Requiem for a Nun

230 WILLIAM FAULKNER

TEMPLE

Listen. How much do you know?

STEVENS

Nothing.

TEMPLE

Swear.

STEVENS

Would you believe me?

TEMPLE

No. But swear anyway.

STEVENS

All right. I swear.

TEMPLE

(crushes cigarette into tray) Then listen. Listen

carefully.

(she stands, tense, rigid,

facing him, staring at him)

Temple Drake is dead. Temple Drake will have been dead six years

longer than Nancy Mannigoe will ever be. If all Nancy Mannigoe has to

save her is Temple Drake, then God help Nancy Mannigoe. Now get out

of here.

She stares at him; another moment. Then he rises, still watching her; she

stares steadily and implacably. Then he moves.

TEMPLE

Good night.

STEVENS

Good night.

He goes back to the chair, takes up his coat and hat, then goes on to the

hall door, has put his hand on the knob.

TEMPLE

Gavin.

(he pauses, his hand on the knob, and looks back at her) Maybe I'll

have the handkerchief, after all.

(he looks at her a moment longer, then releases the knob,

takes the handkerchief from his breast pocket as he

crosses back toward her, extends it. She doesn't take it)

REQUIEM FOR A NUN 231

All right. What will I have to do? What do you suggest, then?

STEVENS Everything.

TEMPLE

Which of course I wont. I will not. You can understand that, cant you?

At least you can hear it. So let's start over, shall we? How much will

I have to tell?

STEVENS

Everything.

TEMPLE

Then I wont need the handkerchief, after all. Good night. Close the

front door when you go out, please. It's getting cold again.

He turns, crosses again to the door without stopping nor looking back,

exits, closes the door behind him. She is not watching him either now. For

a moment after the door has closed, she doesn't move. Then she makes a

gesture something like Gowan's in Scene Two, except that she merely presses

her palms for a moment hard against her face, her face calm, expressionless,

cold, drops her hands, turns, picks up the crushed cigarette from beside the

tray and puts it into the tray and takes up the tray and crosses to the

fireplace, glancing down at the sleeping child as she passes the sofa,

empties the tray into the fireplace and returns to the table and puts the

tray on it and this time pauses at the sofa and stoops and tucks the blanket

closer about the sleeping child and then goes on to the telephone and lifts

the receiver.

TEMPLE

(into the phone) Two three nine, please.

(while she stands waiting for the answer, there is a slight

movement in the darkness beyond the open door at rear, just

enough silent movement to show that something or someone is

there or has moved there. Temple is unaware of it since her

back is turned. Then she speaks into the phone)

Maggie? Temple. . . . Yes, suddenly . . . Oh, I dont know; perhaps we

got bored with sunshine.... Of course, I may drop in tomorrow. I wanted

to leave