Long Day's Journey Into Night Page #4

you wanted to believe every man was a knave with his soul for sale,

and every woman who wasnt a whore was a fool!

All right. All right. I did put him wise to a few things,

but not until after I'd seen hed started to raise hell, and would only

laugh at me if I pulled that good advice, older brother stuff.

All I did was make a pal of him and be absolutely frank so hed learn from my mistakes that

Well, that if you cant be good you can at least be careful.

Thats a rotten accusation, Papa.

You know how much that kid means to me,

and how close weve always been

not like the usual brothers! Id do anything for him.

I know you may have thought it was for the best.

I didnt say you did it deliberately to harm him.

Besides its damned rot! Id like to see anyone influence Edmund any more than he wants to be.

What had I to do with all the crazy stunts hes pulled in the last few years

working his way all over the map as a sailor and all that stuff.

No, thanks! Ill stick to Broadway, and a room with a bath, and bars that served bonded Bourbon.

You and Broadway! Its made you what you are!

Whatever Edmunds done, hes had the guts to go off on his own,

where he couldnt come whining to me the minute he was broke.

Hes always come home broke finally, hasnt he?

And what's his going away get him? Look at him now!

God! Thats a lousy thing to say. I didnt mean that.

Hes been doing well on the paper. You used to talk about becoming

a newspaper man but you were never willing to start at the bottom, you expected...

Oh for God's sake Papa! Can't you lay off me?

Damnable luck Edmund should be sick right now,

it couldn't have come at a worse time for him.

Or for your mother.

It's damnable she should have this to upset her

just when she needs peace and freedom from worry.

She's been so well in the two months since she came home.

It's been heaven to me.

This home's been a real home again.

- But I needn't tell you Jamie.

- No. I felt the same way Papa.

Yes. She's been a different woman intirely from the other times.

She's control of her nerves, or she had until Edmund got sick.

Now you can feel her growing tense and frightened underneath.

I wish to God we could keep the truth from her

but we can't if he's to be sent to a sanatorium.

What makes it worse is her father died of consumption.

She worshipped him. She's never forgotten it.

Yes it'll be hard for her.

But she can do it! She's the willpower now.

We must help her Jamie. In every way we can.

Of course Papa.

- Outside of nerves she seems perfectly alright this morning.

- Yes, never better, she's full of fun and mischief.

Why do you say 'seems'?

Why shouldn't she be alright?

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