Eleuthéria Read online

glazier. And here we have young

  Michel, my supposed assistant. He

  is the one who carries the putty.

  Say hello to the lady, Michel.

  (Exit Madame Karl)

  MICHEL

  Hello, Madame.

  MME. MECK

  You have not seen Monsieur

  Krap?

  GlAZIER

  Monsieur Krap?

  MME. MEeK

  The young man who lives here.

  GlAZIER

  Ah, the young man who lives

  here.

  MME. MEeK

  You have not seen him?

  GlAZIER

  Yes, Madame .

  MME. MEeK

  Where is he?

  GlAZIER

  He is under the bed, Madame, as

  ELEUTHERIA

  69

  in Moliere 's day. (Victor comes

  out from under the bed) You

  should have stayed there .

  MME. MEeK

  Where is the method to this

  madness?

  GlAZIER .

  It is with a view to public en tertainment and refreshment, Madame.

  VICTOR

  What do you want of me?

  MME. MEeK

  He is cute , this little fellow. Come

  and say hello to me, my little

  gentleman . You would think he

  was a real little man .

  GlAZIER

  I would ask that you leave my

  assistant alone, Madame. He has

  already said hello. Don 't you see

  that he is holding the putty?

  MME. MECK

  You are hardly very pleasant.

  GlAZIER

  There is a time for work, Madame,

  and there is a time for pleasantries. Michel must learn to tell the

  difference between them, early

  on.

  MME. MEeK

  It is your son?

  GlAZIER

  When I am working I have no

  family, Madame.

  MME. MEeK

  You call that working? You just

  chatter.

  GlAZIER

  My brain works non-stop.

  MME. MEeK

  (To Victor) He resembles your

  poor papa a little when he was

  70

  SAMUEL BECKETI

  younger.

  GLAZIER

  Is that true?

  MME. MECK

  Don 't you be concerning yourself

  with us.

  GLAZIER

  But you are concerning yourselves

  with me.

  MME. MECK

  (To Victor) You are not offering

  to get me a chair?

  VICTOR

  There is no chair.

  MME. MECK

  Last time there was one.

  VICTOR

  There are none left. (Mme. Meek

  sits down on the bed) What do

  you want?

  MME. MECK

  The resemblance is striking,

  really.

  VICTOR

  You are bringing me money?

  MME. MECK

  I have come to see you.

  VICTOR

  I am going out.

  MME. MECK

  I will go with you. (She gets up)

  (Victor goes to the door, opens it,

  is left momentarily speechless,

  goes out on the landing)

  VICTOR'S VOICE

  Madame Karl ! (A silence) Madame Karl ! (Victor comes back in

  and closes the door)

  MME. MECK

  So you are not going out?

  VICTOR

  Not right away. (Mme Meek sits

  down again ) Who is that man on

  the landing?

  MME. MECK

  It is joseph.

  VICTOR

  He is with you?

  ELEUTHERIA

  71

  MME. MEeK

  He is a fifth-rate wrestler. Ludovic

  employed him from time to time .

  VIcroR

  H e i s with you?

  MME. MECK

  Yes, Victor, he is with me.

  (The Glazier goes to the door,

  opens it, looks out)

  GLAZIER

  Come look, Michel . (Michel goes

  to the door. Both of them look

  out for quite some time. The

  Glazier gently closes the door

  once more and goes back to his

  work. Victor follows him) That

  thing's foot must be a good size

  fifteen.

  MICHEL

  What does he have on his nose,

  papa?

  GLAZIER

  Monsieur.

  MICHEL

  Monsieur.

  GLAZIER

  I do not know, Michel, what he

  has on his nose . There are so

  many things that you can have on

  your nose. Ask him, if you want to

  know. Or rather ask this nice lady,

  that would be more advisable.

  MICHEL

  What does he have on his nose,

  Madame?

  MME. MECK

  It is the result of a bite, child.

  MICHEL

  It is a dog that bit him, Madame?

  MME. MEeK

  No, child, it is a man like him , a

  fellow creature .

  MICHEL

  Why that he bit him, Madame?

  72

  SAMUEL BECKETI

  MME. MECK

  To force him to loosen his hold,

  child.

  GlAZIER

  Enough ! enough ! This is getting

  us nowhere . Hand me the tape

  measure .

  MICHEL

  But you are the one who has it,

  Monsieur.

  GlAZIER

  That is true. (He begins to take a

  measurement)

  VICTOR

  Why is that man with you?

  MME. MEeK

  To carry you off by force, should

  the need arise .

  VICTOR

  By force?

  MME. MEeK

  You are hardly to be moved by

  reason, I believe .

  (Enter Mme. Karl)

  MME. KARL

  What do you want?

  VICTOR

  I would like my bill. I am leaving.

  MME. KARL

  What did you say?

  VICTOR

  I said I am leaving and that I

  would like my bill.

  MME. KARL

  You must give a week's notice .

  VICTOR

  You make up a bill that seems fair

  to you. I am leaving here today.

  MME. KARL

  What is your complaint?

  VICTOR

  I am more than willing to respond, Madame Karl. My complaint is that I am being disturbed without stop. Yesterday it was my

  mother, today it is the general 's

  wife, tomorrow it will be my

  ELEUTHERIA

  73

  fiancee . I cannot even break my

  windowpane without a glazier's

  turning up and setting about

  repairing it, with despairing

  slowness.

  MME. KARL

  You should not have given out the

  address.

  VIcroR

  I did not give it out. They found

  it.

  MME. KARL

  But everywhere you go they will

  find you the same old story.

  GlAZIER

  That is not a sure thing.

  MME. KARL

  (To Mme. Meek) You cannot leave

  him alone?

  MME. MECK

  Mind your own business.

/>   VIcroR

  Madame Karl, be nice, bring me

  the bill. It is pointless to argue

  with these people.

  MME. KARL

  It is a disgrace . (She goes)

  VICfOR

  Oh, Madame Karl.

  MME. KARL

  What?

  VICfOR

  Is Therese downstairs?

  MME. KARL

  Yes.

  VICfOR

  Ask her to go get an officer and

  bring him back here .

  MME. KARL

  An officer? What for? I do not

  want cops in my house.

  VICfOR

  This lady is trespassing in my

  place of residence.

  MME. KARL

  You are big enough to throw her

  out.

  74

  SAMUEL BECKEIT

  VICTOR

  She got a bodyguard to come

  along with her. He is on the

  landing and only waiting for the

  signal to step in .

  MME. MECK

  Joseph ! (Enter Joseph) Do what

  you have to do !

  JOSEPH

  It is him?

  MME. MECK

  Yes.

  JOSEPH

  (Taking Victor by the arm) Come

  along.

  VICTOR

  Help !

  MME. KARL

  Help !

  JOSEPH

  Shut your trap ! (He pushes her)

  VICTOR

  Let me go ! (He struggles feebly.

  Joseph drags him toward the

  door)

  GlAZIER

  (To Michel) Hand me the hammer.

  MICHEL

  But you are the one who has it,

  Monsieur.

  GlAZIER

  That is true. (He gets closer to

  Joseph and strikes him on the

  skull with the hammer. Joseph

  falls)

  MME. MECK

  This is ridiculous.

  (The Glazier goes back to his

  work)

  MME. KARL

  ( Going) I am going to get an

  officer.

  MME. MEeK

  He has killed him.

  VICTOR

  There is no longer any need,

  Madame Karl.

  ELEUTHERIA

  75

  MME. KARL

  We must lodge a complaint.

  VICTOR

  Tell the chauffeur to come up.

  MME. KARL

  He struck me.

  VICTOR

  The chauffeur, Madame Karl , the

  chauffeur. You will be compen-

  sated.

  MME. KARL

  This is no way to behave . (Exit)

  MME. MEeK

  The violence has miscarried.

  VICTOR

  You make my life impossible. You

  heap shame and ridicule upon

  me. Go away.

  MME. MEeK

  Life? What life? You are dead.

  VICTOR

  The dead are not hunted down .

  MME. MEeK

  You know that your aunt is in

  Paris?

  VICTOR

  My mother told me.

  MME. MEeK

  She has married a -

  VICTOR

  My mother told me.

  MME. MEeK

  You know that your mother's

  heart is broken because of you.

  VICTOR

  Yes, she told me. Go away.

  MME. MEeK

  And you do not mind.

  VICTOR

  I cannot help it.

  MME. MEeK

  You can go back home.

  VICTOR

  I cannot go back home .

  MME. MEeK

  You can live differently.

  VICTOR

  I cannot live differently.

  MME. MEeK

  You know that Olga is sick with

  grief.

  VICTOR

  Yes, she told me and my mother

  76

  SA.1UEL BECKETI

  has confirmed it.

  MME. MEeK

  You no longer have any feeling for

  her.

  VICTOR

  No.

  MME. MEeK

  Or for anybody.

  VICTOR

  No.

  MME. MEeK

  Except for yourself.

  VICTOR

  Neither.

  GlAZIER

  It is taking shape.

  MME. MEeK

  With what are you going to pay

  that bill?

  VICTOR

  With the money I have left.

  MME. MECK

  And then?

  VICTOR

  I will manage.

  MME. MECK

  Your father is dead.

  (A silence)

  GlAZIER

  Answer, will you please !

  (A knock. Enter Thomas)

  VICTOR

  Take care of your colleague . (He

  goes to the window)

  THOMAS

  Madame?

  MME. MEeK

  See if he is breathing. Used as you

  are to engines.

  THOMAS

  (Having examined joseph) Yes,

  Madame.

  MME. MEeK

  He is breathing?

  THOMAS

  Yes, Madame.

  MME. MEeK

  Pull him out on the landing.

  THOMAS

  Very good, Madame. (He pulls

  Joseph out on the landing, comes

  ELEUTHERIA

  77

  back)

  MME. MECK

  Try to revive him.

  THOMAS

  Very good, Madame.

  MME. MECK

  As soon as he can walk both of

  you go down and wait for me in

  the car.

  THOMAS

  Very good, Madame . (Exit)

  (A silence)

  MME. MECK

  Victor! (A silence) You heard me?

  Your father is dead.

  VICTOR

  (Turning around) Yes. When did

  he die?

  MME. MECK

  You are not going to tell me that

  that is of interest to you.

  VICTOR

  The time is of interest to me.

  MME. MECK

  He died last night, in his armchair.

  VICTOR

  But at what time?

  MME. MECK

  He was alive at eight o ' clock.

  Jacques claims it to be so . And he

  was found dead toward midnight.

  VICTOR

  Who found him?

  MME. MECK

  Your poor mother.

  VICTOR

  At midnight?

  MME. MEeK

  Approximately.

  VICTOR

  He was stiff?

  MME. MECK

  You are completely unnatural. (A

  silence) Your mother is prostrate.

  GLAZIER

  (To Michel) The diamond. (To

  Victor) There is no table?

  78

  SAMUEL BECKETI

  VICTOR

  No.

  GLAZIER

  So much the worse . (He starts to

  cut his glass on the floor)

  VICTOR

  (To Mme. Meek) Go away.

  (A knock. Enter Thomas)

  THOMAS

  I cannot revive him, Madame.

  MME. MEeK

  He is still breathing?

  THOMAS

  Yes, Madame, but I cannot revive

  him.

  MME. MEeK

  He is doubtless too heavy for you

  to be able to carry him.

  THOMAS

&n
bsp; I am afraid so, Madame.

  MME. MEeK

  (To Victor) Wouldn ' t you like to

  help Thomas carry Joseph to the

  car?

  VICTOR

  No.

  MME. MEeK

  (To the Glazier) And you? (A

  silence) Glazier!

  GLAZIER

  (Without turning around, while

  working) Madame?

  MME. MECK

  Wouldn 't you like to help Thomas

  carry Joseph to the car?

  GLAZIER

  No, Madame, I would not.

  MME. MEeK

  Well , then, Thomas, we must call

  an ambulance .

  THOMAS

  Very good, Madame. (Exit)

  VICTOR

  (To Mme. Meek) Go away.

  MME. MEeK

  But now you can throw me out.

  VICTOR

  I am loath to touch you.

  MME. MEeK

  ( Getting down on her knees)

  ELEUTHERIA

  79

  Victor! Come back home ! With

  me ! In the Delage !

  VICTOR

  Get up.

  MME. MEeK

  Help me. (Victor helps her get

  up, with his finger tips)

  The will -

  GlAZIER

  Shit! I cut it too small.

  VICTOR

  (To the Glazier) Just leave it.

  GlAZIER

  ( Grandiloquently) I will repair

  that windowpane even if I have to

  spend the rest of my life at it.

  MME. MEeK

  It is to be unsealed tomorrow,

  after the funeral.

  GlAZIER

  Hand me the tape measure.

  MICHEL

  But you are the one who has it.

  GlAZIER

  Monsieur.

  MICHEL

  Monsieur.

  GlAZIER

  That is true.

  MME. MECK

  Your mother is prostrate. (A

  silence) She cries out for you. (A

  silence) Her only support!

  ( Glazier's hilarity, causing him to

  drop his tape measure)

  GlAZIER

  Hand me the tape measure.

  (Michel hands it to him)

  VICTOR

  (To Mme. Meek) Go away. (He

  picks up her bag and holds it out

  to her, picks up her umbrella and

  uses it to push her toward the

  door)

  MME. MECK

  Wretch !

  80

  SAMUEL BECKETI

  VICTOR

  ( Still pushing) Go.

  MME. MECK

  Give me my umbrella.

  VICTOR

  Go on, out. (He pushes her out,

  gives her the umbrella, closes the

  door, goes and sits back down on

  the bed)

  (A silence)

  GLAZIER

  She will come back.

  VICTOR

  (Half-turning toward the audience, with a helpless gesture)

  I -

  GLAZIER

  Now for a little peace and quiet.

  VICTOR

  Are you going to be much longer?

  GLAZIER

  The thing is I am not seeing

  straight any more.

  VICTOR

  Go away.

  GLAZIER

  I am going to turn the light on .

  (He goes to the switch and turns it

  on and off without success) It just

  needs the bulb. Michel, quick go

  get a bulb.

  MICHEL

  Yes, Monsieur. (Exit)

  GLAZIER

  (Approaching the bed) You do

  not have much of a tolerance for