Maeve Blows Up at Johnny After Mary Moves Out
(April 1976)(Maeve is pouring some drinks at the bar. Johnny apprehensively comes over to her, wiping a glass.)
JOHNNY: Did Mary call today?
MAEVE: No.
JOHNNY: She didn't call all day, hmmm?
MAEVE: You saw her, when she came to pick up her clothes.
JOHNNY: Yeah, well I just thought she might check in or something.
MAEVE: (shakes her head) I can't imagine why.
JOHNNY: Are you mad at me? What did I do?
MAEVE: You know perfectly well, John. You gave Mary no choice but to walk out of this house last night, that's what you did.
JOHNNY: Oh, sure, sure, I couldn't wait to lose her.
MAEVE: No, none of that, I mean what I say.
JOHNNY: Well Maeve, even Mary didn't accuse me of throwing her out! I begged her to stay. But no, Miss Independence has got to be off on her own.
MAEVE: Yes, well, it may well be time for that, but it shouldn't happen this way. John, I hate what you did!
JOHNNY: (trying to keep his voice down, though furious) What I did? How about what Fenelli did? That man's been nothing but trouble since he walked through that door!
MAEVE: Don't you talk in circles. It was not Jack that made Mary walk out of the house. It was you.
JOHNNY: Because I told my daughter...
MAEVE: Because you went to see Sister Mary Joel!
JOHNNY: Oh, I see, that's what's got you so hot under the collar! Well as I understand it, she happens to be about the only family the man has! I went asking for advice!
MAEVE: You went to get the Sister to call off Jack, or maybe slip and tell you some deep dark secret about the man so you could hold it over him! Maybe that he has a wife and child hidden away someplace! That's the sort of help you wanted!
(She slams down the tray and storms into the kitchen. Johnny follows.)
JOHNNY: I wanted that Sister to promise me that Mary would not be used and wasted by a man who loves only himself! I've been trying for months to get an answer to a simple question: Does he intend to marry her? Is he that kind of man? Well, Fenelli won't tell me, Mary doesn't know, so I went up to see Sister Mary Joel and the whole roof falls in on me!!!
MAEVE: Where on earth is your good sense? What is all this pressure for marriage?
JOHNNY: Well I happen to believe in marriage for any child of mine!
MAEVE: Well, Frank is married! Is that what you want for Mary?
JOHNNY: (pauses) No. I don't want her married to him, I don't want her living with him, I don't want her spending two or three nights a week with him in his arms, in his bed! I want her out of his life entirely!
MAEVE: Well you are forcing her straight into his arms by not leaving well enough alone! We were lucky enough to get her back the last time she left here. Why didn't that teach you something? Why didn't you settle back and let her find her way through this affair?
JOHNNY: He's got her so muddled she couldn't find her way to the corner store! It was my duty to look out for her best interests, and it still is!
MAEVE: (enraged) I don't know how you can be so blind, John! If they marry, it's your responsibility!
JOHNNY: Well what was I supposed to do?
MAEVE: Nothing! Hold your tongue and let nature take its course!
JOHNNY: Alright, maybe you're right, you're right, you're right! The next time I see him, I won't blow my top. I won't say anything, in fact!
MAEVE: Oh, fine, fine, fine!
JOHNNY: Now, wait a minute, I'll be civil to him. He's bound to show up at Ed's funeral, and what I'll do is I'll make a special point of going over to him and saying, "Good morning, Jack," and then I'll shut my mouth. And if he knows what's good for him, he'll shut his too!
MAEVE: Oh! There is no point in even discussing it any further!
JOHNNY: I promise.
MAEVE: You promise! John, you have promised before!!!
(She storms out of the kitchen.)