The Father. Just so! This is my punishment: the passion in all of us that must culminate in her final cry.
The Step-Daughter. I can hear it still in my ears. It's driven me mad, that cry! – You can put me on as you like; it doesn't matter. Fully dressed, if you like – provided I have at least the arm bare; because, standing like this [She goes close to the FATHER and leans her head on his breast. ] with my head so, and my arms round his neck, I saw a vein pulsing in my arm here; and then, as if that live vein had awakened disgust in me, I closed my eyes like this, and let my head sink on his breast. [Turning to the MOTHER.] Cry out mother! Cry out! [Buries head in FATHER'S breast, and with her shoulders raised as if to prevent her hearing the cry, adds in tones of intense emotion. ] Cry out as you did then!
The Mother [coming forward to separate them ]. No! My daughter, my daughter! [And after having pulled her away from him. ] You brute! You brute! She is my daughter! Don't you see she's my daughter?
The Manager [walking backwards towards footlights ]. Fine! Fine! Damned good! And then, of course – curtain!
The Father [going towards him excitedly ]. Yes, of course, because that's the way it really happened.
The Manager [convinced and pleased ]. Oh, yes, no doubt about it. Curtain here, curtain!
[At the reiterated cry of The MANAGER, The MACHINIST lets the curtain down, leaving The MANAGER and The FATHER in front of it before the footlights. ]
The Manager. The darned idiot! I said "curtain" to show the act should end there, and he goes and lets it down in earnest. [To the FATHER, while he pulls the curtain back to go on to the stage again. ] Yes, yes, it's all right. Effect certain! That's the right ending. I'll guarantee the first act at any rate.
ACT III
When the curtain goes up again, it is seen that the stage hands have shifted the bit of scenery used in the last part, and have rigged up instead at the back of the stage a drop, with some trees, and one or two wings. A portion of a fountain basin is visible. The MOTHER is sitting on the right with the two children by her side. The SON is on the same side, but away from the others. He seems bored, angry, and full of shame. The FATHER and the STEP-DAUGHTER are also seated towards the right front. On the other side (left) are the ACTORS, much in the positions they occupied before the curtain was lowered. Only the MANAGER is standing up in the middle of the stage, with his hand closed over his mouth in the act of meditating.
The Manager [shaking his shoulders after a brief pause ]. Ah yes: the second act! Leave it to me, leave it all to me as we arranged, and you'll see! It'll go fine!
The Step-Daughter. Our entry into his house [Indicates FATHER.] in spite of him . . . [Indicates the SON.]
The Manager [out of patience ]. Leave it to me, I tell you!
The Step-Daughter. Do let it be clear, at any rate, that it is in spite of my wishes.
The Mother [from her corner, shaking her head ]. For all the good that's come of it . . .
The Step-Daughter [turning towards her quickly ]. It doesn't matter. The more harm done us, the more remorse for him.
The Manager [impatiently ]. I understand! Good Heavens! I understand! I'm taking it into account.
The Mother [supplicatingly ]. I beg you, sir, to let it appear quite plain that for conscience' sake I did try in every way . . .
The Step-Daughter [interrupting indignantly and continuing for the MOTHER]. . . . To pacify me, to dissuade me from spiting him. [To MANAGER.] Do as she wants: satisfy her, because it is true! I enjoy it immensely. Any how, as you can see, the meeker she is, the more she tries to get at his heart, the more distant and aloof does he become.
The Manager. Are we going to begin this second act or not?
The Step-Daughter. I'm not going to talk any more now. But I must tell you this: you can't have the whole action take place in the garden, as you suggest. It isn't possible!
The Manager.. Why not?
The Step-Daughter. Because he [Indicates the SON again. ] is always shut up alone in his room. And then there's all the part of that poor dazed-looking boy there which takes place indoors.
The Manager. Maybe! On the other hand, you will understand – we can't change scenes three or four times in one act.
The Leading Man. They used to once.
The Manager. Yes, when the public was up to the level of that child there.
The Leading Lady. It makes the illusion easier.
The Father [irritated ]. The illusion! For Heaven's sake, don't say illusion. Please don't use that word, which is particularly painful for us..
The Manager [astounded ]. And why, if you please?
The Father. It's painful, cruel, really cruel; and you ought to understand that.
The Manager. But why? What ought we to say then? The illusion, I tell you, sir, which we've got to create for the audience . . .
The Leading Man. With our acting.
The Manager. The illusion of a reality.
The Father. I understand; but you, perhaps, do not understand us. Forgive me! You see . . . Here for you and your actors, the thing is only – and rightly so . . . A kind of game …
The Leading Lady [interrupting indignantly ]. A game! We're not children here, if you please! We are serious actors.
The Father. I don't deny it. What I mean is the game, or play, of your art, which has to give, as the gentleman says, a perfect illusion of reality.
The Manager. Precisely – !
The Father. Now, if you consider the fact that we [Indicates himself and the other five CHARACTERS.], as we are, have no other reality outside of this illusion . . .
The Manager [astonished, looking at his ACTORS, who are also amazed ]. And what does that mean?
The Father [after watching them for a moment with a wan smile ]. As I say, sir, that which is a game of art for you is our sole reality. [Brief pause. He goes a step or two nearer the MANAGER and adds. ] But not only for us, you know, by the way. Just you think it over well. [Looks him in the eyes. ] Can you tell me who you are?
The Manager [perplexed, half smiling ]. What? Who am I? I am myself.
The Father. And if I were to tell you that that isn't true, because you and I . . .
The Manager. I should say you were mad – ! [The ACTORS laugh. ]
The Father. You're quite right to laugh: because we are all making believe here. [To MANAGER.] And you can therefore object that it's only for a joke that that gentleman there [Indicates the LEADING MAN.], who naturally is himself, has to be me, who am on the contrary myself – this thing you see here. You see I've caught you in a trap! [The ACTORS laugh. ]