King Arthur's Socks and Other Village Plays Part 10

_He goes into the bedroom. . . . The Angel looks at Annabelle until his gaze becomes insupportable, and she covers her eyes. Then he comes over to her side_.

THE ANGEL. (_gravely_) I am very much afraid of you. (_He takes her hands in his_.)

ANNABELLE. (_smiling_) One would never guess it!

THE ANGEL. I am more afraid of you than I was of G.o.d. But even though I fear you, I must come close to you, and touch you. I feel a strange, new emotion like fire in my veins. This world has become beautiful to me because you are in it. I want to stay here so that I may be with you. . . .

ANNABELLE. (_shaken, but doubting_) For how long?

THE ANGEL. For ever. . . .

ANNABELLE. (_in his arms_) Darling!

THE ANGEL. I am so ignorant! There is something I want to do right now, only I do not know how to go about it properly.

_He bends shyly toward her lips_.

ANNABELLE. I will teach you.

_She kisses him_.

THE ANGEL. Heaven was nothing to this. They kiss again. . . . _Enter Jimmy, with an old suit of clothes over his arm. He pauses in dumbfounderment. At last he regains his voice_.

JIMMY. Well! _They look up. Neither of them is perturbed_.

THE ANGEL. (_blandly_) Has something happened to annoy you?

(_Jimmy shakes the clothes at him in an outraged gesture_.) Oh, my new costume. Thank you so much!

_He takes the clothes from Jimmy, and examines them with interest_.

JIMMY. (_bitterly, to Annabelle_) I suppose I've no right to complain. You can make love to anybody you like. In fact, now that I come to think of it, I predicted this very thing. I said you'd fall in love with the next man you met. So it's off with the old love, and--

ANNABELLE. (_calmly_) I have never been in love before.

JIMMY. The fickleness of women is notorious. It is exceeded only by their mendacity. But Angels have up to this time stood in good repute.

Your conduct, sir, is scandalous. I am amazed at you.

THE ANGEL. It may be scandalous, but it should not amaze you. It has happened too often before. I could quote you many texts from learned theological works. "And the sons of G.o.d looked at the daughters of men and saw that they were fair." But even if it were as unusual as you imagine, that would not deter me.

JIMMY. You are an unscrupulous wretch. If these are the manners of Heaven, I am glad it is so far away, and means of communication so difficult. A few more of you would corrupt the morals of five continents. You are utterly depraved--Here! what are you doing?

THE ANGEL. I am taking off my robes, so as to put on my new clothes.

JIMMY. Spare the common decencies at least. Go in the other room.

THE ANGEL. Certainly, if that is the custom here. With the clothes over his arm, he goes into the bedroom.

JIMMY. (_sternly, to Annabelle_) And now tell me, what do you mean by this?

ANNABELLE. (_simply_)--We are in love.

JIMMY. Do you mean to say you would throw me over for that fellow?

ANNABELLE. Why not?

JIMMY. What good is he? All he can do is sing hymns. In three months he'll be a tramp.

ANNABELLE. I don't care. And he won't be a tramp. I'll look after him.

JIMMY. (_sneeringly_) The maternal instinct! Well, take care of him if you like. But of course you know that in six weeks he'll fall in love with somebody else?

ANNABELLE. No he won't. I'm sure that I am the only girl in the world to him.

JIMMY. Of course you're the only girl in the world to him--now. You're the only one he's ever seen. But wait till he sees the others! Six weeks? On second thought I make it three days. Immortal love! (_He laughs_.)

ANNABELLE. What difference does it make? You don't understand. Whether it lasts a day or a year, while it lasts it will be immortal.

_The Angel enters, dressed in Jimmy's old clothes, and carrying his wings in his hands. He seems exhilarated_.

THE ANGEL. How do I look?

JIMMY. It is customary to wear one's tie tucked inside the vest.

THE ANGEL. (_flinging the ends of the gorgeous necktie over his shoulder_) No! Though I have become a man, I do not without some regret put on the dull garb of mortality. I would not have my form lose all its original brightness. Even so it is the excess of glory obscured.

ANNABELLE. (_coming over to him_) You are quite right, darling.

_She tucks the tie inside his vest_.

THE ANGEL. Thank you, beloved.--And now these wings! Take them, and burn them with your own sweet hands, so that I can never leave you, even if I would.

ANNABELLE. No! I would rather put them away for you in a closet, so that you can go and look at them any time you want to, and see that you have the means to freedom ready to your hand. I shall never hold you against your will. I do not want to burn your wings. I really don't!

But if you insist--!

_She takes the wings, and approaches the grate_.

JIMMY. (_to the Angel_) Don't let her do it! Fool! You don't know what you are doing. Listen to me! You think that she is wonderful-- superior--divine. It is only natural. There are moments when I have thought so myself. But I know why I thought so, and you have yet to learn. Keep your wings, my friend, against the day of your awakening-- the day when the glamour of s.e.x has vanished, and you see in her, as you will see, an inferior being, with a weak body, a stunted mind, devoid of creative power, almost devoid of imagination, utterly lacking in critical capacity--a being who does not know how to work, nor how to talk, nor even how to play!

_Annabelle, dropping the wings on the hearth, stares at him, in speechless anger_.

THE ANGEL. Sir! Do you refer in these vulgar and insulting terms to the companion of my soul, the desire of my heart, the perfect lover whose lips have kindled my dull senses to ecstasy?

JIMMY. I do. Remember that I know her better than you do, young man.

Take my advice and leave her alone. Even now it is not too late! Save yourself from this folly while there is still time!

THE ANGEL. Never!

JIMMY. Then take these tickets--and I hope that I never see either of you again! _He holds out the tickets. Annabelle, after a pause, steps forward and takes them_.