MS-UoR-1659

[0158] Unattainable laxation.[0159] Sneers at what he calls his youth
and thanks to God that it is ^it's over^.[0161] - false ring. ^{False ring there.}[0162] ^(Pause.)[0163] Shadow^s of
the opus...magnum.[0164] Closing with a - (brief laugh) - kelp
yelp to Providence.[0165] (Prolonged laugh in which Krapp joins.)
[0166] What remains of all that misery?[0167] A girl in a shabby green
coat, on a railway-station platform?[0168] No?

[0169] Pause.
[0170] When I look -[0171] (Krapp switches off, broods, looks at his watch,
gets up and goes backstage into darkness. [0172] Ten seconds. [0173] Pop
of cork. [0174] Ten seconds. [0175] Pop of second cork. [0176] Ten seconds. [0177] Pop
of third cork. [0178] Ten seconds. [0179] Brief burst of quavering song.

[0180] (sings).[0181] Now the day is over,
Night is drawing nigh - igh
Shadows -
[0182] Fit of coughing. [0183] He comes back into light, sits down, wipes
his mouth, switches on, resumes his listening posture.

[0184] - back on the year that is gone, with what I hope is perhaps
a glint of the old eye to come, there is of course the house
on the canal where mother lay a-dying, in the early ^late autumn,
after her long viduity (Krapp gives a start), and the -
[0185] (Krapp switches off, winds back tape a little, bends his ear
closer to machine, switches on)[0186] - a-dying, in the early ^late
autumn, after her long viduity, and the -

[0187] Krapp switches off, raises his head, stares blankly before
him. [0188] His lips move in the syllables of viduity. [0189] No sound.
[0190] He gets up, goes backstage into darkness, comes back with an
enormous dictionary, sits down, lays it on table and looks
up the word.

[0191] (reading from dictionary).[0192] Sta^te ^{- or condition -} of being - or remaining - a
diwo - or widower widow - or widower.[0193] (Looks up. [0194] Puzzled.)
[0195] Being - or remaining?...[0196]-⁽Pause. [0197] He peers again at dictionary.
[0198] Reading.)[0199] "Deep weeds of viduity"...[0200]Also of an animal, especial^ly
a bird...The vidua or weaver-bird...[0201]Black plumage of males...
[0202] (He looks up. [0203] With relish.)[0204] The vidua-buⁱrd!

[0205] Pause. [0206] He closes dictionary, switches on, resumes listening
posture.
[0207] - bench by the weir from where I could see her window.[0208] There
I sat, day after day ^{in the biting wind}, wishing she were gone.[0209] (Pause.)[0210] Desert^ed
spot it was, ^{Hardly a soul} just a few regulars, nursemaids, infants, old
men, dogs. I got to know them quite well - oh by appearance of
course I mean!

[0211] One dark young beauty I recollect particularly,
all white and starch, incomparable bosom, with a big black
hooded perambulator, most funereal thing.[0212] Whenever I looked
in her direction she had her eyes on me.[0213] And yet when I was
bold enough to speak to her - not having been introduced -
she threatened to call a policeman.[0214] ^{As if I had designs on her! virtue!}[0215] ^(Laugh.)[0216] (Pause.)[0217] The face she
had![0218] The eys! eyes![0219] Like...(hesitates)...chrysolite![0220] (Pause.)