Three Plays Part 6

JUVENILE LEAD. This is rank madness.

THIRD ACTOR. Does he expect to knock up a drama in five minutes?

JUVENILE LEAD. Like the improvisers!

LEADING LADY. If he thinks I'm going to take part in a joke like this....

JUVENILE LEAD. I'm out of it anyway.

FOURTH ACTOR. I should like to know who they are (_alludes to Characters_).

THIRD ACTOR. What do you suppose? Madmen or rascals!

JUVENILE LEAD. And he takes them seriously!

L'INGeNUE. Vanity! He fancies himself as an author now.

LEADING MAN. It's absolutely unheard of. If the stage has come to this ... well I'm....

FIFTH ACTOR. It's rather a joke.

THIRD ACTOR. Well, we'll see what's going to happen next.

(_Thus talking, the actors leave the stage; some going out by the little door at the back; others retiring to their dressing-rooms._

_The curtain remains up._

_The action of the play is suspended for twenty minutes_).

ACT II.

_The stage call-bells ring to warn the company that the play is about to begin again._

THE STEP-DAUGHTER _comes out of the Manager's office along with_ THE CHILD _and_ THE BOY. _As she comes out of the office, she cries_:--

Nonsense! nonsense! Do it yourselves! I'm not going to mix myself up in this mess. (_Turning to the Child and coming quickly with her on to the stage_): Come on, Rosetta, let's run!

(THE BOY _follows them slowly, remaining a little behind and seeming perplexed_).

THE STEP-DAUGHTER. (_Stops, bends over the Child and takes the latter's face between her hands_). My little darling!

You're frightened, aren't you? You don't know where we are, do you? (_Pretending to reply to a question of the Child_): What is the stage? It's a place, baby, you know, where people play at being serious, a place where they act comedies. We've got to act a comedy now, dead serious, you know; and you're in it also, little one. (_Embraces her, pressing the little head to her breast, and rocking the child for a moment_). Oh darling, darling, what a horrid comedy you've got to play! What a wretched part they've found for you! A garden ... a fountain ... look ... just suppose, kiddie, it's here. Where, you say? Why, right here in the middle. It's all pretence you know. That's the trouble, my pet: it's all make-believe here. It's better to imagine it though, because if they fix it up for you, it'll only be painted cardboard, painted cardboard for the rockery, the water, the plants.... Ah, but I think a baby like this one would sooner have a make-believe fountain than a real one, so she could play with it. What a joke it'll be for the others! But for you, alas! not quite such a joke: you who are real, baby dear, and really play by a real fountain this big and green and beautiful, with ever so many bamboos around it that are reflected in the water, and a whole lot of little ducks swimming about.... No, Rosetta, no, your mother doesn't bother about you on account of that wretch of a son there. I'm in the devil of a temper, and as for that lad.... (_Seizes Boy by the arm to force him to take one of his hands out of his pockets_). What have you got there? What are you hiding? (_Pulls his hand out of his pocket, looks into it and catches the glint of a revolver_).

Ah! where did you get this?

(THE BOY, _very pale in the face, looks at her, but does not answer_).

Idiot! If I'd been in your place, instead of killing myself, I'd have shot one of those two, or both of them: father and son.

(THE FATHER _enters from the office, all excited from his work_. THE MANAGER _follows him_).

THE FATHER. Come on, come on dear! Come here for a minute!

We've arranged everything. It's all fixed up.

THE MANAGER (_also excited_). If you please, young lady, there are one or two points to settle still. Will you come along?

THE STEP-DAUGHTER (_following him towards the office_).

Ouff! what's the good, if you've arranged everything.

(THE FATHER, MANAGER _and_ STEP-DAUGHTER _go back into the office again (off) for a moment. At the same time,_ THE SON _followed by_ THE MOTHER, _comes out_).

THE SON (_looking at the three entering office_). Oh this is fine, fine! And to think I can't even get away!

(THE MOTHER _attempts to look at him, but lowers her eyes immediately when he turns away from her. She then sits down_. THE BOY _and_ THE CHILD _approach her. She casts a glance again at the Son, and speaks with humble tones, trying to draw him into conversation_).

THE MOTHER. And isn't my punishment the worst of all? (_Then seeing from the Sons manner that he will not bother himself about her_). My G.o.d! Why are you so cruel? Isn't it enough for one person to support all this torment? Must you then insist on others seeing it also?

THE SON (_half to himself, meaning the Mother to hear, however_). And they want to put it on the stage! If there was at least a reason for it! He thinks he has got at the meaning of it all. Just as if each one of us in every circ.u.mstance of life couldn't find his own explanation of it! (_Pauses_). He complains he was discovered in a place where he ought not to have been seen, in a moment of his life which ought to have remained hidden and kept out of the reach of that convention which he has to maintain for other people. And what about my case? Haven't I had to reveal what no son ought ever to reveal: how father and mother live and are man and wife for themselves quite apart from that idea of father and mother which we give them? When this idea is revealed, our life is then linked at one point only to that man and that woman; and as such it should shame them, shouldn't it?

THE MOTHER _hides her face in her hands. From the dressing-rooms and the little door at the back of the stage the actors and_ STAGE MANAGER _return, followed by the_ PROPERTY MAN, _and the_ PROMPTER. _At the same moment_, THE MANAGER _comes out of his office, accompanied by the_ FATHER _and the_ STEP-DAUGHTER.

THE MANAGER. Come on, come on, ladies and gentlemen! Heh!

you there, machinist!

MACHINIST. Yes sir?

THE MANAGER. Fix up the white parlor with the floral decorations. Two wings and a drop with a door will do. Hurry up!

(THE MACHINIST _runs off at once to prepare the scene, and arranges it while_ THE MANAGER _talks with the_ STAGE MANAGER, _the_ PROPERTY MAN, _and the_ PROMPTER _on matters of detail_).

THE MANAGER (_to Property Man_). Just have a look, and see if there isn't a sofa or divan in the wardrobe....

PROPERTY MAN. There's the green one.

THE STEP-DAUGHTER. No no! Green won't do. It was yellow, ornamented with flowers--very large! and most comfortable!

PROPERTY MAN. There isn't one like that.

THE MANAGER. It doesn't matter. Use the one we've got.

THE STEP-DAUGHTER. Doesn't matter? It's most important!

THE MANAGER. We're only trying it now. Please don't interfere. (_To Property Man_): See if we've got a shop window--long and narrowish.

THE STEP-DAUGHTER. And the little table! The little mahogany table for the pale blue envelope!

PROPERTY MAN (_To Manager_). There's that little gilt one.

THE MANAGER. That'll do fine.