Under cover of the applause that greets this, he strikes MOREacross the legs with a belt.STEEL starts forward.MORE, flinging out his arm, turns him back, and resumes his tranquil staring at the crowd, in whom the sense of being foiled by this silence is fast turning to rage.
THE CROWD.Speak up, or get down! Get off! Get away, there--or we'll make you! Go on!
[MORE remains immovable.]
A YOUTH.[In a lull of disconcertion] I'll make 'im speak! See!
He darts forward and spits, defiling MORES hand.MORE jerks it up as if it had been stung, then stands as still as ever.Aspurt of laughter dies into a shiver of repugnance at the action.The shame is fanned again to fury by the sight of MORESscornful face.
TALL YOUTH.[Out of murmuring] Shift! or you'll get it!
A VOICE.Enough of your ugly mug!
A ROUGH.Give 'im one!
Two flung stones strike MORE.He staggers and nearly falls, then rights himself.
A GIRL'S VOICE.Shame!
FRIENDLY VOICE.Bravo, More! Stick to it!
A ROUGH.Give 'im another!
A VOICE.No!
A GIRL'S VOICE.Let 'im alone! Come on, Billy, this ain't no fun!
Still looking up at MORE, the whole crowd falls into an uneasy silence, broken only by the shuffling of feet.Then the BIGNAVVY in the front rank turns and elbows his way out to the edge of the crowd.
THE NAVVY.Let 'im be!
With half-sullen and half-shamefaced acquiescence the crowd breaks up and drifts back whence it came, till the alley is nearly empty.
MORE.[As if coming to, out of a trance-wiping his hand and dusting his coat] Well, Steel!
And followed by STEEL, he descends the steps and moves away.
Two policemen pass glancing up at the broken glass.One of them stops and makes a note.
THE CURTAIN FALLS.
SCENE II
The window-end of KATHERINE'S bedroom, panelled in cream-coloured wood.The light from four candles is falling on KATHERINE, who is sitting before the silver mirror of an old oak dressing-table, brushing her hair.A door, on the left, stands ajar.An oak chair against the wall close to a recessed window is all the other furniture.Through this window the blue night is seen, where a mist is rolled out flat amongst trees, so that only dark clumps of boughs show here and there, beneath a moonlit sky.As the curtain rises, KATHERINE, with brush arrested, is listening.She begins again brushing her hair, then stops, and taking a packet of letters from a drawer of her dressing-table, reads.Through the just open door behind her comes the voice of OLIVE.
OLIVE.Mummy! I'm awake!
But KATHERINE goes on reading; and OLIVE steals into the room in her nightgown.
OLIVE.[At KATHERINE'S elbow--examining her watch on its stand] It's fourteen minutes to eleven.
KATHERINE.Olive, Olive!
OLIVE.I just wanted to see the time.I never can go to sleep if Itry--it's quite helpless, you know.Is there a victory yet?
[KATHERINE, shakes her head] Oh! I prayed extra special for one in the evening papers.[Straying round her mother] Hasn't Daddy come?
KATHERINE.Not yet.
OLIVE.Are you waiting for him? [Burying her face in her mother's hair] Your hair is nice, Mummy.It's particular to-night.
KATHERINE lets fall her brush, and looks at her almost in alarm.
OLIVE.How long has Daddy been away?
KATHERINE.Six weeks.
OLIVE.It seems about a hundred years, doesn't it? Has he been ****** speeches all the time?
KATHERINE.Yes.
OLIVE.To-night, too?
KATHERINE.Yes.
OLIVE.The night that man was here whose head's too bald for anything--oh! Mummy, you know--the one who cleans his teeth so termendously--I heard Daddy ****** a speech to the wind.It broke a wine-glass.His speeches must be good ones, mustn't they!
KATHERINE.Very.
OLIVE.It felt funny; you couldn't see any wind, you know.
KATHERINE.Talking to the wind is an expression, Olive.
OLIVE.Does Daddy often?
KATHERINE.Yes, nowadays.
OLIVE.What does it mean?
KATHERINE.Speaking to people who won't listen.
OLIVE.What do they do, then?
KATHERINE.Just a few people go to hear him, and then a great crowd comes and breaks in; or they wait for him outside, and throw things, and hoot.
OLIVE.Poor Daddy! Is it people on our side who throw things?
KATHERINE.Yes, but only rough people.
OLIVE.Why does he go on doing it? I shouldn't.
KATHERINE.He thinks it is his duty.
OLIVE.To your neighbour, or only to God?
KATHERINE.To both.
OLIVE.Oh! Are those his letters?
KATHERINE.Yes.
OLIVE.[Reading from the letter] "My dear Heart." Does he always call you his dear heart, Mummy? It's rather jolly, isn't it?
"I shall be home about half-past ten to-morrow night.For a few hours the fires of p-u-r-g-a-t-or-y will cease to burn--" What are the fires of p-u-r-g-a-t-o-r-y?
KATHERINE.[Putting away the letters] Come, Olive!
OLIVE.But what are they?
KATHERINE.Daddy means that he's been very unhappy.
OLIVE.Have you, too?
KATHERINE.Yes.
OLIVE.[Cheerfully] So have I.May I open the window?
KATHERINE.No; you'll let the mist in.
OLIVE.Isn't it a funny mist-all flat!
KATHERINE.Now, come along, frog!
OLIVE.[Making time] Mummy, when is Uncle Hubert coming back?
KATHERINE.We don't know, dear.
OLIVE.I suppose Auntie Helen'll stay with us till he does.
KATHERINE.Yes.
OLIVE.That's something, isn't it?
KATHERINE.[Picking her up] Now then!
OLIVE.[Deliciously limp] Had I better put in the duty to your neighbour if there isn't a victory soon? [As they pass through the door] You're tickling under my knee! [Little gurgles of pleasure follow.Then silence.Then a drowsy voice] I must keep awake for Daddy.
KATHERINE comes back.She is about to leave the door a little open, when she hears a knock on the other door.It is opened a few inches, and NURSE'S voice says: "Can I come in, Ma'am?" The NURSE comes in.
KATHERINE.[Shutting OLIVE's door, and going up to her] What is it, Nurse?
NURSE.[Speaking in a low voice] I've been meaning to--I'll never do it in the daytime.I'm giving you notice.
KATHERINE.Nurse! You too!
She looks towards OLIVE'S room with dismay.The NURSE smudges a slow tear away from her cheek.
NURSE.I want to go right away at once.