streetcar retype final - It is early the following morning...

70
It is early the following morning. There is a confusion of
street cries like a choral chant.
Stella is lying down in the bedroom. Her face is serene in
the early morning sunlight. One hand rests on her belly,
rounding slightly with new maternity.
From the other dangles a book of colored comics. Her
eyes and lips have that almost narcotized tranquility
that is the faces of Eastern idols. The table is sloppy with
remains of breakfast and the debris of the preceding
night, and Stanley's gaudy pajamas lie across the
threshold of the bathroom. The outside door is slightly
ajar on a sky of summer brilliance.
Blanche appears at this door. She has spent a sleepless
night and her appearance entirely contrasts with Stella's.
She presses her knuckles nervously to her lips as she
looks through the door, before entering.
BLANCHE :
Stella?
STELLA [ stirring lazily] :
Hmmh?
Blanche :
Baby, my baby sister!

71
STELLA [drawing away from her]:
Blanche, what is the matter with you? [Blanche
straightens up slowly and stands beside the bed looking
down at her sister with
knuckles pressed to her lips.]
BLANCHE :
He's left?
STELLA :
Stan? Yes.
BLANCHE :
Will he be back?
STELLA :
He's gone to get the car greased. Why?
BLANCHE :
Why! I've been half crazy, Stella! When I found out
you'd been insane enough to come back in here after what
happened - I started to rush in after you!
STELLA :
I'm glad you didn't.
BLANCHE:
What were you thinking of? [ Stella makes an indefinite
gesture ] Answer me! What? What?
STELLA :
Please, Blanche! Sit down and stop yelling.
BLANCHE :
All right, Stella. I will repeat the question quietly now.
How could you come back in this place last night? Why, you
must have slept with him!

72
[Stella gets up in a calm and leisurely way.]
STELLA :
Blanche, I'd forgotten how excitable you are.
You're making much too much fuss about this.
BLANCHE :
Am I?
STELLA :
Yes, you are, Blanche. I know how it must have
seemed to you and I'm awful sorry it had to happen, but
it wasn't anything as serious as you seem to take it. In
the first place, when men are drinking and playing poker
anything can happen. It's always a powder keg. He didn't
know what he was doing .... He was as good as a lamb
when I came back and he's really very, very ashamed of
himself.
BLANCHE :
And that - that makes it all right?
STELLA :
No, it isn't all right for anybody to make such a terrible
row, but - people do sometimes. Stanley's always smashed
things. Why, on our wedding night - soon as we came in
here - he snatched off one of my slippers and rushed
about the place smashing the light bulbs with it.
BLANCHE:
He did - what?
STELLA :
He smashed all the light bulbs with the heel of my
slipper! [ She laughs .]
BLANCHE :
And you - you let him? Didn't run, didn't scream!

73
STELLA :
I was - sort of - thrilled by it. [She waits for a
moment.] Eunice and you had breakfast
BLANCHE :
Do you suppose I wanted my breakfast?