The Mousetrap and Other Plays (16 page)

SARAH
. Colleagues? (
She looks at the card.
) Doctor Theodore Gerard. Oh. (
Reverently
) Are you
the
Doctor Gerard? But yes, you must be.

GERARD
. I am Doctor Theodore Gerard. So, as I say, we are colleagues.

SARAH
. Yes, but you're distinguished and I am only starting.

GERARD
. (
Smiling
) Oh, well, I hope it will not be like your English proverb—wait a minute so that I get it right. (
Slowly
) “Doctors differ and patients die.”

SARAH
. Fancy your knowing that! Just as well we haven't any patients. Have you just come in on the afternoon train?

GERARD
. Yes. With a very important English lady. (
He grimaces
) Lady Westholme. Since God is not in Jerusalem, she is forced to put up with the
King Solomon Hotel.

SARAH
. (
Laughing
) Lady Westholme is a political big bug. In her own eyes at any rate. She's always heckling the Government about housing or equal pay for women. She was an undersecretary or something—but she lost her seat at the last election.

GERARD
. Not the type that interests you?

SARAH
. No—but—(
She drops her voice and draws
GERARD
up Left
) there's someone over there who does. Don't look at once. It's an American family. They were on the train with me yesterday. I talked to the son.

(
GERARD
looks at
LENNOX
)

Not that one—a younger one. He was rather nice. Extraordinary-looking old woman, isn't she? Her family seem absolutely devoted to her.

GERARD
. (
In a low voice
) Possibly because they know she will not long be with them. You recognized the signs?

SARAH
. How long would you give her?

GERARD
. Perhaps six months—who knows? You will have a drink?

SARAH
. Not now. (
She glances at her watch.
) I've got to call for a parcel at one of the shops. I must hurry. (
She gives him a friendly nod.
) Another time.

(
SARAH
crosses and exits quickly up Right.
GERARD
looks after her a moment, then turns to the
CLERK
.)

GERARD
.
Cinzano à l'eau
, please. (
He moves down Left, then crosses slowly below the table Centre to Right, glancing as he passes at the book
LENNOX
is holding. He sits in the chair down Right, and opens his newspaper, covertly studying the
 
BOYNTONS
.)

(
The
CLERK
claps his hands. The
ARAB
BOY
enters up Left. The
CLERK
gives him
GERARD
's order. The
ARAB
BOY
exits up Left.
GINEVRA
raises her head and watches
GERARD
.
Her fingers twist and tear her handkerchief.
)

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. (
Her voice sudden and deep
) Ginevra you're tired.

(
GINEVRA
jumps.
)

You'd better go and rest.

GINEVRA
. I'm not tired, Mother. I'm not really.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. Yes, you are. I always know. I don't think—(
She pauses
) I don't think you'll be able to do any sightseeing tomorrow.

(
The lift door closes and the lift ascends.
)

GINEVRA
. Oh, but I shall. (
Vehemently
) I'm quite all right.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. No, you're not. (
With slow relish
) You're going to be ill.

GINEVRA
. (
Rising; hysterically
) I'm not. I'm not.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. Go up and lie down.

GINEVRA
. I'm not going to be ill. I don't want to be ill.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. I always know.

NADINE
. I'll come up with you, Jinny.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. No, let her go up alone.

GINEVRA
. I want Nadine to come. (
Her handkerchief slips from her fingers to the floor.
)

NADINE
. (
Putting her sewing on the table
) Then, of course, I will. (
She rises.
)

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. The child prefers to go by herself. (
She fixes
GINEVRA
with her eye
) Don't you, Jinny?

GINEVRA
. (
After a pause; mechanically
) Yes—I'd rather go alone. Thank you, Nadine. (
She crosses slowly to the lift.
)

(
MRS
.
BOYNTON
follows
GINEVRA
with her eyes.
NADINE
resumes her seat and picks up her sewing. The lift descends and the door opens. The
ITALIAN
GIRL
enters from the lift. She has changed into a very revealing sunsuit, and carries a magazine and an unlighted cigarette in a long holder.

GINEVRA
passes the
GIRL
,
and exits into the lift. The door closes and the lift ascends. The
GIRL
goes to the
CLERK
,
who lights her cigarette for her.
)

GIRL
. (
To the
CLERK
) I would like a Martini on the terrace, please. (
She goes on to the terrace and sits Right of the table under the sunshade.
)

(
The
ARAB
BOY
enters up Left, with
GERARD
's drink on a tray. He crosses above the table Centre and puts the glass on the table beside
GERARD
.
He then returns to the desk, takes the
GIRL
's order from the
CLERK
and exits up Left.

JEFFERSON
COPE
enters breezily up Right. He is about forty-five; a pleasant, normal, rather old-fashioned American.
)

COPE
. (
Moving to Right of the table Centre
) I was looking around for you all. (
He shakes hands all round, then stands Right of the table.
) How do you find yourself, Mrs. Boynton? Not too tired by the journey from Cairo?

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. (
Suddenly very gracious
) No, thank you. My health's never good, as you know . . .

COPE
. Why, of course. (
Sympathetically
) Too bad, too bad.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. But I'm certainly no worse. (
She looks at
NADINE
.) Nadine takes good care of me, don't you, Nadine?

NADINE
. (
Without expression
) I do my best.

COPE
. (
Heartily
) Why, I bet you do. Well, Lennox, and what do you think of King David's city?

(
LENNOX
continues to look at his book and does not answer.
)

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. Lennox!

LENNOX
. (
As from the very far away
) Sorry—what did you say, Cope?

COPE
. (
Crossing above the table to Left Centre
) I asked what you thought of King David's city.

LENNOX
. Oh—I don't know.

COPE
. Find it kind of disappointing, do you? I'll confess it struck me that way at first. But perhaps you haven't been around much yet?

LENNOX
. We can't do much because of Mother.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. A couple of hours' sightseeing is about all I
can
do.

COPE
. I think it's wonderful you manage to do all you do, Mrs. Boynton.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. I don't give in to my body. It's the mind that matters—(
With secret zest
) yes, the mind.

(
RAYMOND
BOYNTON
enters up Right and moves to Right of the table. He is a good-looking young man of twenty-four. He is smiling and looking happy. He carries a wrapped bottle of medicine.
)

COPE
. Hullo, Ray, caught sight of you just now as I came in—but you were too busy to see me. (
He laughs.
)

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. Busy? (
She turns her head slowly to look at
RAYMOND
.)

(
RAYMOND
's smile vanishes
)

Did you get my medicine at the chemist?

RAYMOND
. Yes, Mother, here it is. (
He hands her the package, avoiding her eye.
)

COPE
. That was a nice-looking girl you were talking to, Ray.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. A girl? What girl? (
She puts the package on the table.
)

RAYMOND
. (
Nervously
) She was on the train last night. I helped her with some of her cases—they were a bit heavy.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. (
Intent on
RAYMOND
) I see.

RAYMOND
. (
Turning desperately to
COPE
) I suppose you've seen all there is to see by this time.

(
The
ARAB
BOY
enters up Left. He carries a tray with the
GIRL
's drink. He goes on to the terrace, puts the glass on the table, then exits up Left.
)

COPE
. Well, I hope to have done Jerusalem pretty thoroughly in another couple of days and then I'm going to have a look at Petra, the rose-red city of Petra—a most remarkable natural phenomenon, right off the beaten track.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. “A rose-red city—half as old as time.”

RAYMOND
. It sounds marvellous.

COPE
. It's certainly worth seeing. (
He hesitates, moves Left, then returns to Left of
MRS
.
BOYNTON
.) I wonder if I couldn't persuade some of you people to come along with me? I know
you
couldn't manage it, Mrs. Boynton, and naturally some of your family would want to remain with you—but if you were to divide forces, so to speak . . . (
He looks from one to the other of them, finally at
MRS
.
BOYNTON
.)

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. (
Expressionless
) I don't think that we'd care to divide up. We're a very united family. (
She pauses
) What do you say, children?

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. You see. They won't leave me. What about you, Nadine? You didn't say anything.

NADINE
. No, thank you, not unless Lennox cares about it.

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. Well, Lennox, what about it? Why don't you and Nadine go? She seems to want to.

LENNOX
. (
Nervously
) I—well—no—I—I—think we'd better all stay together.

COPE
. Well—you are a devoted family.

(
COPE
exchanges a look and a smile with
RAYMOND
,
and picks up a magazine from the table.
)

SARAH
enters up Right. She carries a small parcel. She goes on to the terrace and exits on it to Right.
RAYMOND
watches
SARAH
.
MRS
.
BOYNTON
watches
RAYMOND
.)

MRS
.
BOYNTON
. (
To
COPE
) We keep ourselves to ourselves. (
To
RAYMOND
) Is that the girl you were talking to outside?