Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
Fin de partie / Endgame

MS-OSU-RARE-29-6

MS. Pages: 01r - 05r 06r - 10r 11r - 15r 16r - 20r 21r - 25r 26r - 30r 31r - 35r 36r - 40r 41r - 42v
[p. 06r]

Hamm

[0278] Sit on him.

Clov

[0279] I can't sit.

Hamm

[0280] True. [0281] And I can't stand.

Clov

[0282] Sio it is.

Hamm

[0283] Every man his specialtity. [0284] (Pause.) [0285] No phone calls? [0286] (Pause.) [0287] Don't we laugh?

Clov

[0288] (after reflexection). [0289] I don't feel like it.

Hamm

[0290] (after reflexection). [0291] Nor I. [0292] (Pause.) [0293] Clov.

Clov

[0294] Yes.

Hamm

[0295] Nature has forgotten us.

Clov

[0296] There's no more nature.

Hamm

[0297] No more nature! [0298] You go too far. exaggerate.

Clov

[0299] In the vicinity.

Hamm

[0300] But we breathe, we change! [0301] We lose our hair, our teeth! [0302] Our bloom! [0303] Our ideals!

Clov

[0304] Then it she hasn't forgotten us.

Hamm

[0305] But you say there is none.

Clov

[0306] (sadly). [0307] No one in the world that ever lived ever thought so twisted crooked as we.

Hamm

[0308] We do what we can.

Clov

[0309] We shouldn't.

[0310] Pause.

Hamm

[0311] Smart, eh? You're a bit of all right, aren't you?

Clov

[0312] All over. A smithereen.

[0313] Pause.

Hamm

[0314] This is slow work. [0315] 5(Pause.) [0316] Is it not time for my sedative painkiller?

Clov

[0317] No. [0318] (Pause.) [0319] I'll leave you, I have things to do.

Hamm

[0320] In your kitchen?

Clov

[0321] Yes.

Hamm

[0322] What, I'd like to know.

Clov

[0323] I look at the weall.

Hamm

[0324] The wamll! [0325] And what do you see on your wall? [0326] Mene, mene? [0327] Naked bodies?

Clov

[0328] I see my light dying.

Hamm

[0329] Your light dying! [0330] Listen to that! [0331] Well it can die just as well here, your light. [0332] Take a look at me and then come back and tell me what you think of your light.

[p. 07r]

[0333] Pause.

Clov

[0334] You shouldn't talk to me like that.

[0335] Pause.

Hamm

[0336] (coldly). [0337] Forgive me. [0338] (OPause. [0339] Louder.) [0340] I said, Forgive me.

Clov

[0341] I heard you.

[0342] Pause. [0343] The lid of Nagg's bin lifts. [0344] His hands appear, gripping the rim. [0345] Then his head emerges. [0346] In his mouth the biscuit. [0347] He listens.

Hamm

[0348] Did your seeds come up?

Clov

[0349] No.

Hamm

[0350] Did you scratch round them to see if they had sprouted?

Clov

[0351] They haven't sprouted.

Hamm

[0352] Perhaps it's still too early.

Clov

[0353] If they were going to sprout they would have sprouted. [0353|001] (Violently [0354] They'll never sprout.

[0355] Pause. [0355|001] Nagg takes biscuit in his hand.

Hamm

[0356] This is not much fun. [0357] (Pause.) [0358] But that's always the way at the end of the day, isn't it, Clov?

Clov

[0359] Always.

Hamm

[0360] It's the end of the day like any other day, isn't it, Clov.

Clov

[0361] Looks like it.

[0362] Pause.

Hamm

[0363] (anguished). [0364] What's happening, what's happening?

DOODLE 5

Clov

[0365] Something is taking its course.

[0366] Pause.

Hamm

[0367] All right, be off. [0368] (He leans back in the chair, remains motionless. [0369] Clov does not move., [0370] He heaves a great groaning sigh. [0371] Hamm sits up.) [0372] I thought I told you to be off.

Clov

[0373] I'm trying. [0374] (He goes to door, halts.) [0375] Ever since I was born.

[0376] Exit Clov.

Hamm

[0377] We're getting on.

[0378] He leans back in his chair, remains motionless. [0379] Nagg knocks on the lid of the other bin. [0380] Pause. [0381] He knocks louder. harder. [0382] The lid lifts and Nell's hands appear, gripping the ring. Then her head emerges. [0383] Lace cap. [0384] Very white face.

Nell

[0385] What is it, my pet? [0386] (Pause.) [0387] Time for love?

Nagg

[0388] Were you asleep?

[p. 08r]

Nell

[0388|001] O

Nell

[0389] Oh no!

Nagg

[0390] Kiss me.

Nell

[0391] We can't.

Nagg

[0392] Try.

[0393] Their heads strain towards each other, fail to meet, fall apart ahgain.

Nell

[0394] Why this farce, day after day?

[0395] Pause.

Nagg

[0396] I've lost me tooth.

Nell

[0397] When?

Nagg

[0398] I had it yesterday.

Nell

[0399] (elegiac). [0400] Ah yesterday!

[0401] They turn painfully towards each other.

Nagg

[0402] Can you see me?

Nell

[0403] Hardly. [0404] And you?

Nagg

[0405] What?

Nell

[0406] Can you see me?

[0406|001] Hardly. [0406|002] (Pause.)

Nagg

[0407] Hardly. [0410] (Pause.) [0411] Our sight has failed.

Nell

[0412] Yes.

[0413] Pause. [0414] They turn away from each other.

Nagg

[0415] Can you hear me?

Nell

[0416] Yes. [0417] And you?

Nagg

[0418] Yes. [0419] (xPause.) [0420] Our hearing hasn't failed.

Nell

[0421] Our what?

Nagg

[0422] Our hearing.

Nell

[0423] No. [0424] (Pause.) [0425] Is there anything else you want Have you anything else to say to me?

Nagg

[0426] Do you remember -

Nell

[0427] No.

Nagg

[0428] When we crashed on our tandem and lost our legs.

[0429] They laugh. heartily.

Nell

[0430] It was in the Ardennes.

[p. 09r]

[0431] They klaugh less loud heartily.

Nagg

[0432] On the road out of to Sedan. [0433] (They laugh still less loud heartily.) [0435] Are you cold

Nell

[0436] Yes, very cold. [0437] And you?

Nagg

[0438] I'm frozen freezing. [0439] (Pause.) [0440] Do you want to go in?

Nell

[0441] Yes.

Nagg

[0442] Then go in. [0443] (Nell does not move.) [0444] Why don't you go in?

Nell

[0445] I don't know.

[0446] Pause.

Nagg

[0447] Has he changed[] your sawdust been changed?

Nell

[0448] It isn't sawdust. [0449] (Pause. [0450] Wearily.) [0451] Can you not be a little accurate, Nagg?

Nagg

[0452] Your sand then. [0453] It's not important.

Nell

[0454] It is important.

[0455] Pause.

Nagg

[0456] It used to be sawdust.

Nell

[0457] Yes indeed. It used to be.

Nagg

[0458] And now it's sand. [0459] (Pause.) [0460] From the shore. [0461] (Pause.) [0463] Now it's sand he fetches from the shore.

BNell

[0464] Yes indeed. Now it's sand.

Nagg

[0465] Has he changed yours been changed?

Nell

[0466] No.

Nagg

[0467] Nor mine. [0468] (Pause.) [0469] It's a scandal! I won't have it! [0470] (Pause. [0471] Holding up the biscuit.) [0472] Do you want a bit?

Nell

[0473] No. [0474] (Pause.) [0475] Of what?

Nagg

[0476] Of bBiscuit. [0477] I've kept you half. [0478] (He looks at the biscuit. [0479] Proud.) [0480] Three quarters. [0481] For you. [0482] Here. [0483] (He proffers the biscuit.) [0484] No? [0485] (Pause.) [0486] Are you not well? Do you not feel well?

Hamm

[0487] (with lassitude wearily). [0488] Quiet, quiet, you're keeping me awake. [0489] (Pause.) [0490] Talk softer. [0491] (Pause.) [0492] If I slept I might make love. [0493] I'd go into the woods. [0494] My eyes would see...the sky, the eartearth. [0495] I'd run, run, [0497] they wouldn't catch me. [0498] (Pause.) [0499] Nature! [0500] (Pause.) [0501] There's a drip of water in my head. [0502] 5(Pause.) [0503] A heart, a heart in my head.

[0504] Pause.

Nagg

[0505] (soft). [0506] Do you hear him? [0507] A heart in his head!

[0508] He chuckles cautiously.

Nell

[0509] One mustn't shouldn't mustn't laugh at those things. [0510] Why do[] must you

[p. 10r] DOODLE 6

[0510] always laugh at them?

[0510] always laugh at them?

Nagg

[0511] Not so loud!

Nell

[0512] (without lowering her voice). [0513] Nothing is funnier than unhappiness, I grant you. [0514] But -

Nagg

[0515] (shocked). [0516] Oh!

Nell

[0517] Yes, yes, it's the most comic thing in the world. [0518] And we laugh, we laugh, with a will, in the beginning. [0520] But it's like the funny striory we have heard too often, we still find it funny, but we don't laugh any more. [0521] (Pause.) [0522] Is there Have you anything else you want to say to me?

Nagg

[0523] No.

Nell

[0524] Are you sure? [0525] (Pause.) [0526] Then I'll leave you.

Nagg

[0527] Do you not want your biscuit. [0528] (Pause.) [0529] I'll keep it for you. [0530] (Pause.) [0531] I thought you were going to leave me.

Nell

[0532] I am going to leave you.

Nagg

[0533] Can you give me a scratch before you go?

Nell

[0534] No. [0535] (Pause.) [0536] Where?

Nagg

[0537] In the back.

Nell

[0538] No. [0539] (Pause.) [0540] Rub yourself against the rim.

Nagg

[0541] It's lower down. [0542] In the hollow?

Nell

[0543] What hollow?

Nagg

[0544] The hollow! [0545] (Pause.) [0546] cCan you not? [0547] (Pause.) [0548] Yresterday you scratched me there.

Nell

[0549] (elegiac). [0550] Ah yesterday!

Nagg

[0551] Can you not? [0552] (Pause.) [0553] Would you like me to scractch you? [0554] (Pause.) [0555] Are you crying again?

Nell

[0556] I was trying.

[0557] Pause.

Hamm

[0559] Perhaps it's a little vein.

[0560] Pause.

Nagg

[0561] What was that he said?

Nell

[0562] Perhaps it's a little vein.

Nagg

[0563] What does that mean? [0564] (Pause.) [0565] That It means nothing. [0566] (Pause.) [0567] Will I tell you the story of the tailor?

Nell

[0567|001] WhyN No. [0567|002] (Pause.) [0568] Why?

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