No.
MLLE. SKUNK
Why.
VICfOR
Everything can be understood.
Mll.E. SKUNK
Then explain to me.
VIcroR
(Furiously) No !
(A silence )
MLLE. SKUNK
He asked me to kiss him. (Pause)
I couldn 't.
VIcroR
But you want me to be the one to
kiss you.
GLAZIER
(Turning around) Well, well.
There is perhaps something to be
done thereabouts. It's not the line
I would have taken, it will never
amount to much, but it's perhaps
better than nothing all the same.
(To Mlle . Skunk) Don ' t you see ,
Mademoiselle, what he neither
can nor wants to understand is
that he is not credible . I cannot
repeat it often enough . (Pause)
But if it was out of love for his
father that he - (He breaks off) .
No, that will get us nowhere .
94
SA.fUEL BECKETI
Unless - (Pause) All right then ,
there's some feeling out to be
done. If only to keep down the
number of casualties. (To Mlle.
Skunk) Scratch him a little thereabouts. Poor old guy, jeered at by
his wife , abandoned by his son, his
work a mockery, sick as a dog, and
feeling the end is near, he asks
you to kiss him and you don 't
want to. What next?
Mll.E. SKUNK
I do not understand a word you
are saying. You talk like him.
GLAZIER
Like who?
Mll.E. SKUNK
Like his father.
GLAZIER
You don ' t say! At any rate. Handle
it yourself. To work. Every moment is precious. (To Michel)
Hold the door firm. ·wedge it up
good. With your foot. There . (He
goes back to work)
MLLE. SKUNK
(To Victor) You understand what
he means?
VIcroR
No. (A silence) Go away. I am
tired.
MLLE. SKUNK
(Getting up) I am going. (A
silence) You're staying here?
VIcroR
I am going to try to sleep.
MLLE. SKUNK
No, I mean in future, you are
going to stay here?
VIcroR
No, I am going to go somewhere
else .
ELEUTHERIA
95
MLLE. SKUNK
Where?
VICTOR
I do not know.
(A silence)
MLLE. SKUNK
Marguerite has come back. (A
silence) She has gotten married.
(A silence) To a doctor. (Victor
stretches out) He is making advances to me. (A silence ) You
know what he said to me? (A
silence. Mlle. Skunk fidgets) Well
answer, for once !
VICTOR
I do not understand.
MLLE. SKUNK
What? What is it you don ' t understand?
VICTOR
What you want to know.
MLLE. SKUNK
But I do not want to know anything. I only want you to listen to
me.
VICTOR
I am listening. I thought you were
leaving.
MLLE. SKUNK
I told him I should like to be
dead. He told me that was easy
and that he would be happy to
help me with it.
GLAZIER
Funny advances.
VICTOR
Who?
MLLE. SKUNK
The doctor.
VICTOR
Which doctor?
Mu..E. SKUNK
Why, Marguerite 's husband. I just
told you.
VICTOR
I didn't know that she was married.
96
SAMUEL BECKETT
(A silence)
GLAZIER
Watch out! Somebody's coming
up ! (He goes out on the landing,
comes back) It is a society woman .
I saw her hat. I smelled her perfume. As she comes up the stairs,
she is being careful not to touch
the banister. She is not alone. (He
closes the door and leans against
it. A silence. A knock. A silence.
Another knock. A silence. A push .
The Glazier, setting his back
against the door, resists the push.
He motions to Michel to help
him. Michel helps him) She is as
strong as an ox. (Pause) To open ,
or not to open, that is the - (To
Michel) - well?
MICHEL
That is the question .
GI.AZIER
It is starting again. (To Michel)
Push . (They push)
(To Mlle. Skunk) Help us.
VOICE
Open up !
MllE. SKUNK
It is him !
GLAZIER
Who?
Mu.E. SKUNK
The doctor!
(The Glazier moves abruptly away
from the door which opens impetuously, knocking over Michel.
Dr. Piouk rushes into the room
and lands on his knees. Same
business for Mme . Piouk who
ELEUTHERIA
97
follows him. Mme . Meek in the
doorway. Dr. Piouk gets up)
DR. PIOUK
(To the Glazier) Is it you who are
the perpetrator of that schoolboy
prank?
GLAZIER
Have to keep the rubbernecks
well entertained.
MME. PIOUK
Help me. (Mlle. Skunk helps her
to get back up)
DR. PIOUK
You didn 't hurt yourself, my
darling?
GLAZIER
(To Michel) You didn 't hurt
yourself, my darling?
MICHEL
No, papa.
GLAZIER
Then, up with you, dumb-bell.
(Michel gets back up)
DR. PIOUK
Who is this man?
MLLE. SKUNK
He is a workman .
DR. PIOUK
(To the Glazier) What business is
this of yours?
GLAZIER
What business of mine. (Ponders)
What business of mine, precisely.
(Strokes his chin)
DR. PIOUK
Get out!
GLAZIER
(To Michel) The hammer.
MME. MECK
Do not provoke him . He is a
violent man . (Michel hands over
the hammer)
DR. PIOUK
I fear nobody.
MME. PIOUK
Where is Victor?
MLLE. SKUNK
He is around here somewhere .
98
SA.:IUEL BECKETT
GLZIER
And the chisel.
MME. PIOUK
(Rushing over) Victor!
(Michel hands over the chisel)
MME. MECK
(To Mlle. Skunk) What are you
doing here?
MllE. SKUI'K
I wonder.
MME. PIOUK
Come and see, Andre.
(Dr. Piouk gets closer to the bed)
DR. PIOUK
That is Victor, there? (A silence.
Mme. Meek, Mlle. Skunk, Dr. and
Mme. Piouk around the bed. Dr.
Piouk takes out his watch , bends
over, takes Victor's wrist. A silence.
Victor jumps up, elbows his way
through the group, looks for his
shoes, finds one, sticks his foot in ,
looks for the other)
VIcroR
(Piteously) My shoe !
GLZIER
(To Michel) Where did you put
Monsieur's shoe?
MICHEL
But you are the one who had it,
Monsieur.
GLZIER
(Forcefully) Look for it! (Michel
looks for the shoe, finds it, proffers it to Victor who snatches it
from him and exits, one shoe on
his foot, the other in his hand,
returns immediately, runs to the
footlights, wants to speak, cannot,
gives way to a gesture of helplessness, exits gesturing madly. A
silence ) What vivacity! (A pause)
ELEUTHERIA
99
He forgot the bill. (To Michel)
Quick, take the bill and go after
him.
MICHEL
The bill?
GlAZIER
(Angrily) How old are you?
MICHEL
Ten , papa.
GlAZIER
And you still do not know what a
bill is?
MICHEL
(On the verge of tears) No, papa.
GlAZIER
The check! The invoice ! The
note ! There ! (He pushes him)
Go ! Step on it! (Michel picks up
the bill and exits running) He is
my son . He is still a halfwit.
DR. PIOUK
That does not surprises me.
GlAZIER
Ah , that does not surprise you.
(He moves forward, hammer and
chisel very much in evidence)
DR. PIOUK
(Drawing back) Back! I am
armed!
MME. PIOUK
(Running toward her husband)
Andre ! Come ! Let's get out of
here !
GlAZIER
(Still moving forward) Step aside,
Madame.
MME. MEeK
It's getting stagey. Coming, Olga?
MME. PIOUK
Come, Andre, don 't do anything
rash !
GlAZIER
(Changing his mind) Mter all who knows - it may serve -
although I do not see how. (To Dr.
1 00
SAMUEL BECKETI
Piouk) Calm down , Doctor, calm
down. Are we dumb beasts? Is it
all about us? No. About what
then? This is what we must try to
figure out. Tell me - (The Glazier takes Dr. Piouk by the arm
and draws him aside)
MME. MEeK
Olga, Marguerite, come .
(Enter Mme. Krap in deep
MME. PIOUK I mourning)
MME.
(Together) Violette !
MEeK
MME. KRAP
My son ! Where is he?
MLLE. SKUNK
Gone.
MME. KRAP
Gone!
MLLE. SKUNK
Gone .
MME. KRAP
(Dropping back o n the bed)
Where?
MLLE. SKUNK
We do not know.
(Enter Michel, the bill in his
hand)
MICHEL
Papa!
GlAZIER
(To Dr. Piouk) Don ' t you agree?
(To Michel) You, what do you
want?
MICHEL
I did not find him, papa.
GlAZIER
You did not find him?
MICHEL
No, papa. I ran all over, papa. It is
not my fault, papa.
GlAZIER
Oh, enough with your papas!
ELEUTHERIA
1 01
MME. KRAP
Who is this man? (The Glazier
goes and stands in front of her)
Who are you? You are a friend of
my son 's? What are you doing
here? What is making you look at
me that way? (She puts her hands
in front of her face . She moves
her hands away) Who are you?
GLAZIER
I am the glazier, Madame. Allow
me to offer my condolences.
MME. KRAP
Your condolences !
.
GLAZIER
Yes, Madame, my condolences.
(An interval) Deeply felt.
MME. KRAP
Then you know! (An interval)
Where have I seen you?
GLAZIER
I do not know, Madame. On the
street, perhaps, by chance . Or you
are confusing me, perhaps, with
another person .
(Mme . Meek leans over and
whispers in Mme . Krap 's ear)
M�tE. KRAP
You think so? (She looks at the
Glazier) Perhaps - yes - you are
right - my God ! (She weeps)
M�fE. MECK
Violette !
M�tE. KRAP
(Drying her eyes, to the Glazier)
You are a friend of my son 's.
GLAZIER
Er - not yet, Madame.
MME. KRAP
You saw him today?
MME. PIOUK
But we all saw him, Violette .
MME. KRAP
You told me that -
1 02
SA.:IUEL BECKETI
MME. MECK
But of course, Violette .
MME. KRAP
What did he say?
(A silence. Dr. Piouk is laughing
to himself)
MME. PIOUK
Andre !
MME. KRAP
Where is he? (A silence. Mme.
Krap goes into a panic) He is not
dead? (A silence) He is dead ! He
is dead !
GlAZIER
He was not four, five minutes ago,
not what the living call dead.
MME. KRAP
He is alive !
GlAZIER
His heart is beating, that's for
sure .
MME. KRAP
How was he?
GlAZIER
On edge, Madame, on edge. He
does not seem to be very fond of
company, not even that of his kith
and kin.
MME. KRAP
And he knew that -
MME. MECK
But of course , Violette, I told him,
with every possible precaution you
can 1magme.
MME. KRAP
So?
(A silence)
MME. MECK
He is ill, Violette, he must not be
judged too harshly.
MME. KRAP
(Dolefully) Here I was thinking I
would find him very much alone:
I wanted to make one last attempt. You have botched every-
ELEUTH ERIA
1 03
thing!
MME. MEeK
It was with good intentions,
Violette.
MME. KRAP
(In the same way) Mter yesterday
I thought there was nothing more
to be done. Then the death ( She
sniffles) of Henri, don ' t you know,
I thought that he would listen to
me perhaps. (Pause) I am all
alone right now (She sniffles) , all
alone (She weeps) .
MllE. SKUNK
>
Listen, Violette, you would be
better off going home. You will
need all your strength for tomorrow.
DR. PIOUK
Go back with her, Marguerite.
MME. MECK
Come, darling.
MME. KRAP
My son ! I want my son !
MILE. SKUNK
Leave it to us.
MME. KRAP
Bring him to m e !
MME. MECK
Come ! (She draws Mme . Krap
along toward the door)
MME. PIOUK
Coming, Andre?
DR. PIOUK
I will be right along, my darling.
(He kisses her) Go with your
sister, she needs you.
MME. PIOUK
There 's nothing here for you to
do.
MME. KRAP
Bring him back to me ! (Exit
Mmes. Krap and Meek)
DR. PIOUK
Yes, my darling. I will explain.
1 04
SAMUEL BECKEIT
Hurry up and go. (He pushes her
gently toward the door) You will
see, everything will work out. (He
pushes her out gently) See you
very soon, my darling. (He shuts
the door)
GLAZIER
The time that is lost with walk-ons!
MICHEL
(Emerging from a dark corner
where the audience is presumed
to have forgotten him) Papa!
GLAZIER
Now what do you want?
MICHEL
I would like to go home, papa. I
am hungry.
GLAZIER
Will you just listen to this little
snotnose? (To Dr. Piouk) He ate
ten potatoes at noon and now he
is hungry.
(To Michel) You are not
ashamed?
MICHEL
I do not feel well, papa.
DR. PIOUK
He undoubtedly has worms.
GLAZIER
You hear that? You have worms.
Come here . (Michel goes) Show
the doctor your tongue. (Pause)
Stick out your tongue , runt!
( Michel sticks out his tongue
which Dr. Piouk examines with
the aid of a small electric lamp)
DR. PIOUK
(Switching off the lamp) The
mirror of the stomach.
GLAZIER
Well?
ELEUTHERIA
1 05
DR. PIOUK
It is yellow, coated and dry.
GLAZIER
(Giving Michel money) Go buy
yourself a sandwich . And come
back at once . You understand?
MICHEL
Yes, papa. (He goes)
GLAZIER
Buy two .
MICHEL
Yes, papa. (Exit)
GLAZIER
Ah, children .
DR. PIOUK
Now let us settle this question .
We , Mademoiselle Skunk and I ,
have more to get done.
GLAZIER
Your wish is my command. What is
it a question of exactly, in your
opinion?
DR. PIOUK
It is a question, if I have indeed
understood the different accounts
that have been given me, by my
wife, by my sister-in-law and by
you, dear Mademoiselle, of a
psychological state difficult to
define .
Eleuthéria Page 11