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Context
This is the final scene of the trilogy, from Act Four of The Haunted. Lavinia has buried her entire family - her father was murdered by her mother, her mother committed suicide, and her brother killed himself over guilt of their mother’s death. In this scene, Lavinia is desperate to escape the family curse, to marry Peter Niles and leave the house and her family behind.
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Start:
PETER--Hello, Vinnie. (He sits on the edge of the portico beside her. She still keeps her eyes closed, as if afraid to open them. He looks at her worriedly.) You look terribly worn out. Haven't you slept? (He pats her hand with awkward tenderness. Her mouth twitches and draws down at the corners as she stifles a sob. He goes on comfortingly.) You've had an awfully hard time of it, but never mind, we'll be married soon.
LAVINIA--(without opening her eyes--longingly) You'll love me and keep me from remembering?
[...]
End:
PETER--(wincing as if she had struck him in the face, stares at her with a stricken look of horrified repulsion--with bitter, broken anger) Then--Mother and Hazel were right about you--you are bad at heart--no wonder Orin killed himself--God, I--I hope you'll be punished--I--! (He hurries blindly off down the drive to the left.)
LAVINIA--(watches him go--then with a little desperate cry starts after him) Peter! It's a lie! I didn't--! (She stops abruptly and stiffens into her old, square-shouldered attitude. She looks down the drive after him--then turns away, saying in a lost, empty tone) Good-bye, Peter.
Full text of scene available at: O’Neill, Eugene. Mourning Becomes Electra: The Haunted. 1931. http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks04/0400141h.html#p02
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Links
https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/o/oneill/eugene/o5m/index.html
http://www.eoneill.com/library/contour/historian/electra.htm
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks04/0400141h.html
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