glazier. And here we have young
Michel, my supposed assistant. He
is the one who carries the putty.
Say hello to the lady, Michel.
(Exit Madame Karl)
MICHEL
Hello, Madame.
MME. MECK
You have not seen Monsieur
Krap?
GlAZIER
Monsieur Krap?
MME. MEeK
The young man who lives here.
GlAZIER
Ah, the young man who lives
here.
MME. MEeK
You have not seen him?
GlAZIER
Yes, Madame .
MME. MEeK
Where is he?
GlAZIER
He is under the bed, Madame, as
ELEUTHERIA
69
in Moliere 's day. (Victor comes
out from under the bed) You
should have stayed there .
MME. MEeK
Where is the method to this
madness?
GlAZIER .
It is with a view to public en tertainment and refreshment, Madame.
VICTOR
What do you want of me?
MME. MEeK
He is cute , this little fellow. Come
and say hello to me, my little
gentleman . You would think he
was a real little man .
GlAZIER
I would ask that you leave my
assistant alone, Madame. He has
already said hello. Don 't you see
that he is holding the putty?
MME. MECK
You are hardly very pleasant.
GlAZIER
There is a time for work, Madame,
and there is a time for pleasantries. Michel must learn to tell the
difference between them, early
on.
MME. MEeK
It is your son?
GlAZIER
When I am working I have no
family, Madame.
MME. MEeK
You call that working? You just
chatter.
GlAZIER
My brain works non-stop.
MME. MEeK
(To Victor) He resembles your
poor papa a little when he was
70
SAMUEL BECKETI
younger.
GLAZIER
Is that true?
MME. MECK
Don 't you be concerning yourself
with us.
GLAZIER
But you are concerning yourselves
with me.
MME. MECK
(To Victor) You are not offering
to get me a chair?
VICTOR
There is no chair.
MME. MECK
Last time there was one.
VICTOR
There are none left. (Mme. Meek
sits down on the bed) What do
you want?
MME. MECK
The resemblance is striking,
really.
VICTOR
You are bringing me money?
MME. MECK
I have come to see you.
VICTOR
I am going out.
MME. MECK
I will go with you. (She gets up)
(Victor goes to the door, opens it,
is left momentarily speechless,
goes out on the landing)
VICTOR'S VOICE
Madame Karl ! (A silence) Madame Karl ! (Victor comes back in
and closes the door)
MME. MECK
So you are not going out?
VICTOR
Not right away. (Mme Meek sits
down again ) Who is that man on
the landing?
MME. MECK
It is joseph.
VICTOR
He is with you?
ELEUTHERIA
71
MME. MEeK
He is a fifth-rate wrestler. Ludovic
employed him from time to time .
VIcroR
H e i s with you?
MME. MECK
Yes, Victor, he is with me.
(The Glazier goes to the door,
opens it, looks out)
GLAZIER
Come look, Michel . (Michel goes
to the door. Both of them look
out for quite some time. The
Glazier gently closes the door
once more and goes back to his
work. Victor follows him) That
thing's foot must be a good size
fifteen.
MICHEL
What does he have on his nose,
papa?
GLAZIER
Monsieur.
MICHEL
Monsieur.
GLAZIER
I do not know, Michel, what he
has on his nose . There are so
many things that you can have on
your nose. Ask him, if you want to
know. Or rather ask this nice lady,
that would be more advisable.
MICHEL
What does he have on his nose,
Madame?
MME. MECK
It is the result of a bite, child.
MICHEL
It is a dog that bit him, Madame?
MME. MEeK
No, child, it is a man like him , a
fellow creature .
MICHEL
Why that he bit him, Madame?
72
SAMUEL BECKETI
MME. MECK
To force him to loosen his hold,
child.
GlAZIER
Enough ! enough ! This is getting
us nowhere . Hand me the tape
measure .
MICHEL
But you are the one who has it,
Monsieur.
GlAZIER
That is true. (He begins to take a
measurement)
VICTOR
Why is that man with you?
MME. MEeK
To carry you off by force, should
the need arise .
VICTOR
By force?
MME. MEeK
You are hardly to be moved by
reason, I believe .
(Enter Mme. Karl)
MME. KARL
What do you want?
VICTOR
I would like my bill. I am leaving.
MME. KARL
What did you say?
VICTOR
I said I am leaving and that I
would like my bill.
MME. KARL
You must give a week's notice .
VICTOR
You make up a bill that seems fair
to you. I am leaving here today.
MME. KARL
What is your complaint?
VICTOR
I am more than willing to respond, Madame Karl. My complaint is that I am being disturbed without stop. Yesterday it was my
mother, today it is the general 's
wife, tomorrow it will be my
ELEUTHERIA
73
fiancee . I cannot even break my
windowpane without a glazier's
turning up and setting about
repairing it, with despairing
slowness.
MME. KARL
You should not have given out the
address.
VIcroR
I did not give it out. They found
it.
MME. KARL
But everywhere you go they will
find you the same old story.
GlAZIER
That is not a sure thing.
MME. KARL
(To Mme. Meek) You cannot leave
him alone?
MME. MECK
Mind your own business.
/> VIcroR
Madame Karl, be nice, bring me
the bill. It is pointless to argue
with these people.
MME. KARL
It is a disgrace . (She goes)
VICfOR
Oh, Madame Karl.
MME. KARL
What?
VICfOR
Is Therese downstairs?
MME. KARL
Yes.
VICfOR
Ask her to go get an officer and
bring him back here .
MME. KARL
An officer? What for? I do not
want cops in my house.
VICfOR
This lady is trespassing in my
place of residence.
MME. KARL
You are big enough to throw her
out.
74
SAMUEL BECKEIT
VICTOR
She got a bodyguard to come
along with her. He is on the
landing and only waiting for the
signal to step in .
MME. MECK
Joseph ! (Enter Joseph) Do what
you have to do !
JOSEPH
It is him?
MME. MECK
Yes.
JOSEPH
(Taking Victor by the arm) Come
along.
VICTOR
Help !
MME. KARL
Help !
JOSEPH
Shut your trap ! (He pushes her)
VICTOR
Let me go ! (He struggles feebly.
Joseph drags him toward the
door)
GlAZIER
(To Michel) Hand me the hammer.
MICHEL
But you are the one who has it,
Monsieur.
GlAZIER
That is true. (He gets closer to
Joseph and strikes him on the
skull with the hammer. Joseph
falls)
MME. MECK
This is ridiculous.
(The Glazier goes back to his
work)
MME. KARL
( Going) I am going to get an
officer.
MME. MEeK
He has killed him.
VICTOR
There is no longer any need,
Madame Karl.
ELEUTHERIA
75
MME. KARL
We must lodge a complaint.
VICTOR
Tell the chauffeur to come up.
MME. KARL
He struck me.
VICTOR
The chauffeur, Madame Karl , the
chauffeur. You will be compen-
sated.
MME. KARL
This is no way to behave . (Exit)
MME. MEeK
The violence has miscarried.
VICTOR
You make my life impossible. You
heap shame and ridicule upon
me. Go away.
MME. MEeK
Life? What life? You are dead.
VICTOR
The dead are not hunted down .
MME. MEeK
You know that your aunt is in
Paris?
VICTOR
My mother told me.
MME. MEeK
She has married a -
VICTOR
My mother told me.
MME. MEeK
You know that your mother's
heart is broken because of you.
VICTOR
Yes, she told me. Go away.
MME. MEeK
And you do not mind.
VICTOR
I cannot help it.
MME. MEeK
You can go back home.
VICTOR
I cannot go back home .
MME. MEeK
You can live differently.
VICTOR
I cannot live differently.
MME. MEeK
You know that Olga is sick with
grief.
VICTOR
Yes, she told me and my mother
76
SA.1UEL BECKETI
has confirmed it.
MME. MEeK
You no longer have any feeling for
her.
VICTOR
No.
MME. MEeK
Or for anybody.
VICTOR
No.
MME. MEeK
Except for yourself.
VICTOR
Neither.
GlAZIER
It is taking shape.
MME. MEeK
With what are you going to pay
that bill?
VICTOR
With the money I have left.
MME. MECK
And then?
VICTOR
I will manage.
MME. MECK
Your father is dead.
(A silence)
GlAZIER
Answer, will you please !
(A knock. Enter Thomas)
VICTOR
Take care of your colleague . (He
goes to the window)
THOMAS
Madame?
MME. MEeK
See if he is breathing. Used as you
are to engines.
THOMAS
(Having examined joseph) Yes,
Madame.
MME. MEeK
He is breathing?
THOMAS
Yes, Madame.
MME. MEeK
Pull him out on the landing.
THOMAS
Very good, Madame. (He pulls
Joseph out on the landing, comes
ELEUTHERIA
77
back)
MME. MECK
Try to revive him.
THOMAS
Very good, Madame.
MME. MECK
As soon as he can walk both of
you go down and wait for me in
the car.
THOMAS
Very good, Madame . (Exit)
(A silence)
MME. MECK
Victor! (A silence) You heard me?
Your father is dead.
VICTOR
(Turning around) Yes. When did
he die?
MME. MECK
You are not going to tell me that
that is of interest to you.
VICTOR
The time is of interest to me.
MME. MECK
He died last night, in his armchair.
VICTOR
But at what time?
MME. MECK
He was alive at eight o ' clock.
Jacques claims it to be so . And he
was found dead toward midnight.
VICTOR
Who found him?
MME. MECK
Your poor mother.
VICTOR
At midnight?
MME. MEeK
Approximately.
VICTOR
He was stiff?
MME. MECK
You are completely unnatural. (A
silence) Your mother is prostrate.
GLAZIER
(To Michel) The diamond. (To
Victor) There is no table?
78
SAMUEL BECKETI
VICTOR
No.
GLAZIER
So much the worse . (He starts to
cut his glass on the floor)
VICTOR
(To Mme. Meek) Go away.
(A knock. Enter Thomas)
THOMAS
I cannot revive him, Madame.
MME. MEeK
He is still breathing?
THOMAS
Yes, Madame, but I cannot revive
him.
MME. MEeK
He is doubtless too heavy for you
to be able to carry him.
THOMAS
&n
bsp; I am afraid so, Madame.
MME. MEeK
(To Victor) Wouldn ' t you like to
help Thomas carry Joseph to the
car?
VICTOR
No.
MME. MEeK
(To the Glazier) And you? (A
silence) Glazier!
GLAZIER
(Without turning around, while
working) Madame?
MME. MECK
Wouldn 't you like to help Thomas
carry Joseph to the car?
GLAZIER
No, Madame, I would not.
MME. MEeK
Well , then, Thomas, we must call
an ambulance .
THOMAS
Very good, Madame. (Exit)
VICTOR
(To Mme. Meek) Go away.
MME. MEeK
But now you can throw me out.
VICTOR
I am loath to touch you.
MME. MEeK
( Getting down on her knees)
ELEUTHERIA
79
Victor! Come back home ! With
me ! In the Delage !
VICTOR
Get up.
MME. MEeK
Help me. (Victor helps her get
up, with his finger tips)
The will -
GlAZIER
Shit! I cut it too small.
VICTOR
(To the Glazier) Just leave it.
GlAZIER
( Grandiloquently) I will repair
that windowpane even if I have to
spend the rest of my life at it.
MME. MEeK
It is to be unsealed tomorrow,
after the funeral.
GlAZIER
Hand me the tape measure.
MICHEL
But you are the one who has it.
GlAZIER
Monsieur.
MICHEL
Monsieur.
GlAZIER
That is true.
MME. MECK
Your mother is prostrate. (A
silence) She cries out for you. (A
silence) Her only support!
( Glazier's hilarity, causing him to
drop his tape measure)
GlAZIER
Hand me the tape measure.
(Michel hands it to him)
VICTOR
(To Mme. Meek) Go away. (He
picks up her bag and holds it out
to her, picks up her umbrella and
uses it to push her toward the
door)
MME. MECK
Wretch !
80
SAMUEL BECKETI
VICTOR
( Still pushing) Go.
MME. MECK
Give me my umbrella.
VICTOR
Go on, out. (He pushes her out,
gives her the umbrella, closes the
door, goes and sits back down on
the bed)
(A silence)
GLAZIER
She will come back.
VICTOR
(Half-turning toward the audience, with a helpless gesture)
I -
GLAZIER
Now for a little peace and quiet.
VICTOR
Are you going to be much longer?
GLAZIER
The thing is I am not seeing
straight any more.
VICTOR
Go away.
GLAZIER
I am going to turn the light on .
(He goes to the switch and turns it
on and off without success) It just
needs the bulb. Michel, quick go
get a bulb.
MICHEL
Yes, Monsieur. (Exit)
GLAZIER
(Approaching the bed) You do
not have much of a tolerance for
Eleuthéria Page 9