DOL. And has anything gone wrong with him? My God!
JAV. For the sake of God in heaven, let me conclude. These things, I say, shake his nerves, and his imagination becomes on fire; it soon discovers luminous horizons; the ideas rush upon him precipitately. Could you take upon yourselves the burden of them? No; that which came with the fever of inspiration he wished to take advantage of, and for that reason--precisely for that reason--he locked himself up in his room and sent me away.
CAR. (_sadly to_ DOLORES). Did I not say so? He would come--and to work.
DOL. Does he not know that Carmen is here?
JAV. They told us that on our entrance; but he pays attention to nothing, to nobody, when inspiration and glory and art cry aloud to him, “Come, we are waiting for you.”
CAR. No, for God’s sake! (_Stopping her._) He must be allowed to work. If through me he should lose any of those grand ideas which now hover fondly about him, what pain and what remorse for me! Disturb him that he may come and speak to me? No, not so; I am not so selfish. I asked for nothing better. By no means can I consent. (_Embraces_ DOLORES; _coughs and almost weeps_.)
DOL. (_with anxiety_). What’s the matter with you?
CAR. (_affecting merriment_). Nothing; it is only that I had begun to laugh and cough at the same time. I laughed because I was reminded of a tale--a very silly tale, which made me laugh, however, and which fits the case. You shall judge. There was a very sprightly little female donkey, which became enamoured of a most beautiful genius, who bore on his forehead a very red little flame, and had very white wings; and the bright genius, out of pure compassion, fondled the ears of the little donkey; and she, in accordance with her nature, began to leap for joy, and it overthrew the genius, clipped his wings, and he could fly no more. The blue of the firmament was cut off from the genius, and there was left to him nothing more than a very green meadow, a little female donkey who was very good, but who was, after all, a donkey. No, mother, I don’t wish to be _the heroine of the story_. Let us allow the genius to fly.
DOL. (_to_ JAVIER). See what a creature she is!
DOL. But, indeed, if you persist, we shall let him work.