Night Must Fall : a Play in Three Acts Part 13

DAN: _East Lynne_.

MRS. BRAMSON: Oh....

DAN (_reading_): "'You old-fas.h.i.+oned child!' retorted Mrs. Vane.

'Why did you not put on your diamonds?' 'I-did-put on my diamonds,'

stammered Lady Isabel. 'But I--took them off again.' 'What on earth for?'" That's the other lady speaking there--

MRS. BRAMSON: Yes, dear....

DAN: "'What on earth for?' ... 'I did not like to be too fine,'

answered Lady Isabel, with a laugh--" (_turning over_) "--and a blush. 'They glittered so! I feared it might be thought I had put them on to look fine.'"

MRS. BRAMSON (_absently_): Good, isn't it?

DAN (_flicking ash_): Oh, yes, reelistic.... (_Reading_) "'I see you mean to set up among that cla.s.s of people who pree-tend to dee-spise ornyment,' scornfully ree-marked Mrs. Vane. 'It is the ree-finement of aff-affectation, Lady Isabel----'"

_An excited knock at the kitchen door._ DORA _enters._ DAN _turns back the page and surveys what he has been reading, scratching his head._

MRS. BRAMSON (_the old edge to her voice_): What is it?

DORA: Them men's in the wood again.

MRS. BRAMSON: What men?

DORA: The men lookin' for that Mrs. Chalfont.

_A pause._ DAN _hums "Dames" under his breath._

MRS. BRAMSON: You don't mean to tell me they're still at it? But they've been pottering about since ... when was that day Mr. Dan left the Tallboys?

DORA (_stressing a little bitterly_): _Mister_ Dan?

DAN (_smiling_): Ahem!...

DORA: _Mister_ Dan first came to work for you, mum, a week last Monday....

MRS. BRAMSON: Well, I think it's a disgrace----

DORA: _I_'ve found something!

DAN'S _humming stops abruptly; he swivels round and looks at_ DORA, _his face unseen by the audience._ OLIVIA _and_ MRS.

BRAMSON _stare at_ DORA; _a pause._

MRS. BRAMSON: _You've_ found something?

OLIVIA: What?

DORA (_excited_): This!

_She holds out her left arm and lets jail from her fist the length of a soiled belt. A pause._ OLIVIA _puts down her pencil and pad, goes to her, and looks at the belt._

OLIVIA: Yes, of course, it's mine! I missed it last week....

MRS. BRAMSON (_baulked of excitement_): Oh yes, I thought I recognised it.... What nonsense!...

DAN _looks at her; chuckling._

DORA (_going, dolefully_): I'm ever so disappointed....

_She goes into the kitchen._ OLIVIA _goes to the armchair by the fireplace._

MRS. BRAMSON: She'll be joining Scotland Yard next.... Go on, dear.

DAN (_reading_): "'It is the ree-finement of affectation, Lady Isabel----'"

_The clock chimes.

(Clapping his hands, to_ MRS. BRAMSON) Ah!

MRS. BRAMSON (_pleased_): Oh, Danny ...

_He hurries to the medicine cupboard and pours medicine into a spoon._ HUBERT _comes in from the front door._

HUBERT (_eagerly_): Have you heard?

MRS. BRAMSON (_eagerly_): What?

HUBERT: Dora's found a belt!

MRS. BRAMSON (_disappointed again_): Oh ... it was Olivia's.

HUBERT: I say, what a shame!...

MRS. BRAMSON: Tch, tch!... All this sensation-mong----

DAN _drowns her speech by deftly pouring the spoonful of medicine down her throat. He pushes her chocolate-box towards her, and strides briskly into the hall._

Horrid....

DAN (_taking a soft hat from the rack and putting it on_): Good for you, though, the way you are....

MRS. BRAMSON: Yes, dear.

DAN (_coming into the room, and beginning to take off his overalls_): And now it's time for your walk.... (_Smiling at_ OLIVIA) It's all right, I got trousers on.... (_Peeling the overalls over his feet, and tossing them on to the left window-seat_) Listen to me talking about your walk, when you'll be in a chair all the time.... (_Chuckling, to_ HUBERT) That's funny, isn't it!...

(_Going to_ MRS. BRAMSON) Come on, I got your shawl and your rug in the hall....

MRS. BRAMSON (_as he wheels her into the hall_): Have you got my pills?

DAN: I got them in my pocket.