Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays Part 274

Before one can tell What the bottle is going to be-- Porcelain, Venetian gla.s.s, Egyptian ...

Well, there are moments When the candle, sputtering up, Finds itself in seclusion, [_He raises the candle in the air._]

And shines, perhaps, for the beauty of shining.

That is the seclusion of sunrise Before it shines on any house. [_Replacing the candle._]

FIRST CHINESE [_wagging his head_]. As abstract as porcelain.

SECOND CHINESE. Such seclusion knows beauty As the court knew it.

The court woke In its windless pavilions, And gazed on chosen mornings, As it gazed On chosen porcelain.

What the court saw was always of the same color, And well shaped, And seen in a clear light. [_He points to the candle._]

It never woke to see, And never knew, The flawed jars, The weak colors, The contorted gla.s.s.

It never knew The poor lights. [_He opens his book significantly._]

When the court knew beauty only, And in seclusion, It had neither love nor wisdom.

These came through poverty And wretchedness, Through suffering and pity. [_He pauses._]

It is the invasion of humanity That counts.

[_The limb of the tree creaks. The First Chinese turns, for a moment, in the direction of the sound._]

FIRST CHINESE [_thoughtfully_]. The light of the most tranquil candle Would shudder on a b.l.o.o.d.y salver.

SECOND CHINESE [_with a gesture of disregard_].

It is the invasion That counts.

If it be supposed that we are three figures Painted on porcelain As we sit here, That we are painted on this very bottle, The hermit of the place, Holding this candle to us, Would wonder; But if it be supposed That we are painted as warriors, The candle would tremble in his hands; Or if it be supposed, for example, That we are painted as three dead men, He could not see the steadiest light, For sorrow.

It would be true If an emperor himself Held the candle.

He would forget the porcelain For the figures painted on it.

THIRD CHINESE [_shrugging his shoulders_].

Let the candle shine for the beauty of shining.

I dislike the invasion And long for the windless pavilions.

And yet it may be true That nothing is beautiful Except with reference to ourselves, Nor ugly, Nor high, [_Pointing to the sky._]

Nor low. [_Pointing to the candle._]

No: not even sunrise.

Can you play of this [_Mockingly to First Chinese._]

For us? [_He stands up._]

FIRST CHINESE [_hesitatingly_]. I have a song Called _Mistress and Maid_.

It is of no interest to hermits Or emperors, Yet it has a bearing; For if we affect sunrise, We affect all things.

THIRD CHINESE. It is a pity it is of women.

Sing it.

[_He takes an instrument from one of the baskets and hands it to the First Chinese, who sings the following song, accompanying himself, somewhat tunelessly, on the instrument. The Third Chinese takes various things out of the basket for tea. He arranges fruit.

The First Chinese watches him while he plays. The Second Chinese gazes at the ground. The sky shows the first signs of morning._]

FIRST CHINESE. The mistress says, in a harsh voice, "He will be thinking in strange countries Of the white stones near my door, And I--I am tired of him."

She says sharply, to her maid, "Sing to yourself no more."

Then the maid says, to herself, "He will be thinking in strange countries Of the white stones near her door; But it is me he will see At the window, as before.

"He will be thinking in strange countries Of the green gown I wore.

He was saying good-by to her."

The maid drops her eyes and says to her mistress, "I shall sing to myself no more."

THIRD CHINESE. That affects the white stones, To be sure. [_They laugh._]

FIRST CHINESE. And it affects the green gown.

SECOND CHINESE. Here comes our black man.

[_The Second Negro returns, somewhat agitated, with water but without his lantern. He hands the jug to the Third Chinese. The First Chinese from time to time strikes the instrument. The Third Chinese, who faces the left, peers in the direction from which the negro has come._]

THIRD CHINESE. You have left your lantern behind you.

It shines, among the trees, Like evening Venus in a cloud-top.

[_The Second Negro grins but makes no explanation. He seats himself behind the Chinese to the right._]

FIRST CHINESE. Or like a ripe strawberry Among its leaves. [_They laugh._]

I heard to-night That they are searching the hill For an Italian.

He disappeared with his neighbor's daughter.

SECOND CHINESE [_confidently_]. I am sure you heard The first eloping footfall, And the drum Of pursuing feet.

FIRST CHINESE [_amusedly_]. It was not an elopement.

The young gentleman was seen To climb the hill, In the manner of a tragedian Who sweats.

Such things happen in the evening.

He was _Un miserable_.

SECOND CHINESE. Reach the lady quickly.

[_The First Chinese strikes the instrument twice as a prelude to his narrative._]

FIRST CHINESE. There are as many points of view From which to regard her As there are sides to a round bottle.

[_Pointing to the water bottle._]

She was represented to me As beautiful.

[_They laugh. The First Chinese strikes the instrument, and looks at the Third Chinese, who yawns._]

FIRST CHINESE [_reciting_]. She was as beautiful as a porcelain water bottle.

[_He strikes the instrument in an insinuating manner._]

FIRST CHINESE. She was represented to me As young.

Therefore my song should go Of the color of blood.

[_He strikes the instrument. The limb of the tree creaks. The First Chinese notices it and puts his hand on the knee of the Second Chinese, who is seated between him and the Third Chinese, to call attention to the sound. They are all seated so that they do not face the spot from which the sound comes. A dark object, hanging to the limb of the tree, becomes a dim silhouette. The sky grows constantly brighter. No color is to be seen until the end of the play._]

SECOND CHINESE [_to First Chinese_]. It is only a tree Creaking in the night wind.