More Portmanteau Plays Part 68

[_Jonathan looks toward Susan and Albert. There is pity in Susan's eyes and a smile in Albert's._

SUSAN

Albert, come--let's go!

[_They pa.s.s into the house._

JOHN III [_Almost as Susan speaks._

Wasn't he funniest of all!

MLLE. PERRAULT

Now, run along, children. Run along.

MARY

Look, I can make a hump-back.

JOHN III

So can I.

MARY

Not a good one!

JOHN III

You can't touch mine.

[_He smacks Mary on the back and runs off, Mary following him._

MLLE. PERRAULT

Little man, I'm very sorry. You mustn't let them hurt you. They are only children.

JONATHAN

Yes, ma'am.... Thank you.

MLLE. PERRAULT

May I do something for you?

JONATHAN

No, ma'am... if you please... I must go to Hank.

MLLE. PERRAULT

Here, take this--

[_She offers a coin._

JONATHAN

Oh, no, ma'am....

[_He puts his hand behind him._

MLLE. PERRAULT

I am sorry.... Very, very sorry.

JONATHAN

Yes, ma'am.

[_Mlle. Perrault goes out silently, and in a moment she is heard to call_ "Marie"--"John," _and a distant answer is heard_.

_Susan comes to the door and sees Jonathan. She crosses to him. He looks at her almost with madness in his eyes._

SUSAN

They didn't mean to hurt you.

[_She lays her hand on his arm._

JONATHAN

Yes, I know.

[_There is a moment of the tenderest, most understanding silence. He turns away._

_Susan starts to reach in her bag, she even takes her purse out; but she replaces it unopened, and instead of bestowing alms, she takes a flower from her hair and presses it in Jonathan's hands._

_He looks at her with years of pent-up grat.i.tude loosed from his heart._

_Silently, she turns away and goes into the house. Jonathan, left alone, turns so that his hump once more shows in the most distorted shadow. He lifts the flower and for a single moment, its shadow rises above the shadow of the hump, a tiny cross on his little Calvary. Then he lays the flower against his cheek and sits upon the log near Hank._

_Hank awakens._

HANK (_looking up stupidly_)

What you got?

JONATHAN (_hiding the flower_)