Stanley ominously so stella and try to understand her

STANLEY
[ominously]:
So?
STELLA:
And try
to
understand her and be nice to her, Stan.
BLANCHE
[Singing in the bathroom]:
"From the land of the sky blue water,
They brought a captive maidl"
STELLA:
She wasn't expecting to find us in such a smail place. You
see I'd tried to gloss things over a little in my letters.
STANLBY:
So?
STELLA:
And admire her dress and tell her she's looking wonderful.
That's important with Blanche. Her little weakness I
STANLEY:
Yeah. I get the idea. Now let's skip back a little
to
where
you said the country place was disposed of.
STELLA:
Ohl-yes .••
STANLEY:
How about that? Let's have a few more details on that
subjeck.
83

SOENE TWO
STELLA:
It's best not
to talk much about
it until she's calmed down.
STANLEY:
So that's the deal, huh? Sister Blanche cannot
be annoyed
with business details right nowl
STELLA:
You saw how she was last night.
STANLEY:
Uh-hum, I saw how she was. Now let's have a gander
at
the bill
of sale.
STELLA:
1 haven't seen any.
STANLEY:
She didn't show you
no papers, no deed
of
sale or nothing
like that, huh?
STELLA:
. It seems like
it wasn't sold.
STANLEY:
Well what in hell was
it then, give away?
To charity?
STELLA:
Shhh! She'll
hear you.
STANLEY:
1 don't care
if she hears
me . Let's see the papers!
STELLA:
There
weren't any papers, she didn't show any papers, I
don't care about papers.
STANLEY:
Have you ever
heard of
the Napoleonic code?
STELLA:
No,
·Stanley, I haven't
heard of
the Napoleonic code and
if
I have, 1 don't see what
it-
STANLEY:
Let
me enlighten you
on a point
or two, baby.
STELLA:
Yes?
STANLEY:
In the
state of Louisiana we have the Napoleonic ,code
84
SOENE
TWO
according
to which what belongs
to the wife belongs to the
husband and vice versa.
For instance
if .l had
a piece of
property,
or you had
a piece of property-
STELLA:
My head is swimming!
STANLEY:
All right. I'll wait till she gets through soaking
in a
hot tub
and then
l'1l inquire
if she
is
acquainted with the
Napo-
leonic code.
It looks
to me like you have been swindled,
baby, and when you're swindled
under
the Napoleonic code
I'm swindled
too. And 1 don't
like to be swindled.
STELLA:
.
There's plenty
of time
to ask her questions later
but if you
do now she'll go
to pieces again. 1 don't understand
what
happened to
Belle Reve but
you don't know how ridiculous
you are being when you suggest
that my sister
or 1 or any-
one of our famity could have perpetrated a swindle
on
anyone else.
STANLEY:
Then where's the money
if the plaCe was sold?
STELLA:
Not
sold-lost, 10stJ
[He stalks into bedroom, and she follows him.]
StanleyJ
[He pulls open the wardrobe trunk standing
in middle
of
room
and jerks out an armful
of dresses.]
STANLEY:
'
Open your eyes
to this stuff!
You think
she got them
out
of a teacher's pay?
STELLA:
Hush!
STANLEY:
Look
at these feathers and furs
that
she come here
to preen
herself in! What's this here? A solid-gold dress, I believe!