MS-OSU-RARE-29-6

[1440] came crawling towrdr towards me, on his belly. [1441] Pale, wonderfully pale and thin, he seemed on the point of - [1442] (Pause(Pause. [1443] Normal tone.) [1444] No, I've done that bit. [1445] (Pause. [1446] Narrative tone.) [1447] A long silence was heard. [1448] (Normal tone.) [1449] Nicely put, that. [1450] (Narrative tone.) [1451] I tranquilly ^calmly filled my pipe - the meerschaum, lit it with a...let us say a vesta, drew a few puffs. [1452] Aah! [1453] (Pause.) [1454] Well, what is it?[⁁] ^{you want?[⁁]} [1455] (Pause.) [1456] It was an extraordinarily cold day, I remember, zero by the thermometer. [1457] But considering it was Xmas ^Christmas Eve there was nothing...extraordinary about that. [1458] Seasonable weather, for once in a way. [1459] (Pause.) [1460] Well, what ill wind blows you to me? [1461] He raised his face towards l^me, black with mingled dirt and tears. [1462] (Pause. [1463] Normal tone.) [1464] That should do it. [1465] (Narrative tone.) [1466] No; ^No, no, don't look at me, don't look at me. [1467] He dropped his eyes and muttered ^mumbled something, apologies I presume. [1468] (Pause.) [1469] I'm a busy man, you know, the final touches, before the rejoicings, yoy ^you know what it is. [1470] (Pause. [1471] Forcibly.) [1472] Come ^on now, what is the object of this invasion? [1473] (Pause.) [1474] It was a glorious bright day, I remember, fifty by the heliometer, but already the sun was sinking ^down into the...di^own among the dead. [1475] (Pause(Normal tone.) [1476] Nicely put, that. [1477] (Narrative tone.) [1478] Come on now, come on, present your petition and let me get on with ^resume my labours. [1478|001] (Pause. [1479] Normal tone.) [1480] There's English for you. [1481] Ah well. [1482] (Narrative tone.) [1483] It was then he took the plunge. [1484] It's my little one, he said. [1485] Tss tss, a little one, that's bad. [1486] My little boy, he said, as if the sex mattered. [1487] Where did he come from? [1488] He named the hole. [1489] A good half day, on horse. [1490] Wht^at are you insinuating? That the place is still inhabited? [1492] No no, not a soul, except himself, and the childx, ^- assuming he existed. [1493] Good. [1494] I enquired about the situation at Kov, beyond the bay. [1495] Not a sinner. [1496] Good. [1497] And you expect me to believe you have left your child back there, all alone, and alive into the bargain ^bargain? [1498] Come now! [1499] (Pause.) [1500] It was a howling wild day, I remember, a hundred by the anenometer. [1501] The wind was tearing up the dead pines and sweeping them...away. [1501|001] (Pause?^. [1502] Normal tone.) [1503] A bit feeble, that. [1504] (Narrative tone.) [1505] Come on, man, speak up, what is it you want from me, I have to dress ^{put up} my Xmas Tree ^{xx holly}. [1506] '⁽Pause.) [1507] Well to make ^{cut make} it short it finally transpired that what he wanted from me was... bread for his child ^brat. [1510] Bread? [1511] But I have no bread, it doesn't agree with me. [1512] Good. [1513] Then perhaps a little corn? [1514] (Pause?^. [1515] Normal tone.) [1516] That should do it. [1517] (Narrative tone.) [1518] Corn, yes, I have corn, it's a fact ^true, in my granaries. [1519] But use your head. [1520] I give you some corn, a pound, a pound and a half, you bring it back to your child and you give ^make him - if he's still alive - a good pot of porridge, nice pot of porridge, a nice pot and a half of porridge. [1521] Good. [1522] The colours come back into his cheeks - perhaps. [1523] And then? [1524] (Pause.) [1525] I lost patience. [1526] Use your head, can't you, use your head, you're on

[1526] earth, there's no cure for that! [1527] (Pause.) [1528] It was an excessively dry day, I remember, zerp^o by the hygrometer. [1529] Ideal weather, for my rheymatics rheumatics ^{lumbago poor old bones.}. [1530] (Pause. [1531] Violently.) [1532] But what in God's name do you imagine? [1533] That the earth will awake in srp^pring? [1534] That there'll be fish to be found in the rive^rs and seas again? ^{That the rivers & seas will run abound w with fish again?} [1535] That there^'is stillmanna in heaven ^still for imbeciles like you? [1536] (Pause.) [1537] GranduallyGradually I recovered my calm, at least sufficiently to ad^sk him how long he had taken on the way. [1538] Three whole days. [1538|001] Good. [1539] In what state he had left the child? [1540] In deep ^{Deep in} sleep. [1541] (Forcibly.) [1542] But in what deep sleep, in what deep sleep already? [1543] (Pause.) [1544] To make ^{Well to cut make[⁁]} it short I finally offered to take him into my service. [1545] He had touched me. [1546] And then I imagined already that I wasn't much longer for this world! [1547] (He laughs. [1548] Pause.) [1549] Well? [1550] (Pause.) [1551] Well? [1552] (Pause.) [1553] Here if you were careful you might die a nice normal ^natural death, in peace and comfort. [1554] (Pause.) [1555] Well? [1556] (Pause.) [1557] In the end he asked me if I'd ^{would I[⁁]} consent to take in the child as well,^- if he were still alive. [1558] (Pause.) [1559] It was the moment I was waiting for. [1560] (Pause.) [1561] Would I consent to take in the child.. [1562] (Pause.) [1563] I can see him still, down on his knees, his hands flat on the ground, staring ^glaring at me with his mad eyes, in spite of what I had just told him ^{the xxx I had just given him defiance of my wishes.}. [1564] (Pause. [1565] Normal tone.) [1568] I'll soon have finished with this story. [1569] (Pause.) [1570] Unless I introduce ^{bring in} other characters. [1571] (Pay^use.) [1572] But where would I find them? [1573] (Pause.) [1574] Where would I look for them? [1575] (Pause. [1576] He whistles. [1577] Enter Clov.) [1578] Let's pray to God.

[1579] My^e sugar-plum!

[1580] There's a rat in the kitchen!

[1581] A rat! [1582] Are there still rats?

[1583] In the kitchen there's one.

[1584] And you haven't extirminated it?

[1585] Half. [1586] You disturbed us.

[1587] He can't get away?

[1588] No.

[1589] You'll finish him later on. [1590] Let's pray to God.

[1591] ^Again?

[1592] My^e sugar-plum!

[1593] God first! [1594] (^Pause.) [1595] Are you ready ^right?

[1596] (resigned). [1597] Off we go.

[1598] (to Nagg). [1599] And you?

[1600] (clasping his hands, closing his eyes, in a gabble). [1601] Our Father which art -

[1602] Silence! [1603] In silence! [1604] Where are your ^{xxx your xxx Where are} manners? [1605] Let's ^{Off we} go. [1606] (Attitudes of prayer. [1607] Silence. [1608] Opening his eyes ^{abandoning his attitude}, discouraged.) [1609] Well?

[1610] ^{(abandoning his attitude)} [1611] What a hope! [1612] And you?

[^invert] [1613] Sweet damn all! [1614] (To Nagg.) [1615] And you?

[1616] Wait! [1617] (Pause. [1618] Opening his eyes. ^{Abandoning his attitude)}) [1619] Nothing doing.

[1620] The bastard! [1621] He doesn't exist!

[1622] Not yet.

[1623] My^e sugar-plum!

[1624] There are no more sugar-plums!

[1626] It's natural. [1627] After all I'm your father. [1628] It's true if it hadn't been me it would have been someone else. [1629] T^But that's no excuse. [1630] (Pause.) [1631] Turkish Delight, for example, which no longer exists, we all know that, there is nothing in the world I love more. [1632] And one day I'll ask you for some, in return for a complaisance ^{good turn? favour}, and you'll promise it to me. [1633] One must live with the times. [1634] (Pause.) [1635] Whom did you call when you were a tiny ^{little tiny} boy, and were ^were frightened, in the dark? [1636] Your mother? [1637] No. [1638] Me. [1639] We let you cry. [1640] Then we moved you out of earshot, so that we might sleep ^{in peace}. [1641] (Pause.) [1642] I was asleep, as happy as a king, and you woke me up to have me ^{for me to to have me} listen to you. [1643] It wasn't indispensable, you didn't really need ^{to have to have} [⁁] me to listen to you. [1645] (Pause.) [1646] I hope the day will come when you'⁽ll really need ^{to have} me to listen to you, and need to hear my voice, any voice. [1647] (Pause.) [1648] Yes, I hope I'll live till then, to hear you calling me like when youw were a tiny ^{little tiny} boy, and were [⁁]^were frightened, in the dark, and I was your only hope. [1649] (Pause. [1650] Nagg knocks on lid of Nell's bin.

[1651] Pausr^e.) [1652] Nell! [1653] (Pause. [1654] He knocks louder. [⁁] [1654|001] ^Louder.) [1655] Nell!

[1656] Pause. [1657] Nagg goes back ^sinks into his big , shuts ^closes the lid behind him. [1658] Pause.

[1659] ^{Our revels now are ended.} [1660] (He gropes for the dog.) [1661] The dog's gone.

[1662] He's not a real dog, he can't go.

[1663] (groping). [1664] He's not there.

[1665] He's lain down.

[1666] Give him up to me. [1667] 5⁽Clov picks up the dog and gives it to Hamm. [1668] Hamm holds it in his arms. [1669] Pause. [1670] Hamm throws away the dog.) [1671] Dirty brute! [1672] (Clob^v begins to picks up the objects lying on the ground.) [1673] What are you douⁱng?

[1674] Putting things in order. [1675] (He straightens up. [1676] With enthusiasm.) [1677] I'm going to clear everything away!

[1679] Order!

[1680] S⁽straightening up). [1681] I love order. [1682] It's my dream. [1683] A world where all would be silent and still and each thing in its last place, under the last dust.

[1685] (exasperated). [1686] What in God's name do you think you are doing?

[1687] (straightening up). [1688] I'm doing my best to create a little order.

[1689] Drop it!

[1691] After all, there or elsewhere.

[1693] (irritably). [1694] What's wrong with your feet?

[1695] My feet?

[1696] Tramp! Tramp!

[1697] I must have put on my boots.

[1698] Your slipper^s were hurting you?

[1700] I'll leave you.

[1701] No!

[1702] What's there to keep me here?

[1703] The dialogue. [1704] (Pause.) [1705] I've got on with my story. [1706] (Pause.) [1707] I've got on with it well. [1708] (Pause.) [1709] Ask me where I've got to.

[1710] Oh, by the way, your story?

[1711] (surprised). [1712] What story?

[1713] The one you've been telling yourself all your ^{my your} life.

[1714] Ah you mean my chronicle?

[1715] That's the one.

[1717] (angrily). [1718] Keep on ^going, can't you, keep on ^going!

[1719] You've got on with it, I hope.

[1720] (modestly). [1721] Oh not very far, not very far. [1722] (He sighs?⁾ [1723] There are days like that, one isn't inspired. [1724] (Pause.) [1725] Nothing you can do about it, just wait for it to come. [1726] (Pause.) [1727] No forcing, no forcing, it's fatal. [1728] (Pause.) [1728|001] I've got on with a bi

[1729] I've got on with it a little all the same. [1730] (Pause.) [1731] Technique, you know. [1731|001] (Pause.) [1732] (Pause. [1733] Irritably.) [1734] I say I've got on it with a little all the d^same.

[1735] (admirngly). [1736] Well I'll be...! [1737] In spite of everything you were able to get on with it!

[1738] (modestly). [1739] Oh not very far, you know, not very far, but nevertheless, better than nothing.

[1740] Better than nothing! [1741] Is it possible!

[1742] I'll tell you how it goes. [1743] He comes crawling on his belly -

[1744] Who?

[1745] What?

[1746] Who do you mean, he?

[1747] Who do I mean! [1748] Yet another.

[1749] Ah him! [1750] I wasn't sure.

[1751] Crawling on his belly, whining for bread for his brat. child. [1752] He's offered a jog^b as gardener. [1753] Before - [1754] (Clov bursts out laughing.) [1755] What's there so funny about that?

[1756] A job as gardener!

[1757] Is that what makes you laugh?

[1758] It must be that.

[1759] It wouldn't be the bread?

[1760] Or the brat.

[1762] The whole thing is droll, I grant you that. [1763] What about having a good guffaw the two of us together?

[1764] (after reflexion). [1765] I couldn't guffaw again to-day.

[1766] r⁽after reflexion). [1767] Nor I. [1768] (Pause.) [1769] I continue then. [1770] Before accepting with gratitude he asks if he can have his little n^boy with him.

[1771] What age?

[1772] Oh tiny. ^{very small tiny}

[1773] H^He would have climbed the trees.

[1774] All the little odd jobs.

[1775] And then he would have grown up.

[1776] Very likely.