Act 1, Scene 2 Summary

It is just before dawn the next morning. There is a priest named Father de Leo and several women wearing black shawls, including Assunta, standing outside Serafina's house. Inside it is dim but the sound of the sewing machine can be heard whirring away. They see Serafina holding the rose-colored silk and then she clutches her throat.

The group is discussing who should tell her what they have come to say and they agree that the priest should do it. They know that she will know why they have come once she sees them.

Serafina hears their voices and her eyes freeze with fright. The group climbs the stairs to the porch and Assunta opens the door. Serafina gasps at them not to speak. She stumbles backward, turns and runs out the back door. Soon she is seen from around the...