MS-OSU-RARE-29-6

[0569] To cheer you up.

[0570] It's not funny.

[0571] It has always made you laugh. [0572] (Pause.) [0573] The first time I thought you'd die.

[0574] It was on the Lake of Como. [0575] (Pause.) [0576] One April afternoon. [0577] '⁽Pause.) [0578] Can you believe it?

[0579] What?

[0580] That we once went rowing on the the Lake of Como. [0581] (Pause.) [0582] One April afternoon.

[0583] We had got engaged the day ^{It was the day after we got engaged We had got engaged the day before}.

[0584] Engaged!

[0585] You were in such fits that we capsized. [0586] By right we should have ^been drowned.

[0587] It was because I felt happy.

[0588] It was not, it was not, not ^{nonsense, nonsense}, it was my story and nothing else. [0588|001] ^Happy![⁁] [0589] Don't you laugh at it still? [0590] Every time [⁁]^{I tell it.} [0590|001] ^Happy!

[0591] It was deep, deep. [0592] And you could see down to the bottom. [0593] So white. [0594] So clean.

[0595] Let me tell it again. [0596] (Raconteur's voice.) [0597] An Englishman, needing a pair of striped trousers in a hurry for the New Year festivities[⁁] ^{rejoicings[⁁]}, goes to see his tailor who takes his measurements. [0598] (Voice of tailor.) [0599] "That's the lot ^{That'll be all}, come back in four days, I'll have it ready." [0600] Good. [0601] Four days later. [0602] Voice of tailor.) [0603] "So sorry, come back in a week, I've made a mess of the seat." [0604] Good, ^that's all right, the seat is ^{a neat seat} never easy ^{a neat seat can be very ticklish can be very ticklish}." [0605] A week later. [0606] (Voice of tailor.) [0607] ^"Frightd^fully sorry, come back in ten days, I've made a hames ^hash of the crutch." [0608] Good, can't be helped, the ^{a snug} crutch is always ticklish[⁁] ^{a snug crutch is always a problem teaser. a teaser}. [0609] Ten days later. [0610] (Voice of tailor.) [0611] "Dreadfully sorry, come back in a fortnight, I've made a balls of the fly." [0612] Good, at a pinch, a smart fly is a stiff proposition. [0613] (Pause. [0614] Normal voice.) [0615] I never told it worse. [0616] (Pause. [0617] Gloomy.) [0618] I tell this story worse and worse. [0619] (Pause. [0620] Voice of raconteur.) [0621] Well, to make it short, the daffodils are in flower ^{bluebells are blowing} and he botches ^{makes a balls of} the buttonholes. [0622] (Voice of customer.) [0623] "God damn it, Sir, no, it's indecent, there are limits! [0624] In six days, do you hear me, six days, God made the world. [0625] Yes Sir, no less Sir, the WORLD! [0626] And you are not bloody well capable of making me a pair of trousers in three months!" [0627] (Voice of tailor;^, scandalized.) [0628] "But, me lord, me lord, ^{my dear Sir,} [0629] ^{my dear Sir,} [0630] look - (disdainful gesture, with disgust ^disgustedly) - at the world - (pause)- and look - (loving gesture, proudly) - at my TROUSERS!"

[0633] Silence! [0634] H^Namm^gg starts[⁁] ^{gives a start starts}, cuts short his laugh.

[0635] You could see down to the bottom.

[0636] (exasperated). [0637] Have you not finished? [0638] Will you never finish? [0639] (With sudden fury.) [0640] Will this never finish? [0641] (Nagg disappears into his bin, shuts ^closes the lid behind him. [0642] Nell does not move. [0644] Frenziedly.) [0645] My kingdom for a scavenger ^soilman! [0646] (He whistles. [0647] Enter Clov.) [0648] Clear away this muck! [0649] Chuck it in the sea!

[0651] Si^o white.

[0652] What? [0653] What's she gabbling ^blathering about?

[0655] (to Clov). [0656] Desert!

[0658] (returning to his place beside the chair). [0659] She has no pulse.

[0661] What was she drivelling about?

[0662] She told me to go away, into the desert.

[0663] Tell her to mind her own business. ^{Damn busybody!} [0664] Is that all?

[0665] No?

[0666] What else?

[0667] I didn't understand.

[0668] Have you bottled her?

[0669] Yes.

[0670] Are they both bottled?

[0671] Yes.

[0672] Screw down the lids. [0673] (V^Clov goes towards door.) [0674] Time enough. [0675] (Clov halts.) [0676] My anger subsides, I'd like[^stet] ^{I want} to pee.

[0677] I'll goa and get the catheter.

[0679] Time enough. [0680] (Clov halts.) [0681] Give me my sedative ^painkiller.

[0682] ,It's too soon. [0683] (Pause.) [0684] It's too soon on top of your stmⁱmulant ^tonic, it wouldn't act.

[0685] In the morning they brace you up and in the evening they calm you down

[0685] calm you down. [0686] Unless it's the other way round. [0687] (Pause.) [0688] That i^old doctor, he's dead naturally?

[0689] He wasn't old.

[0690] But he's dead?

[0691] Naturally. [0692] (Pause.) [0693] You ask me that?

[0695] Take me for a little turn. [0696] (Clov goes behind the chair and pushes it forward.) [0697] Not too fast! [0698] (Clov pushes chair.) [0699] Right ^all round the world! [0700] (Clov pushes chair.) [0701] Hug the walls. [0702] Then back to the centre again. [0703] (Clov pushes chair.) [0704] I was right in the centre, wasn't I?

[0704|001] (pushing). [0705] Yes.

[0706] We'd need a proper wheel-chair. [0707] With big wheels. [0708] Bicycle wheels! [0709] (Pause.) [0710] Are you hugging?

[0710|001] (pushing). [0711] Yes.

[0712] (groping for wall). [0713] It's a lie! [0714] Why do you lie to me?

[0715] (bearing closer to the wall). [0716] There,^! t^There.^!

[0716|001] Stop!

[0717] Stop! [0718] (Clov stops chair close to back wall. [0719] Hamm lays his hand against the wall.) [0721] Old wall! [0722] (Pause.) [0723] Beyond is the...other hell. [0724] (Pause. [0725] Violently.) [0726] Closer! [0727] Closer! [0728] Up against!

[0729] Take away your hand. [0730] (Hammw withdraws his hand. [0731] Clov rams chair against wall.) [0732] There!

[0734] Do you hear,^? [0735] (He stuⁱrkes the wall with his knuckles.) [0737] Do you hear? [0738] Hollow bricks! [0739] (He strikes again.) [0740] That's a^All hollow! [0741] (Pause. [0742] He straightens up. [0743] Violently.) [0744] That's enough. [0745] Back!

[0746] We haven't finished ^done the round.

[0747] Take me b^Back to my place.^! [0748] (Clov pushes the chair back to the centre.) [0749] Is that my place?

[0750] Yes, that's your place.

[0751] Am I right in the centre?

[0752] I'll measure it.

[0753] Approximately! [0754] Approximately! [0753] ^Roughly! [0754] ^Roughly! [0753] ^{More or less!} [0754] ^{More or less!}

[0754|001] (moving chair slightly). [0755] There.^!

[0756] I'm roughly[⁁] ^{more or less} in the centre?

[0757] I'd say so.

[0758] You'd say so! [0759] Put me right in the centre.

[0760] I'll go and get the chain.

[0761] Roughly! [0762] Roughly§^! [0763] (V^Clov moves chair slightly.) [0764] Right ^Bang in the centre!

[0765] There.^!

[0767] I feel a little too far to the left. [0768] (Clov moves chair slightly.) [0770] Now I feel a little too far to the right. [0771] (Clov as before.) [0772] Now I feel a little too far forward. [0773] (Clov as before.) [0774] Now I feel a little too far back. [0775] (Clov as before.) [0776] Don't stay there (i.e. behind the chair), you frighten me. ^{make me nervous.}

[0778] If I could kill him I'd die happy.

[0780] What's the weather like?

[0781] Same a^As usual.

[0782] Look at the land. ^earth.

[0783] I've looked.

[0784] With the glass?

[0785] No need of the glass.

[0786] Look at it with the glass.

[0787] I'll go and get the glass.

[0789] No need of the glass!

[0791] I'm back again, with the glass. [0792] (He goes to window right, looks up at it.) [0793] I need the ladder.

[0794] Why? [0795] Have you shrunk? [0796] (Exit Clov, with the glass.) [0797] I don't like that, I don't like that.

[0799] I'm back again, with the ladder. [0800] (He sets down the ladder under window left, gets up on it, realizes he has not the glass, gets down.) [0801] I need the glass.

[0803] (violently). [0804] But you have the glass!

[0805] (halting, violently). [0806] No, I haven't the glass!

[0808] This is hoêless ^hopeless.

[0811] ^{Things are looking picking up.} [0812] (He gets up on the ladder, raises the glass, [0813] lets it fall. [0814] Pause.) [0815] I did it on purpose. [0816] (He gets down, picks up the glass, turns it on the auditorium.) [0817] I see...a multitude...in transports...of joy. [0818] (Pause.) [0819] That's what I call a telescope ^magnifier. [0820] (He lowers the glass, turns towards Hamm.) [0821] Well? [0822] Don't we laugh?

[0823] (after reflexion). [0824] I don't.

[0825] (after reflexion). [0826] Nor I. [0827] (He gets up on the window ^ladder, looksturns the glass on the without.) [0828] Let's see. [0829] (He looks, moving the glass.) [0830] Zero ^Sweet...(he looks)...zero ^damn...(he looks°⁾...and zero. ^all.

[0830|001] ^{(to himself)} [0834] Nothing stirs. [0835] All is -

[0836] Zero. ^{Zer - Sweet damn -}

[0837] (violently). [0838] Don't interrupt me! [0839] (Normal voice ^{To himself}.) [0840] All is...all is...all is what? [0841] (Violently.) [0842] All is what?

[0843] What all is? [0844] In a word? [0845] Is that what you want to know? [0846] One ^{Just a} moment. [0847] (He turns the glass on the without, looks, lowers the glass, turns towards Hamm.) [0848] Corpsed. [0849] (Pause.) [0850] Well? [0851] Content?

[0852] Look at the sea.

[0853] It's the same.

[0854] Look at the ocean!

[0857] Never seen anything like that!

[0858] (anxious). [0859] What? [0860] A sail? [0861] A fin? [0862] Smoke?

[0862|001] The lighthouse is under water. [0863] (looking) [0864] The lighthouse is under water ^sunk.

[0866] Pah! [0867] We knew[⁁] ^{all knew} that.

[0868] There was(as before). [0869] There was a bit left.

[0870] The base.

[0872] Yes.