Thirty Pieces of Silver: A Play in Three Acts (4 page)

(
Hands in pockets, he moves slowly across the room, eyes on his feet, almost shuffling. He stops and watches
JANE
drink.
)

We're due at the Andrews' for bridge—at nine.

JANE
And I'm bad enough sober at your favourite game.

DAVID
I didn't say that. For God's sake, what's eating you, Jane?

JANE
Nothing. I just feel lousy. Am I entitled to that? Your friend, who's such a nice feller, didn't make me feel any better.

DAVID
You talk as if I invited him over. He's only doing his job. Did you want me to tell him to go to hell? That would be fine. That would be just fine. That would be all I'd need. The trouble is, you're still brooding over that business with Hilda. I don't know why you can't be sensibe about things like that. I knew a lot of coloured boys in the service. I got on with them too, but I didn't Snuggle up to them.

JANE
That's a rotten thing to say!

DAVID
All right. I apologize. Anything I say is a rotten thing to-night.

JANE
(
She puts down her drink and looks at him
—
then walks over to him, shaking her head. She takes him by his arms, gently.
) Davey—we're headed for a real humdinger of a battle, aren't we?

(
He nods mutely.
)

In ten minutes more, we'd really be hating each other, wouldn't we?

(He
nods again.
)

Let's not.

DAVID
Okay—Okay.

JANE
Kiss me, instead of just saying it.

(
He takes her in his arms and kisses her.
)

Want another drink now?

DAVID
All right.

(
She walks over and pours one.
DAVID
speaks slowly and with difficulty
)

I get panicked by that kind of thing. I just stop thinking. Everything becomes muddy. I say to myself, maybe Agronsky is a Communist. How should. I know?

JANE
(
giving him the drink
) Maybe he is. The hell with it.

(
LORRY
comes in
,
HILDA
following her
)

HILDA
This one really ate to-night.

LORRY
Everything. I could see the plate all over. I ought to get a present for that.

DAVID
(
picking her up and kissing her
) You're wonderful.

LORRY
You love me?

DAVID
All over, just like the plate. Every inch of you. Wherever I can see you, I love you.

LORRY
That's more than you love Mommy, isn't it?

DAVID
Well…

JANE
(
to
HILDA) YOU
might cover her to-night, Hilda. It's going to be cool, I think.

DAVID
… well, differently. You're something special.

(
He speaks to
HILDA
almost casually
)

I wish you'd have Grace use the back door, Hilda.

HILDA
(
stiffening
) I never told her to use the front door, Mr. Graham.

JANE
I did. I told her to. You know that, David.

DAVID
Look, I know. It's just that I couldn't explain that to Fuller. Did you see the way he looked at her?

HILDA
If you'll give me Lorry, I'll put her to bed.

(
Her voice is even and emotionless.
)

I'll see that Grace doesn't use the front door again.

JANE
Hilda——

(
She breaks off, staring at
DAVID.
)

HILDA
Come on, Lorry, Kiss them good night.

(
LORRY
kisses each in turn.
)

LORRY
You going to get me that present, Daddy?

DAVID
Sure, angel. Run along.

LORRY
What's it going to be?

DAVID
I haven't made up my mind
yet.
Upstairs now.

LORRY
You going to fix that damn tractor for me?

DAVID
Not if you use that kind of language. Up to bed and good night.

(
HILDA
goes up the stairs
,
LORRY
following. When they are gone, there is a strained silence.
DAVID
look at his drink, sips it.
)

Well—go ahead. Let me have it.

JANE
Don't make me out to be a fishwife, Dave. (
Almost gently
) You didn't have to say that.

DAVID
Well, damn it all, what do you suppose Fuller thought?

JANE
What did he think, Dave?

DAVID
(
walking slowly to the chair and dropping into it
) Who treats a … well, one of them that way? You make a friend of Hilda.…You get to treat all of them that way.

JANE
What way? Like a human being?

DAVID
Can you explain that to Fuller? He's looking for Reds—not for politeness.

JANE
(
striding over and facing him
) My God, Dave, do I have to explain to Fuller! Am I a Communist because I treat a maid decently or let a friend of hers come in by the front door?

DAVID
Look—I don't know what a Communist is. I never met one. I never spoke to one. Christ Almighty, maybe I'm a Communist! Maybe Agronsky is! How do I know? But they say Reds do that. He looked at Grace—and I could see what he was thinking.

JANE
(
more gently
) What's the matter, Dave? What's getting into you?

DAVID
I don't know, Jane. It's the first time I ever ran into one of them. I heard about it. It happened to my friends. But this is the first time for me. Well, I'm scared. I'm no hero. That's the F.B.I., and I don't like it.

JANE
Let's forget it. Come on, Davey—let me see you smile.

(
She sits in his lap.
)

DAVID
He files two reports—one on Agronsky, one on me.

JANE
(
standing up
) How do you know?

DAVID
Of course he does. He'd have to.

JANE
Well, what of it? So he files a report on you.

DAVID
Suppose Agronsky is a Communist? Where does that put me? Did you ever hear Agronsky say anything against Russia? Do you remember that story he told about Soviet medicine? I remember once, in our unit—Agronsky made a crack about capitalism. He said——

JANE
(
She has been listening to this incredulously, and breaks in on him angrily.
) Dave; you can go crazy thinking that way!

DAVID
(
standing up
) You always liked Agronsky.… You think I never noticed the way you look at him, the way you listen to him.

JANE
Dave!

DAVID
(
shaking his head bewilderedly
) I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Jane.

(
He paces across the room.
)

Everything I've said to-night——

JANE
(
coming over to hint
) That's all done. Everything washed out. Will you take me to dinner at the Occidental and let me have two more cocktails and get stinking and overbid everything—will you, Dave?

DAVID
It's a deal.

JANE
(
starting up the stairs
) I love you—you crazy damn fool.

Curtain
—
End of Scene One

Scene Two

It is about midnight of the same day. One lamp burns in the room as the curtain rises on the same scene. There is a sound of the door opening, and the
GRAHAMS
come in
,
DAVID
first.

DAVID
(
continuing a speech he started offstage
) —not just losing, but their damned arrogance. I don't mind the five dollars. I do mind being set the way we were set three times.

JANE
Dave, what difference does it make? Maybe if Jim Andrews was better at other things, he wouldn't have to feed his ego this way on a card game. Maybe then we'd talk once in a while, instead of burying ourselves in cards.

DAVID
(
putting on a lamp and lighting a cigarette
) What makes you think I'm better than Jim Andrews at anything?

JANE
(
smiling
) I've got my reasons.

DAVID
(
dropping into a chair
) What are they? Andrews was an up and coming New Dealer, but when they threw out the New Dealers, he became a solid administration man. When the war came, they made him a captain in the Pentagon. He'll be Secretary of the Interior some day, and I'll still be doing statistics at six thousand a year. That's how much better I am than Jim Andrews. His father just happens to, be a vice president of Amalgamated Steel, and mine runs a drug store in Peoria.

JANE
Go ahead, get it all off your chest. You're nobody. You're just poor David Graham who never amounted to anything and never will amount to anything.

DAVID
You mean that, don't you?

JANE
David, you're impossible. All this because I play bridge as stupidly as I always have. Why did we go there to-night?

DAVID
Because I haven't got the guts to turn down a bid from Andrews. Because I brownnose him the same way I did Agronsky. Because I'm not good enough to get anything or do anything on my own.

JANE
Agronsky never thought so.

DAVID
How do you know what Agronsky thought?

JANE
Dave, he spoke to me about you. Is that so unnatural? He thinks you're a hell of a guy.

DAVID
Then I've really achieved something.

(
bitterly
)

I'm a hell of a guy to Leonard Agronsky. I shouldn't take that from where it comes, should I? What was in it for him? What I am doesn't matter. But if Agronsky puts in a good word for me, I'm solid with you.

JANE
I don't know what you're talking about, Dave.

DAVID
I asked Jim Andrews about Agronsky when you were inside with Ruth. Do you know what he said?

JANE
I can guess. He wouldn't like Agronsky. What difference does it make?

DAVID
Nothing that concerns me makes any difference, does it?

JANE
Dave, I'm not going into all that again at this time of the night. If you want to beat yourself, do it alone. I'm going to bed.

(
She starts toward the stairs.
)

DAVID
Poison.

JANE
What?

DAVID
Nothing—I'm just giving you Jim Andrews' opinion of Agronsky. He said the man is poison.

JANE
Did he?

DAVID
It just seems funny as hell that you know so much more about Leonard Agronsky than I ever did. Nothing surprises you.

JANE
Why should I be surprised by one of Jim Andrews' profound opinions?

DAVID
If you're on such solid ground with Agronsky, why couldn't you offer an opinion when Fuller asked you?

JANE
(
She has gone on to the stairs. Now she stops with her hand on the rail and turns to h
im.) Dave, I'm not a police informer.

DAVID
Then Agronsky is a Communist? In other words—even if you knew, you're not talking.

JANE
Dave, he may be a Martian, I don't know. If your friend, Mr. Fuller, is going to think I'm a Communist because I allow a Negro woman to come in my house through the front door, then he'll think just what he pleases about Leonard Agronsky, and nothing you or I say is going to change it.

DAVID
(
standing up and facing her
) That's fine. But it never occurred to you that I might take any rap for this?

JANE
That occurred to me, Dave.

DAVID
And——

JANE
What do you think I should have done, Dave? Told Fuller that Agronsky was a Communist and I knew it?

DAVID
Did you know it? That's all I'm trying to find out.

(
He starts toward her.
)

I thought I knew Agronsky! I thought it was all my brilliance as a tech sergeant that made him get me this job. But I don't know a thing about Agronsky, and I can see that! When it comes to Jews and such—I'm ignorant. My little innocent wife could teach me a thing or two.

JANE
(
very coolly and evenly, in contrast to his raised voice
) Stop it, David. I think you've said enough.

DAVID
(
forcing his anger now
) There's a lot I could say if I want——

JANE
(
breaking in at the beginning
) Don't say any more, David. That's enough. I'm going to bed. Good night, David. ‘

(
JANE
goes up the stairs and offstage without looking back
DAVID
stands where he is, watching her and then staring at the stairs after she has gone. He turns slowly until he is facing the vestibule, takes out a cigarette and lights it nervously. His puffs are quick and nervous as he walks over to the piano and drops the match in an ash tray.
)

(
As he does this
,
HILDA
enters from the dining-room, and
DAVID
starts at her step, swinging around to face her.
)

DAVID
What do you want?

HILDA
(
evenly
) I came in to put out the lights, Mr. Graham. I thought you and Mrs. Graham had gone to bed.