The Mousetrap and Other Plays (101 page)

ANYA
. My heart feels—very odd tonight. Doctor, don't you think you could . . . ?

DOCTOR
. Yes, yes, I think we can find something that will help you. Karl, will you bring my bag?

The
DOCTOR
wheels
ANYA
off down
R
.
KARL
picks up the
DOCTOR
's bag.

KARL
. (
to
HELEN
) Excuse me please.

KARL
exits down
R
.

Poor Mrs. Hendryk, has she been an invalid long? (
She lights her cigarette
)

LISA
. (
drinking her coffee and watching
HELEN
) Five years.

HELEN
. Five years! Poor man.

LISA
. Poor man?

HELEN
. I was thinking of him dancing attendance on her all the time. She likes him to dance attendance, doesn't she?

LISA
. He's her husband.

HELEN
. (
rising, crossing below the armchair and standing down
L
) He's a very kind man, isn't he? But one can be too kind. Pity is weakening, don't you think? I'm afraid I'm not in the least kind. I never pity anybody. I can't help it, I'm made that way. (
She sits on the left arm of the armchair
)

LISA
moves to the work-table and takes
ANYA
's cup and saucer to the tray.

Do you live here, too?

LISA
. I look after Mrs. Hendryk and the flat.

HELEN
. Oh, you poor dear, how awful for you.

LISA
. Not at all. I like it.

HELEN
. (
vaguely
) Don't they have household helps or something who go around and do that sort of thing for invalids? (
She rises and moves above the armchair
) I should have thought it would be much more fun for you to train for something and take a job.

LISA
. There is no need for me to train. I am already a trained physicist.

HELEN
. Oh, but then you could get a job quite easily. (
She stubs out her cigarette in the ashtray on the desk
)

LISA
. I already have a job—here.

KARL
enters down
R
, collects the bottle of medicine and glass from the shelves by the door, then moves to the bookshelves up
R
.
LISA
picks up the coffee and tray and exits with it up
C
.

HELEN
. (
crossing below the armchair to
C
) Well, Professor Hendryk, can I come?

KARL
. I'm afraid the answer is no. (
He pours some water from the jug on the bookcase shelf into the medicine glass, then moves to the door down
R
)

HELEN
. (
crossing to
KARL
) You don't understand. I want to come. I want to be taught. Oh, please, you can't refuse me. (
She comes close to him and puts a hand on his arm
)

KARL
. (
drawing back a little
) But I can refuse you, you know. (
He smiles at her quite gently and kindly
)

HELEN
. But why, why? Daddy'll pay you heaps if you let me come. Double the ordinary fee. I know he will.

KARL
. I'm sure your father would do anything you ask him, but it's not a question of money.

HELEN
turns to
C
.
LISA
enters up
C
and stands above the table
RC
.

(
He turns to
LISA
) Lisa, give Miss Rollander a glass of sherry, will you. I must go back to Anya. (
He turns to go
)

HELEN
. Professor Hendryk!

KARL
. My wife is having one of her bad days. I know you'll excuse me if I go back to her now.

KARL
smiles very charmingly at
HELEN
then exits down
R
.
HELEN
looks after him.
LISA
takes a bottle of sherry from the bookcase, cupboard
R
.
HELEN
, after a slight pause, makes a decision and collects her handbag and gloves from the sofa.

HELEN
. No, thanks, I don't want any sherry. I'll be going now. (
She moves towards the double doors, then pauses and looks back
)

The
DOCTOR
enters down
R
and stands by the door.

I shall get my own way, you know. I always do.

HELEN
sweeps out up
C
.

LISA
. (
taking some glasses from the cupboard
) You will have a glass of sherry, Doctor?

DOCTOR
. Thank you. (
He crosses to
LC
and puts his bag down
) That's a very determined young woman.

LISA
. (
pouring two glasses of sherry
) Yes. She has fallen in love with Karl, of course.

DOCTOR
. I suppose that happens fairly often?

LISA
. Oh, yes. I remember being frightfully in love myself with my professor of mathematics. He never even noticed me. (
She crosses to the
DOCTOR
, hands him a glass of sherry, then sits on the left arm of the sofa
)

DOCTOR
. But you were probably younger than that girl.

LISA
. Yes, I was younger.

DOCTOR
. (
sitting in the armchair
) You don't think that Karl may respond?

LISA
. One never knows. I don't think so.

DOCTOR
. He's used to it, you mean?

LISA
. He's not used to it from quite that type of girl. Most of the students are rather an unattractive lot, but this girl has beauty and glamour and money—and she wants him very badly.

DOCTOR
. So you are afraid.

LISA
. No, I'm not afraid, not for Karl. I know what Karl is. I know what Anya means to him and always will. If I am afraid . . . (
She hesitates
)

DOCTOR
. Yes?

LISA
. Oh, what does it matter? (
She takes refuge in her sherry
)

KARL
enters down
R
.

KARL
. (
crossing to
RC
) So my importunate young lady has gone.

LISA
rises and pours a glass of sherry for
KARL
.

DOCTOR
. A very beautiful girl. Are many of your students like that, Karl?

KARL
. Fortunately, no, or we should have more complications than we have already. (
He sits on the sofa at the left end
)

DOCTOR
. (
rising
) You must be careful, my boy. (
He sets down his glass and picks up his bag, then moves up
C
)

KARL
. (
amused
) Oh, I am careful. I have to be.

LISA
moves up
RC
.

DOCTOR
. And if you do give her private lessons, have Lisa there as chaperon. Good night, Lisa.

LISA
. Good night, Doctor.

The
DOCTOR
exits up
C
, closing the doors behind him.
LISA
moves to
L
of
KARL
and hands him the glass of sherry. There is a pause.

(
She moves to the door down
R
) I'd better go to Anya.

KARL
. No. She said she wanted to be left to rest a little. (
He pauses
) I'm afraid it upset her, that girl coming.

LISA
. Yes, I know.

KARL
. It's the contrast between her life and—the other. And she says she gets jealous, too. Anya's always convinced I'm going to fall in love with one of my students.

LISA
. (
sitting beside
KARL
on the sofa
) Perhaps you will.

KARL
. (
sharply and significantly
) Can you say that?

LISA
. (
turning away and shrugging her shoulders
) It might happen.

KARL
. Never. And you know it.

There is a rather constrained pause. They both stare into their glasses.

Why do you stay with us?

LISA
does not answer.

(
After a pause
) Why do you stay with us?

LISA
. You know perfectly why I stay.

KARL
. I think it's wrong for you. I think perhaps you should go back.

LISA
. Go back? Go back where?

KARL
. There's nothing against you and never was. You could go back and take up your old post. They'd leap at the chance of having you.

LISA
. Perhaps, but I don't want to go.

KARL
. But perhaps you should go.

LISA
. Should go? Should go? What do you mean?

KARL
. This is no life for you.

LISA
. It's the life I choose.

KARL
. It's wrong for you. Go back. Go away. Have a life of your own.

LISA
. I have a life of my own.

KARL
. You know what I mean. Marry. Have children.

LISA
. I do not think I shall marry.

KARL
. Not if you stay here, but if you go away . . .

LISA
. Do you want me to go? (
She pauses
) Answer me, do you want me to go?

KARL
. (
with difficulty
) No, I don't want you to go.

LISA
. Then don't let's talk about it. (
She rises, takes
KARL
's glass and puts it with her own on the bookcase shelf
)

KARL
. Do you remember the concert in the Kursaal that day? It was August and very hot. An immensely fat soprano sang the Liebestod. She did not sing it well, either. We were not impressed, either of us. You had a green coat and skirt and a funny little velvet hat. Odd isn't it, how there are some things that one never forgets, that one never will forget? I don't know what happened the day before that, or what happened the day after it, but I remember that afternoon very well. The gold chairs and the platform, the orchestra wiping their foreheads and the fat soprano bowing and kissing her hand. And then they played the Rachmaninoff piano concerto. Do you remember, Lisa?

LISA
. (
calmly
) Of course.

KARL
hums the tune of the “Rachmaninoff piano concerto.”

KARL
. I can hear it now. (
He hums
)

The front door bell rings.

Now, who's that?

LISA
turns abruptly and exits up
C
to
R
.

ROLLANDER
. (
off
) Good evening. Is Professor Hendryk in?

KARL
picks up a book and glances through it.

LISA
. (
off
) Yes. Will you come in, please?

SIR
WILLIAM
ROLLANDER
enters up
C
from
R
.
He is a tall, grey-haired man of forceful personality.
LISA
follows him on, closes the doors and stands behind the armchair.

ROLLANDER
. (
moving down
C
.) Professor Hendryk? My name is Rollander. (
He holds out his hand
)

KARL
rises, puts the book on the table
RC
and shakes
ROLLANDER
's hand.

KARL
. How do you do? This is Miss Koletzky.

ROLLANDER
. How do you do?

LISA
. How do you do?

ROLLANDER
. I have a daughter who studies under you, Professor Hendryk.

KARL
. Yes, that is so.

ROLLANDER
. She feels that the attending of lectures in a class is not sufficient for her. She would like you to give her extra private tuition.

KARL
. I'm afraid that is not possible. (
He moves away below the right end of the sofa
)

ROLLANDER
. Yes, I know that she has already approached you on the matter and that you have refused. But I should like to reopen the subject if I may.

LISA
sits in the desk chair.

KARL
. (
calmly
) Certainly, Sir William, but I do not think that you will alter my decision.

ROLLANDER
. I should like to understand first your reasons for refusing. They are not quite clear to me.