Requiem for a Nun

250 WILLIAM FAULKNER

GOVERNOR

Take the cigarette now.

(to Stevens) Gavin-

(Stevens takes up the pack and

prepares to offer the cigarette)

TEMPLE

No, thanks. It's too late now. Because here we go. If we cant jump the

fence, we can at least break through it-

STEVENS

(interrupts)

Which means that anyway one of us will get over standing up.

(as Temple reacts)

Oh yes, I'm still playing; I'm going to ride this one too. Go ahead.

(prompting) Temple Drake-

TEMPLE

-Temple Drake, the foolish virgin; that is, a virgin as far as anybody

went on record to disprove, but a fool certainly by anybody's standards

and computation; seventeen, and more of a fool than simply being a virgin

or even being seventeen could excuse or account for; indeed, showing

herself capable of a height of folly which even seven or three, let alone

mere virginity, could scarcely have matched-

STEVENS

Give the brute a chance. Try at least to ride him at the fence and not

just through it.

TEMPLE

You mean the Virginia gentleman.

(to Governor)

That's my husband. He went to the University of Virginia, trained, Uncle

Gavin would say, at Virginia not only in drinking but in gentility

too-

STEVENS

-and ran out of both at the same instant that day eight years ago when

he took her off the train and wrecked the car at the moonshiner's house.