More Portmanteau Plays - novelonlinefull.com
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SUSAN
I'll walk with you part of the way.
MLLE. PERRAULT
Very well. Marchons, marchons....
[_They go out._
NATHANIEL (_holding back a little_)
Good-bye, Mr. Manager.
[_He goes out calling_ "Marthe."
_Jonathan is left alone in his joy_. _As he stands, a strange, aimless, vacuous whistling is heard outside the window an though from one ambling by. Jonathan hears it unconsciously, moves to put his plays away, alternately whistling and singing "All on a summer's day."_
_Presently the whistling of the strange air is heard as though coming from downstairs. It stops and a voice calls out_ "Hi!"
JONATHAN
Who is it?
VOICE
It's me.
JONATHAN
What do you want?
[_By this time the Voice has become a person in the shape of Hank, one of the sc.u.m of creation who asks nothing of life and gives nothing. He was born of woman and he grew into man's form, but one looking at him wonders how he survived dirt and the mere effort of breathing. He is stoutish with no marked coloring unless it be a cross between khaki and field-gray.
Weather and time have conspired to render him inconspicuous. When he speaks his voice is produced with a careful effort to conserve energy. When he walks it seems to be a movement in answer to prayer rather than a physical fact._
HANK
Say--
JONATHAN
How'd you get in here?
HANK
Well, it's this way, you see. The gate was open out there and this looked pretty fine to me so I come in.
JONATHAN
You'd better go away before my uncle sees you.
HANK
Look here, young feller, I ain't goin' a-do no harm.
JONATHAN
Well, he doesn't allow strangers on the place.
HANK
I jus' come in to ask if I could sleep somewhere around here if I worked for my sleep and grub.
JONATHAN
No, he won't let you.
HANK
How do you know he won't?
JONATHAN
'Cause it's a rule.
[_Hank whistles a s.n.a.t.c.h of the strange air and sits down._
HANK
Where's your pa?
JONATHAN
He's dead.
HANK
Long?
JONATHAN
Ten years ago.
HANK
How old are you?
JONATHAN
Fourteen.
