to give

them to you twice-

TEMPLE

How much spying have you been doing?

NANCY

All of it.-You wouldn't even needed money and

diamonds to get them back. A woman dont need it.

All she needs is womanishness to get anything she

wants from men. You could have done that right

here in the house, without even tricking your husband

into going off fishing.

TEMPLE

A perfect example of whore morality. But then, if I can say whore, so can

you, cant you? Maybe the difference is, I decline to be one in my

husband's house.

NANCY

I aint talking about your husband. I aint even talking about you. I'm

talking about two little children.