He Who Gets Slapped Part 23

You order me?

GENTLEMAN

Sit down here. Thank you. [_Bows._] I am respected and I am famous, yes?

I have a wife and a son, yes. [_Laughs slowly._] My wife still loves you: our favourite discussion is about your genius. She supposes you are a genius. We, I and she, love you even when we are in bed. Tss! It is I who must make faces. My son--yes, he'll resemble you. And when, in order to have a little rest, I go to my desk, to my ink-pot, my books--there, too, I find you. Always you! Everywhere you! And I am never alone--never myself and alone. And when at night--you, sir, should understand this--when at night I go to my lonely thoughts, to my sleepless contemplations, even then I find your image in my head, in my unfortunate brain, your d.a.m.ned and hateful image! [_Silence. The gentleman's eyes twitch._]

HE

[_Speaking slowly_]: What a comedy. How marvellously everything is turned about in this world: the robbed proves to be a robber, and the robber is complaining of theft, and cursing! [_Laughs._] Listen, I was mistaken. You are not my shadow. You are the crowd. If you live by my creations, you hate me; if you breathe my breath, you are choking with anger. And choking with anger, hating me, you still walk slowly on the trail of my ideas. But you are advancing backward, advancing backward, comrade! Oh, what a marvellous comedy! [_Walking and smiling._] Tell me, would you be relieved if I really had died?

GENTLEMAN

Yes! I think so. Death augments distance and dulls the memory. Death reconciles. But you do not look like a man who----

HE

Yes, yes! Death, _certainly_!

GENTLEMAN

Sit down here.

HE

Your obedient servant. Yes?

GENTLEMAN

Certainly, I do not dare to ask you--[_makes a grimace_] to ask you to die, but tell me: you'll never come back there? No, don't laugh. If you want me to, I'll kiss your hand. Don't grimace! I would have done so if you had died.

HE

[_Slowly_]: Get out, vermin!

[_Enter Tilly and Polly as in the first act, playing. For a long time they do not see the two men._]

HE

Jack!

TILLY

Ah! Good morning, HE. We are rehearsing. You know it is very hard. Jack has just about as much music in his head as my pig.

HE

[_Introducing, nonchalantly_]: My friend.... For the benefit performance? [_The clowns bow to the gentleman, making idiotic faces._]

POLLY

Yes. What are you preparing? You are cunning, HE! Consuelo told me what you are preparing for the benefit performance. She leaves us soon, you know?

HE

Is that so?

TILLY

Zinida told us. Do you think she would get a benefit performance otherwise? She is a nice girl.

POLLY

[_Taking his small flute-pipe_]: Here! Don't walk as if you were an elephant. Don't forget you are an ant! Come on! [_They go off, playing._]

GENTLEMAN

[_Smiling_]: These are your new comrades? How strange they are!

HE

Everything here is strange.

GENTLEMAN

This suit of yours. Black used to be very becoming to you. This one hurts the eyes.

HE

[_Looking himself over_]: Why? It looks very nice. The rehearsal has begun. You must go away. You are disturbing us.

GENTLEMAN

You did not answer my question.

[_Slow strains of the Tango from a small orchestra in the ring._]

HE

[_Listening absent-mindedly to the music_]: What question?

GENTLEMAN

[_Who does not hear the music_]: I pray you to tell me: will you ever come back?

HE

[_Listening to the music_]: Never, never, never!