The Mousetrap and Other Plays (125 page)

CAROLINE
. (
taking the list
) Let me see. (
She puts on her spectacles and studies the list
)

PHILIP
. (
into the telephone
) What? . . . What do you say? . . . Good Lord—are you sure? . . . (
He looks round at Caroline and Miss Williams
) Well, I can't talk now . . . Yes, better come along here. I'll meet you . . . Yes—we'll talk it over—discuss what's best to be done . . .

CAROLINE
. (
to Miss Williams
) What about these?

MISS
WILLIAMS
. (
looking at the list
) Those items are optional.

PHILIP
. (
into the telephone
) No, I can't, now—it's difficult . . . You are sure? Yes, but you're a bit vague sometimes. It could have got mislaid . . . All right—if you're sure . . . Be seeing you. (
He replaces the receiver, gives a worried look at the others, goes on to the terrace and paces up and down
)

CAROLINE
. (
giving the list to Miss Williams
) I do hope I'm doing the right thing about Angela. (
She removes her spectacles
)

MISS
WILLIAMS
. I think you can be quite certain of that, Mrs. Crale.

CAROLINE
. I want so terribly to do what's best for her. You know why.

MISS
WILLIAMS
. Believe me, you have nothing to reproach yourself with where Angela is concerned.

CAROLINE
. I—disfigured her for life. She'll always have that scar.

(
PHILIP
looks off
L
through the pergola
)

MISS
WILLIAMS
. One cannot alter the past.

(
PHILIP
exits up
L
,
above the pergola
)

CAROLINE
. No. It taught me what a wicked temper I have. I've been on my guard ever since. But you
do
see, don't you, why I've always spoilt her a little?

MISS
WILLIAMS
. School life will suit her. She needs the contacts of other minds—minds of her own age. (
She rises
) You're doing the right thing—I'm sure of that. (
In a business-like way
) I'd better get on with her packing—I don't know whether she wants to take any books with her.

(
MISS
WILLIAMS
exits up
C
,
closing the door behind her.
CAROLINE
sinks wearily back into her chair.
PHILIP
enters down
L
and stands looking off
L
.
AMYAS
enters by the door up
L
,
carrying his paintbox
)

AMYAS
. (
to Philip; irritably
) Where is that girl? (
He moves to his stool
) Why can't she get up in the morning?

(
PHILIP
,
looking off
L
,
does not answer
)

(
He sits, puts his paintbox on the ground beside him and arranges his gear
) Have you seen her, Phil? What's the matter with you? Has nobody given you any breakfast?

PHILIP
. (
turning
) Eh? Oh, yes, of course. I—I'm waiting for Merry. He's coming over. (
He looks at his watch
) I wonder which way he'll come—I forgot to ask him. Upper or lower path. I could go along and meet him.

AMYAS
. Lower path's the shorter one. (
He rises and goes into the room
) Where the devil is that girl? (
To Caroline
) Have you seen Elsa? (
He goes to the door up
C
)

CAROLINE
. I don't think she's up yet.

(
AMYAS
is about to open the door
)

Amyas, come here, I want to talk to you.

AMYAS
. (
opening the door
) Not now.

CAROLINE
. (
firmly
) Yes, now.

(
AMYAS
looks sheepish, but closes the door.
PHILIP
moves below the bench.
ELSA
enters down
L
,
dressed in shorts and shirt
)

PHILIP
. (
to Elsa
) You're late on parade. You look on top of the world this morning.

ELSA
. (
radiant
) Do I? I feel it.

(
PHILIP
exits down
L
.
ELSA
goes to the bench and sits facing the pergola, basking in the sun
)

AMYAS
. (
moving above the stool
) Caroline, I've told you I don't want to discuss this. I'm sorry Elsa blew her top. I told her not to.

CAROLINE
. You didn't want a scene until you'd finished your picture, is that it?

AMYAS
. (
moving to Caroline
) Thank the Lord you understand.

CAROLINE
. I understand you very well.

(
ELSA
swings her legs over the bench and faces front. After a moment she hears raised voices, rises and goes to the french windows to listen
)

AMYAS
. Good. (
He bends down to kiss Caroline
)

(
CAROLINE
ducks aside, rises and crosses below Amyas to the stool
)

CAROLINE
. I may understand, but that doesn't mean that I'm taking this lying down. (
She turns to him
) Do you really mean you want to marry this girl?

AMYAS
. (
moving to her
) Darling, I'm very fond of you—and of the child. You know that. I always shall be. (
Roughly
) But you've got to understand this. I'm damned well going to marry Elsa and nothing shall stop me.

CAROLINE
. (
facing front
) I wonder.

AMYAS
. (
moving up
R
of the stool
) If you won't divorce me, we'll live together and she can take the name of Crale by deed poll.

(
PHILIP
enters down
L
,
sees
ELSA
listening, and unseen, lounges against the downstage pillar of the pergola
)

CAROLINE
. You've thought it all out, haven't you?

AMYAS
. (
moving
R
) I love Elsa—and I mean to have her.

CAROLINE
. (
trembling
) Do as you please—I'm warning you.

AMYAS
. (
turning
) What do you mean by that?

CAROLINE
. (
turning suddenly on him
) I mean you're mine—and I don't mean to let you go.

(
AMYAS
moves to Caroline
)

Sooner than let you go to that girl, I'll . . .

AMYAS
. Caroline, don't be a fool.

CAROLINE
. (
near to tears
) You and your women! You don't deserve to live.

AMYAS
. (
trying to embrace her
) Caroline . . .

CAROLINE
. I mean it. (
She pushes him away
) Don't touch me. (
She crosses to the door down
R
in tears
) It's too cruel—it's too cruel.

AMYAS
. Caroline . . .

(
CAROLINE
exits down
R
.
AMYAS
gives a hopeless gesture, turns and crosses towards the french windows.
ELSA
turns quickly away, sees Philip and quickly looks nonchalant
)

(
He goes on the terrace
) Oh, there you are at last. (
He moves to his stool and sits
) What do you mean by wasting half the morning?
Get
into the pose.

ELSA
. (
looking at Amyas over the top of the easel
) I'll have to get a pullover. It's quite a chilly wind.

AMYAS
. Oh, no, you don't. It'll change all the tones of the skin.

ELSA
. I've got a yellow one like this shirt—and, anyway, you're painting my hands this morning, you said so.

(
ELSA
pouts and runs off by the door up
L
)

AMYAS
. (
shouting after Elsa
) You don't know what I'm painting. Only
I
know that. Oh, hell! (
He squeezes paint from a tube on to his palette and mixes the paint
)

PHILIP
. Trouble with Caroline?

AMYAS
. (
looking up
) Heard some of it, did you?

(
PHILIP
crosses below Amyas to
R
)

I knew just what would happen. Elsa had to open her big mouth. Caroline gets hysterical and won't listen to reason.

PHILIP
. (
turning
) Poor Caroline! (
He does not say it with pity, instead there is a trace of satisfaction in his tone
)

(
AMYAS
looks sharply at Philip
)

AMYAS
. Caroline is all right. Don't waste your pity on her.

PHILIP
. (
crossing to
LC
) Amyas, you're incredible. I don't know that I'd really blame Caroline if she took a hatchet to you.

AMYAS
. (
irritably
) Do stop pacing, Phil. You're putting me off. I thought you were going to meet Merry.

PHILIP
. (
moving to the upstage end of the pergola
) I was afraid of missing him.

AMYAS
. What's the big hurry? You saw him yesterday.

PHILIP
. (
crossly
) Since I seem to annoy you, I'll take myself off.

(
PHILIP
exits up
L
,
above the pergola.
ELSA
enters by the door up
L
,
with a pullover draped over her arm
)

AMYAS
. (
looking up
) At last! Now, get me some beer, will you. I'm thirsty. What on earth you want with a pullover on a day like this I don't know. I'm boiling. You'll be wanting snow boots next, and a hot-water bottle to sit on.

(
ELSA
drops her pullover on the bench, goes to the trolley and pours a glass of beer
)

(
He rises, goes down
R
,
turns and looks at his painting
) This is the best thing I've ever done. (
He moves to the painting and bends down to it
) Do you think Da Vinci knew what he'd done when he'd finished La Giaconda?

(
ELSA
crosses with the glass of beer and holds it out over the easel
)

ELSA
. La—what?

AMYAS
. (
taking the glass
) La Gia—the Mona Lisa, you ignorant bitch—oh, never mind. (
He drinks
) Pah! It's warm. Isn't there a bucket of ice?

ELSA
. (
sitting on the bench
) No. (
She takes up her pose
)

AMYAS
. Somebody's always forgetting something. (
He crosses above the bench and looks off
L
) I loathe hot beer. (
He calls
) Hi, Angela!

ANGELA
. (
off
L
;
calling
) What?

AMYAS
. Go and get me a bottle of beer from the refrigerator.

(
ANGELA
enters down
L
)

ANGELA
. Why should I?

AMYAS
. Common humanity. (
He crosses to his stool
) Come on, now, be a sport.

ANGELA
. Oh, all right.

(
ANGELA
sticks her tongue out at Amyas and runs off by the door up
L
)

AMYAS
. Charming little girl. (
He sits on his stool
) Your left hand's wrong—up a bit.

(
ELSA
moves her left hand
)

That's better. (
He sips some beer
)

(
MISS
WILLIAMS
enters up
C
and goes on to the terrace
)

MISS
WILLIAMS
. (
to Amyas
) Have you seen Angela?

AMYAS
. She's just gone into the house to get me some beer. (
He paints
)

MISS
WILLIAMS
. Oh.

(
MISS
WILLIAMS
seems surprised. She turns and exits quickly by the door up
L
.
AMYAS
whistles as he works
)

ELSA
. (
after a few moments
) Must you whistle?

AMYAS
. Why not?