seems to be some of this, quite a lot of this, which even our first paid
servant is not up on; maybe because he has been our first paid servant
for less than two years yet. Though that's wrong too; he could read eight
years ago, couldn't he? In fact, he couldn't have been elected Governor
of even Mississippi if he hadn't been able to read at least three years
in advance, could he?
STEVENS
Temple.
TEMPLE
(to Stevens) Why not? It's just stalling, isn't it?
GOVERNOR
(watching Temple) Hush, Gavin.
(to Temple)
Coup de grace not only means mercy, but is. Deliver it. Give her the
cigarette, Gavin.
TEMPLE
(sits forward again) No, thanks. Really.
REQUIEM FOR A NUN 247
(after a second) Sorry.
(quickly)
You'll notice, I always remember to say that, always remember my
manners,-'raising' as we put it. Showing that I really sprang from
gentlefolks, not Norman knights like Nancy did, but at least people who
don't insult the host in his own house, especially at two o'clock in the
morning. Only, I just sprang too far, where Nancy merely stumbled modestly:
a lady again, you see.
(after a moment)
There again. I'm not even stalling now: I'm faulting -what do they call it?
burking. You know: here we are at the fence again; we've got to jump it this
time, or crash. You know: slack the snaffle, let her mouth it a little, take
hold, a light hold, just enough to have something to jump against; then
touch her. So here we are, right back where we started, and so we can start
over. So how much will I have to tell, say, speak out loud so that anybody
with ears can hear it, about Temple Drake that I never thought that anything
on earth, least of all the murder of my child and the execution of Li nigger
do efiend whore, would ever make me tell? That I came here at two o'clock in
the morning to wake you up to listen to, after eight years of being safe or
at least quiet? You know: how much will I have to tell, to make it good and
painful of course, but quick too, so that you can revoke or commute the
sentence or whatever you do to it, and we can all go back home to sleep or
at least to bed? Painful of course, but just painful enough-l think you said
'euphoniously' was right, didn't you?
GOVERNOR
Death is painful. A shameful one, even more sowhich is not too euphonious,
even at best.
TEMPLE
Oh, death. We're not talking about death now, We're talking about shame.
Nancy Mannigoe has no shame; all she has is, to die. But touchi for me too;
haven't I brought Temple Drake all the way here at two o'clock in the
mornim, for the reason that all Nancy Mannigoe has, is to die?
STEVENS Tell him, then.
248 WILLIAM FAULKNER
TEMPLE
He hasn't answered my question yet.
(to Governor)
Try to answer it. How much will I have to tell? Don't just say
'everything.' I've already heard that.
GOVERNOR
I know who Temple Drake was: the young woman student at the University
eight years ago who left the school one morning on a special train of
students to attend a baseball game at another college, and disappeared
from the train somewhere during its run, and vanished, nobody knew
where, until she reappeared six weeks later as a witness in a murder
trial in Jefferson, produced by the lawyer of the man who, it was then
learned, had abducted her and held her prisoner-
TEMPLE
-in the Memphis sporting house: don't forget that.
GOVERNOR
-in order to produce her to prove his alibi in the murder-
TEMPLE
-that Temple Drake knew had done the murder for the very good reason
that-
STEVENS
Wait. Let me play too. She got off the train at the instigation of a
young man who met the train at an intermediate stop with an
automobile, the plan being to drive on to the ball game in the car,
except that the young man was drunk at the time and got drunker, and
wrecked the car and stranded both of them at the moonshiner's house
where the murder happened, and from which the murderer kidnapped her
and carried her to Memphis, to hold her until he would need his alibi.
Afterward he-the young man with the automobile, her escort and
protector at the moment of the abduction-married her. He is her
husband now. He is my nephew.
TEMPLE
(to Stevens, bitterly)
You too. So wise too. Why cant you believe in truth? At least that I'm
trying to tell it. At least trying now to tell it.
REQUIEM FOR A NUN 249
(to Governor) Where was I?
GOVERNOR
(quotes)
That Temple Drake knew had done the murder for the very good reason
that-
TEMPLE
Oh yes. -for the very good reason that she saw him do it, or at least his
shadow: and so produced by his lawyer in the Jefferson courtroom so that
she could swear away the life of the man who was accused of it. Oh yes,
that's the one. And now I've already told you something you nor nobody
else but the Memphis lawyer knew, and I haven't even started. You see? I
cant even bargain with you. You haven't even said yes or no yet, whether
you can save her or not, whether you want to save her or not, will
consider saving her or not; which, if either of us, Temple Drake or Mrs
Gowan Stevens either, had any sense, would have demanded first of you.
GOVERNOR
Do you want to ask me that first?
TEMPLE
I cant. I dont dare. You might say no.
GOVERNOR
Then you wouldn't have to tell me about Temple Drake.
TEMPLE
I've got to do that. I've got to say it all, or I wouldn't be here. But
unless I can still believe that you might say yes, I dont see how I can.
Which is another touch~ for somebody: God, maybe-if there is one. You see?
That's what's so terrible. We dont even need Him. Simple evil is enough.
Even after eight years, it's still enough. it was eight years ago that
Uncle Gavin said-oh yes, he was there too; didn't you just hear him? He
could have told you all of this or anyway most of it over the telephone
and you could be in bed asleep right this minute-said how there is a
corruption even in just looking at evil, even by accident; that you can't
haggle, traffic, with putrefaction-you cant, you dont dare-
(she stops, tense, motionless)
250 WILLIAM FAULKNER
GOVERNOR
Take the cigarette now.
(to Stevens) Gavin-
(Stevens takes up the pack and
prepares to offer the cigarette)
TEMPLE
No, thanks. It's too late now. Because here we go. If we cant jump the
fence, we can at least break through it-
STEVENS
(interrupts)
Which means that anyway one of us will get over standing up.