AMALIA. While her mother lives here next door to us! LAUDISI. A fashionable apartment, for his mother-in-law, in the residential district! AMALIA. Generous to the old lady, eh? But he does that to keep her from seeing her daughter! LAUDISI. How do you know that? How do you know that the old lady, rather, does not prefer this arrangement, just to have more elbow room for herself? DINA. No, no, Nunky, you're wrong. Everybody knows that it is he who is doing it. AMALIA. See here, Lamberto, everybody understands, if a girl, when she marries, goes away from her mother to live with her husband in some other town. But supposing this poor mother can't stand being separated from her daughter and follows her to the place, where she herself is also a complete stranger. And supposing now she not only does not live with her daughter, but is not even allowed to see her? I leave it to you ... is that so easy to understand? LAUDISI. Oh say, you have about as much imagination as so many mud turtles. A mother-in-law and a son-in-law! Is it so hard to suppose that either through her fault or his fault or the fault of both, they should find it hard to get along together and should therefore consider it wiser to live apart? DINA (_with another look of pitying astonishment at her uncle_). How stupid of you, Nunky! The trouble is not between the mother-in-law and the son-in-law, but between the mother and the daughter. LAUDISI. How do you know that? DINA. Because he is as thick as pudding with the old lady; because they are always together, arm in arm, and as loving as can be. Mother-in-law and son-in-law, if you please! Whoever heard the like of that? AMALIA. And he comes here every evening to see how the old lady is getting on! DINA. And that is not the worst of it! Sometimes he comes during the daytime, once or twice! LAUDISI. How scandalous! Do you think he is making love to the old woman? DINA. Now don't be improper, uncle. No, we will acquit him of that. She is a poor old lady, quite on her last legs. AMALIA. But he never, never, never brings his wife! A daughter kept from seeing her mother! The idea! LAUDISI. Perhaps the young lady is not well; perhaps she isn't able to go out. DINA. Nonsense! The old lady goes to see _her!_ AMALIA. Exactly! And she never gets in! She can see her only from a distance. Now will you explain to me why, in the name of common sense, that poor mother should be forbidden ever to enter her daughter's house? DINA. And if she wants to talk to her she has to shout up from the courtyard!