Act 3 Flashcards
With my love and many glorious memories. Yours, Winnie.
When’s it dated?
November 7.
Over six months ago. She must be gone by now. But too late to answer it.
Much.
Poor Winnie.
She’d probably have been an awful nuisance anyhow. Don’t forget that your ship stops in Madera in a few days’ time. You better lock yourself in your cabin.
Not at all. If I run into her I shall say I never got the letter and that it’s my secretary’s fault.
It’s your fault. These letters have been stacking up for months. Here’s one signed Joe.
Joe what?
Just Joe. It’s dated March 2.
Let’s look.
He seems to of met you in the south of France.
I do get it out, don’t I?
Oh, it’s Joe.
That’s what I said.
Joe was marvelous. I met him at a bar in Marseilles. He’s dark green and comes from Madras. What does he want?
It’s at the end, after the bit about his sister having a baby.
Oh, yes – well, why didn’t you send him one?
Because I didn’t consider that Joe, Madras was sufficient address.
I’m damned if I can remember his last name.
Well, he’s out of luck then, isn’t he?
I wonder if I shall ever see my green England again.
I see no reason why you shouldn’t.
I might die of some awful tropical disease or be bitten by a snake.
I doubt if there are many snakes in the larger cities.
I can see myself now under a mosquito net, fighting for breath —
Who with?
Dear, dear Monica, you have no imagination. Just a flat literal mind. It must be very depressing for you.
I get by.
How many more there to do?
About 20.
I can’t bear it. Put them away until I come back.
You seemed to be in doubt just now as to whether you were coming back.
Well, I can’t answer letters if I’m dead, can I? Not a moments peace ever in my life — not even a tranquil hour when I can say farewell to my books and pictures — I slave and slave — and what do I get?
Nonsense, you’ve got the whole evening to say farewell to your books and pictures.
Fred: Have you finished with the tray? I want to be getting along.
What can I say? Is everything packed?
All except the last minute stuff, we can pop that in in the morning.
Is this poor Doris’s swan song?
How do you mean?
Nothing, Fred – it couldn’t matter less.
Monica: I must be going home.
Don’t leave me alone — I feel depressed
You were screaming for peace just now. I’ll be here first thing in the morning.
I wish you were coming with me. I shall be utterly lost with some dreary temporary African.
Is Liz coming to the station
No.
Why don’t you go round and see her?
You know perfectly well. She still in a rage. I haven’t seen her for a week.
Have you tried?
Of course I have. I’ve telephoned her three times. Each time she spoke to me kindly and remotely as if I were an idiot child. I’m not sure she didn’t spell some of the words out to me.
Would you like me to have a go with her?
No. If she wants to behave like an outrage governess with chilblains she can get on with it.
I see her point, you know. You really did go a little too far.
Now, Monica, don’t you start on me too.
All right, I’ll take these into the office.
Fred: nothing more you want?
No, Fred.
It was quite a party, wasn’t it? How many did we have?
I don’t know, about 60. I should think.
- Well, between them all they put away enough gin to float the Queen Mary.
You’d better call me at eight in the morning. We have to leave the house at 10.
Rightyo.
Good night, Fred — enjoy yourself.
Oh Em – by the way, you’d better be careful if the telephone rings. Roland mall has been calling up all week.
I think I’d almost welcome him tonight. At least he’d be interesting psychologically.
So would Rasputin.
I feel dreadfully flat. I suppose one always does before going away.
Now now, you’re getting a big boy, you know.
51, my next birthday.
41, isn’t it? Good night, dear. See you in the morning.
I do envy you, Monica, you’re so unruffled and efficient. You go churning through life like some frightening old warship.
Thank you, dear, that sounds most attractive. Good night.
Good night. Your propeller’s showing.
(Phone rings)
Hello hello — no, it isn’t.
I am going away now, Mr. Essendine. Have you everything you want?
Frankly, Miss Erickson, no. I have nothing that I want.
Oh, what a pity.
Have you? At any of us — got what we want?
Oh, Mr. Essendine, you were only acting! For a moment you made me quite upset.
You lead a strange life, Miss Erickson, do you enjoy it?
Yes, indeed.
Tell me about it from a to Z.
Do you mind if I pinch a cigarette
Pinch anything you like, Miss Erickson.
I smoke so much and I am always running out. It is most silly
Where are you going now, for instance?
I am going to my friend in Hammersmith. She is German.
Is she a spy?
Yes, I think so but she is very kind.
I understand from Fred that she is a medium as well?
Oh dear, yes. Sometimes she makes a trance and it is very surprising. She will lie on the ground for many hours making noises.
What kind of noises?
They are different. Sometimes she will sing high up like a bird and other times may make a little bark. Often she is very ill.
I am not at all surprised.
Well, I must be pushing off now
Thank you very much, Miss Erickson, it’s been most interesting.
Not at all — good night.
Good night.
(Robe off, jacket on. Doorbell rings)
Daphne.
Daphne! What does this mean?
I am coming with you to Africa. I bought my ticket this afternoon —
To Africa!!
I found a way – I left a note for my aunt — you see I know some thing now – I’ve known at all the week really ever since that awful morning when I fainted — I know that you need me as much as I need you and
No, my dear child, really.
No, please don’t say anything for a moment — I thought it all over very carefully. I know I’m very much younger than you and all that, but I can help you and look after you —
Daphne dear, this is really too absurd. You must go home at once.
I knew you’d say that.
Please put your coat on again and don’t be silly.
I felt ashamed on Thursday at first, ashamed of playing a trick on you by making auntie ring up for an audition, but when I was here I was glad —
Oh, so you were glad, where are you?
Yes, I was. I think that’s why I fainted. You see I suddenly realize the truth.
What truth?
How desperately lonely you really are… And when I saw that dreadful prostitute come out of the spare room in that tawdry evening dress.
That was not a prostitute. It was the wife of one of my dearest friends!
No, Gary — you can’t deceive me — I know.
Once and for all, Daphne, I order you to put on your coat, get into a taxi and go straight back to your aunt.
No – you need to be frightened… I won’t even see you on the boat if you don’t want me to. I’m not a very good sailor anyhow.
That’s the front doorbell.
Who is it
How do I know? You better go into the spare room.
No, Gary, please not the spare room.
That’s what it’s for.
Get rid of them soon, promise, whoever it is.
Here’s your coat – don’t argue.
Mr. mole.
Forgive me – I must see you.
I’m very sorry you can’t — I’m just going to bed.
I’m afraid I must insist, you see it’s a matter of life and death.
Please come back at once. What the hell do you mean by forcing yourself into my house like this?
That’s right – shout — out – you’re magnificent when you’re angry!
I’ll tell you some thing, young man – you’re just bloody raving mad, that’s all that’s the matter with you.
Oh no, I’m not. You’re the one who’s mad.
Will you please leave this house immediately.
I’m afraid I told a wicked lie just now when I said it was a matter of life and death.
If you’re not out of this house by the time I counted 10 I should telephone for the police 123456789
I shan’t let you. I’m tremendously strong, you know. I can lift the heaviest things imaginable without turning a hair.
No luck here, Mr. Moore.
You may call me Roland.
Thank you. Well, Roland, I want to put this situation to you reasonably and quietly. This is my last night in England and I have a great deal to do —
You said just now that you were going to bed.
Be that as it may —
I know you think I’m mad… As I told you the other day you signify a great deal to me.
I remember — I remember distinctly. I am sure I’m very flattered, Roland.
I — wonder if I could have a cookie?
By all means, help yourself, Roland.
Thank you. I promise you faithfully I’ll go after I finish this cookie. After all there’s no valid reason, is there, why I shouldn’t be acting being mad just as you’re acting being sane?
I’m not acting.
You were always acting… I am absolutely devoted to your face in every mood.
I suppose you wouldn’t like to act getting the hell out of here, would you?
That’s wonderful!
Listen, Roland, what exactly do you want?
To be with you. That’s why am coming to Africa.
That’s why your what!!
I bought a ticket today, it’s steerage, but it’s better than nothing. I have given up my law studies and left Oakfield for good. That’s why I’m rather excitable tonight. You needn’t be frightened that I shall get in your way or make any demands on you.
You mean you don’t expect me to marry you.! Let’s get you out of here.
There’s somebody at the door. Do be a good boy, and go away now, will you? You promised you would when you finish your cookie.
I’m not going to allow you to turn me away. You’ll regret it your whole life long if you do. I have a profound conviction About it that nothing will shake —
Come out of that room immediately! Mr. mall — Roland — come out at once – oh, my God!
(Drink and mirror)
Hello, darling.
What is the meaning of this, Joanna?
Don’t you know?
Yes, I do. You’re coming to Africa with me. You bought your ticket this afternoon. You’re not going to make any demands on me and you’re not a good sailor.
I’m a perfect sailor what are you going to do about it?
What are you doing?
Telephoning. Hello — hello – oh, I am so terribly terribly terribly sorry, it’s a wrong number!
Who are you calling
It doesn’t matter now.
Darling. Underneath is rather taut, strained manner of yours, deep down inside, aren’t you just a little bit glad to see me?
Absolutely delighted. It will settle things once and for all.
That’s what I thought
When did you get back from Paris?
This afternoon. Did you get my telegram
Yes, Monica read it out to me.
I meant or two.
I understood that you were going to stay in Paris for a month.
No, you didn’t, darling you knew perfectly well I wouldn’t. Your lips set the most dreadful things that you weren’t there to here, then I remembered I
What did you remember?
Remember what you said to me the other night. You said it doesn’t matter what comes after this, what circumstances combine against us, what tears are shed! This is magic, the loveliest magic that I’ve ever known!
That’s out of the second act of my play, love is so simple.
Yes – I recognized it. I saw the place several times, you know
In that case why did you believe it?
I didn’t.… Pangs of love but I’m perfectly willing to settle for the fun of love. I couldn’t agree with you more.
That, to date, is the most immoral statement I’ve ever heard in my life.
It’s true though, isn’t it?
It’s women like you who undermine the whole integrity of civilization!
What’s that out of?
The third act — it’s not out of anything.
As I told you the other night, I’ve always wanted you. You’re the first man I’ve ever met who is worthy of my steel. I can’t guarantee that we shall be domestically happy together, but we’ll have a good time
Joanna, please!
You are quite right when you said just now, with remarkable clairvoyance, that I was coming to Africa with you. I am. I’ve got the bridal suite –
The what?!
It was all there was left. In addition to that I’ve written a note to Hugo telling him everything.
Everything.
He’s dining with Maurice. They can read it together. Who is that?
With any luck it’s the sensor. Oh Liz. Terribly sorry, wrong number.
Joanna: I think it’s only fair to tell you. I’m sailing with Gary tomorrow.
Liz: what fun, so am I.
What!
I decided this afternoon.
What a day for that steamship company!
I really don’t see why. It’ll be charming. We can all eat at the same table and do our life boat drill together.
Joanna has written a note to Hugo and Maurice explaining everything.
Good, then they’ll probably be coming too.
I should like to take this opportunity to say that I wish I were dead.
… You better realize before it’s too late from the social and publicity angle you will be there as a friend of mine.
I’ll give you just three guesses as to who that is!
Joanna: Perhaps I’ve been wrong about you after all. You haven’t the guts of a rabbit!
I’m very glad I haven’t, I’m sure they’d be extremely inadequate.
False friend! False friend
Tom, come, Morris, you’re not in the Atheneum now.
A stab in the back, that’s what it is, a low down stab in the back
Not too low down, I hope.
Liz: shut up Gary.
Hugo,
Joanna,
Hugo — is what she says in a true?
How do I know? I haven’t read it.
Hugo- prevaricate
Joanna
Hugo- Answer me, Gary. Answer me.
I’ll tell you what’s true and what’s not true all right, and you can stop bouncing up and down like a rubber ball and listen —
Be careful, Gary.
Careful! I’ve been a damn sight too careful with the lot of you for years!
Have you or have you not been Joanna’s lover?
Yes, I have.
You miserable CAD!
You came here the other night absolutely determined to get me, didn’t you? And you were plausible and superficially alluring enough to succeed. You certainly rouse my curiosity very cleverly but it takes more than cleverness to touch my heart or my mind.
You haven’t got a heart or a mind. You haven’t got one decent instinct in you. You’re morally unstable and falls through and through!
For the love of God, stop being theatrical!!
Oh, dear,.
You should never of Mary Joanne in the first place, Hugo I always told you it was a grave mistake.
Do you have the damned impertinence to stand there after seducing my wife and —
Look here, Hugo, it’s high time we got down to brass tacks. I didn’t seduce your wife and well you know it. You’re taking up a very high and mighty attitude over the whole thing, but I am perfectly convinced that if you face the facts honestly for a minute you’ll discover that you don’t really mind in the least. Maurice is the one who minds. For the moment.
Oh, Gary, that was disgraceful of you.
Disgraceful my foot! I am fed up of everybody lying and intriguing and acting all over the place.
All right, Gary, you win. I wouldn’t have believed anyone in the world can sync so low
Fiddlesticks!
What did you mean about Maurice? Answer me!
I mean that Maurice and Joanna I’ve been carrying on an abortive little dingdong under your silly nose for months.
I’ll never speak to you again until the day I die!
Well, we can have a nice chat then, can’t we?
Maurice — Joanna – is this true?
Of course it’s true. It hasn’t lasted quite so long as your rather dreary affair with Elvira Radcliffe — that’s been hiccuping along for nearly a year now.
Hugo!
And don’t pretend that you didn’t know, Joanna. You were absolutely delighted. Gave your room to expand.
How could you be so vile as to betray me? I told you about that in the deepest confidence.
I’m sick to death of being stuffed with everybody’s confidences. I’m bulging with them. You all of you come to me over and over again and pour your damned tears and emotions and sentiment over me until I’m went through. You’re all just as badly behaved as I am really; in many ways a great deal worse. You believe in your amorous hangovers, whereas I at least have the grace to take mine lightly. You wallow and I laugh, because I believe now and I have always believed that there’s far too much nonsense talked about sex. You, Maurice, happen to like taking your paltry Attachments seriously. You like suffering and plunging into orgies of jealousy and torturing yourself and everybody else. That’s your way of enjoying yourself. Hugo’s technique is a little different, he goes in for the domestic blend. That’s why he got tired of Joanna so quickly. Anyhow he’s beautifully suited with poor Elvira. She’s been knee-deep in pasture ever since she left school. Joanne is different again. She devotes a great deal of time to sex, but not for any of the intrinsic pleasure of it, merely as a means to an end. She’s a collector. An attractive, unscrupulous pirate. I personally am none of these things. To me the whole business is vastly overrated. I enjoy it for what it’s worth and fully intend to go on doing so for as long as anybody’s interested and when the time comes that they’re not, I shall be perfectly content to go to bed with an apple and a good book!
Maurice
Hugo
Morris- You have the nerve to work yourself up into a state of moral indignation about us when we all know —
I have not worked myself into anything at all. I’m merely defending my right to speak the truth for once.
Truth! You wouldn’t recognize the truth if you saw it. You spent your whole life attitudinizing and posturing and showing off.
And I should like to know where we should all be if I didn’t! I’m an artist, aren’t I? Surely I may be allowed a little license!
Anyhow if it hadn’t been for a restraining influence you’d be making the pictures by now.
I suppose you’ll be saying next that it’s your restraining influence that’s allowed me to hold my position as the idol of the public for 20 years —
You’re not the idol of the public.
Oh!!
If it hadn’t been for us you’d have done peer Gynt
If I so much as here Peer Gynt mentioned in this house again I swear before heaven that I will have the most expensive production imaginable and produce it in the biggest theater in London.
Not on my money you won’t!
Oh, so we’re back to that again, are we.
No, we’re not back to anything. If it wasn’t for the fact that Hugo and I signed the contract for the forum theater this morning we should both of us wash our hands of you forever!
You’ve what!!
Joanna slap in the face
Do you mean to tell me that you signed a contract for that theater, when I particularly told you that no power on gods earth would induce me to play in it?
Now look here, Gary –
I will not look there. It’s nothing more normal less than the most outrageous betrayal of faith, and I’m deeply, deeply angry —
As I told you the other day they are doing up the whole theater. They even consented to put a shower bath into your dressing room —
I don’t care whether they’ve put a swimming pool in my dressing room.
Darling, I’ve seen the designs — they’re really awfully good.
So you’re against me too, are you. The whole world is against me.
Really, Gary, I promise you M Dash
Go away — go away, all of you, I can’t bear anymore. I’ve got to face that dreadful sea voyage tomorrow and then those months of agonizing drudgery all across the length and breath of what is admitted to be by everybody the most sinister continent there is. Go away from me – please go —
Peter Gent! — little red riding Hood’s more like it. Period
Who is that? Who is that? Oh —Liz. I think I should like a little sip of some thing. I really do feel quite tired.
Whiskey or
Brandy, I think. It’s more stimulating.
All right.
What’s this?
Brandy.
Oh, yes Brandy. It’s more stimulating. You’re not really coming to Africa with me, are you?
Certainly I am. And not only to Africa. I’m coming back to you for good.
I don’t want you to come back to me. I’m perfectly happy as I am.
That can’t be helped. You behaved abominably’s anyhow, but you won’t be able to be quite so bad with me there.
Liz, I am Ploor you not to come back to me. Have you no sympathy? No heart?
I’m thinking of the good of the firm. That reminds me, I must leave a note for Monica in the office. I want her to bring up the bank for me the first thing in the morning.
The office! My God!
What’s the matter
You’ve got a sofa, haven’t you, and your flat?
Of course. What are you talking about?
You’re not coming back to me, dear, I’m coming back to you!
