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Don Noel: Estoy a tus ordenes.
Monica: Le he pedido que viniera porque entre las recogidas hay una jovencita, Azucena...
Don Noel: No me digas que ha estado dando lata.
Monica: No, no. Lo que pasa es que... he estado platicando con ella y... y me ha contado algo que de ser cierto pues... hay que ponerle un remedio porque... porque no podemos permitir que una jovencita siga en pecado por culpa de un malvado que se ha aprovechado de su inocencia..
Don Noel: Perdon.. de quien me estas hablando?
Monica: Del individuo que estaba con Usted cuando trajo a Azucena al convento.
Don Noel: Ah!... Juan...
Monica: El mismo. Abuso de ella!... y parece ser que ahora que vuelva de su viaje se la va a llevar!... como su querida!... Y lo peor es que la inocente esta feliz con eso,Don Noel! Lo dice hasta con orgullo!
Don Noel: Dejame explicarte, Monica. Juan... no es el ogro que tu y mucha gente de San Pedro imagina.
Monica: Pero si abuso de una criatura indefensa, Don Noel!
Don Noel: No hubo tal abuso! Lo que pasa es que... Bah!... Tu eres una muchacha que ha vivido entre su casa y el convento y... para mi... es dificil hablarte de ciertas cosas, Monica.
Monica: Puede hacerlo con toda libertad. Conozco las miserias humanas y no me voy a asustar.
Don Noel: Hay cosas que horrorizan hasta a un hombre viejo y arresado como yo. Asi es que dudo mucho que siquiera.. sospeches lo que es la vida de los miserables, de los desamparados, que crecen entre las inmundicies del puerto.. peleandose por un mendrugo de pan y vendiendo hasta la honra! con tal de no morir de hambre.. Asi era Azucena cuando Juan la rescato del horror en que vivia. No era... inocente. Se dedicaba a vender placer a los hombres. Fue entonces cuando Juan, al darse cuenta de lo joven que era, la retiro del vicio.
Monica: Pero ella dice...
Don Noel: Lo que Azucena diga es muy diferente a la realidad. Que este entusiasmada con EL, y desee convertirse en su esposa... es hasta normal! Ha sido el UNICO ser humano que le ha tendido la mano. Que la ha protegido y amparado, dandole comida y abrigo sin exigirle NADA a cambio. Vuelvo a decirte, Monica. Juan... no es el demonio que todos creen.
Monica: Esta Usted seguro??
Don Noel: Escuchame bien, Monica. Nadie!... Nadie, te repito!... conoce a Juan como yo. Desde que era un chiquillo desarrapado y hambriento. Sin afecto ... ni familia.. ni apellido siquiera. Lo he visto luchar con unas y dientes. Abrirse paso. Ganarse el respeto de la gente, de los pobres como EL. Y aprender no solo de la vida... sino de los libros tambien. Si, si, si! Porque Juan, independientemente de su aspecto rudo y sus modales toscos, no es un hombre inculto!
Monica: Es que Usted me esta describiendo una persona que...
Don Noel: Que nadie se imagina!... Si.. ya lo se! Pero hay mas... Juan.. tiene un corazon de ORO. Es noble y generoso. Esos desplantes de arrogancia y cinismo que manifiesta a veces son solo una coraza que cubren un alma tierna.. y hambrienta de afecto.
Monica: Para hablar asi de EL Usted debe de quererlo mucho.
Don Noel: Tanto!... que pido que regrese sano y salvo porque... voy a darle mi apellido!... y sera un orgullo para mi... llamarlo hijo.
Don Noel: I'm at your service.
Monica: I've asked you to come because between the girls here there's a young one, Azucena...
Don Noel: Don't tell me that she's been a nuisance.
Monica: No, no. The thing is that... I've been talking with her and... and she's told me something which if true then... we must set it right because... because we can't let a girl live in sin because of a villain who took advantage of her innocence..
Don Noel: Forgive me.. whom are you talking about?
Monica: About the man who was with you when you brought Azucena to the convent.
Don Noel: Ah!... Juan...
Monica: Him. He abused her!... and it seems that now that he comes back from his voyage, he's going to take her back! as his mistress!...And the worst thing is that this innocent girlis happy with that,Don Noel! She talks about it almost proudly!
Don Noel: Let me explain, Monica. Juan... is not the monster that you and a lot of people in San Padro imagine.
Monica: But if he took advantage of a defenseless creature, Don Noel!
Don Noel: There hasn't been such an exploitation! What happened was... Bah!... You are agirl who's spent her life between your house and the convent and.. it's difficult for me to talk to you about certain things, Monica.
Monica: You are at liberty to do so. I'm aware of the human miseries and I'm not going to be shocked.
Don Noel: There are things that terrify even an old man like myself. That's why I really doubt that you can even suspect the life of the miserable ones, the unprotected, who grow betwwen the huts at the port... fighting for a chunk of bread and sell even their honour so as not to die of hunger.. That's how Azucena was when Juan saved her from the horror she was living in. She wasn't... innocent. She used to sell pleasure to men. That was when Juan, at realising how young she was, made her quit.
Monica: But she says...
Don Noel: What Azucena says is very different from the truth. That she is enthusiastic about him and wants to become his wife is almost normal!he has been the only person who has offered her help. Who has protected and sheltered her, given he food and clothes without demanding anything in return. I'm telling you again, Monica. Juan is not the demon that everyone thinks.
Monica: Are you sure?
Don Noel: Listen to me carefully, Monica. Noone!...I repeat, noone knows Juan as I do. Since he was an unprotected, hungry, little boy. With no love.. no family .. not even a last name. I've seen him fight with nails and teeth. making his way. Earning the respect of the people, the poor ones like himself. And learning not only from life.. but also from books.Yes!Because Juan, his rude appearance and his rough ways notwithstanding, is not an uneducated man!
Monica: But you are describing me a man who...
Don Noel: Who no one imagines! Yes ... I kno! But there's more.. Juan..has a heart of gold.He's noble and generous. These demonstrations of arrogance and cynisism that he puts on sometimes are an armour which covers a soul that's tender and hungry for affection.
Monica: To be talking about him like that, you must care for him a lot.
Don Noel: So much that Iask that he returns safe and soung because .. I'm going to give him my last name! and it will be a pleasure to call him...son!