The Mousetrap and Other Plays (111 page)

LESTER
. (
indignantly
) Of course I know how. (
He moves up
C
)

The telephone rings.
LESTER
makes a move to answer it.

KARL
. (
stopping
LESTER
) Don't answer it.

The telephone goes on ringing.
LESTER
hesitates then exits up
C
to
L
.
The telephone goes on ringing solidly.
KARL
eventually rushes to it and picks up the receiver.

(
Into the telephone
) Leave me alone, can't you. Leave me alone. (
He slams down the receiver and sinks into the desk chair
) I can't bear it. I can't bear it.

DOCTOR
. (
rising and moving to
KARL
) Patience, Karl. Courage.

KARL
. What good is it saying that to me?

DOCTOR
. Not much, but there's nothing else to say, is there? There's nothing that can help you now except courage.

KARL
. I keep thinking of Lisa. Of what she must be suffering.

DOCTOR
. I know. I know.

KARL
. She's so brave. So wonderfully brave.

DOCTOR
. (
moving
C
) Lisa is a very wonderful person. I have always known that.

KARL
. I love her. Did you know I loved her?

DOCTOR
. Yes, of course I knew. You've loved her for a long time.

KARL
. Yes. Neither of us ever acknowledged it, but we knew. It didn't mean that I didn't love Anya. I did love Anya. I shall always love her. I didn't want her to die.

DOCTOR
. I know, I know. I've never doubted that.

KARL
. It's strange, perhaps, but one can love two women at the same time.

DOCTOR
. Not at all strange. It often happens. (
He moves behind
KARL
) And you know what Anya used to say to me? “When I'm gone, Karl must marry Lisa.” That's what she used to say. “You must make him do it, Doctor,” she used to say. “Lisa will look after him and be good to him. If he doesn't think of it you must put it into his head.” That's what she used to say to me. I promised her that I would.

KARL
. (
rising
) Tell me, really, Doctor. Do you think they'll acquit her? Do you?

DOCTOR
. (
gently
) I think—you ought to prepare yourself . . .

KARL
. (
moving below the armchair
) Even her counsel didn't believe me, did he? He pretended to, of course, but he didn't believe me. (
He sits in the armchair
)

DOCTOR
. No, I don't think he did, but there are one or two sensible people on the jury—I think. (
He moves down
L
) That fat woman in the funny hat listened to every word you were saying about Helen, and I noticed her nodding her head in complete agreement. She probably has a husband who went off the rails with a young girl. You never know what queer things influence people.

The telephone rings.

KARL
. (
rising
) This time it must be.

The
DOCTOR
moves to the telephone and lifts the receiver.

DOCTOR
. (
into the telephone
) Hello? . . .

LESTER
enters up
C
from
L
, carrying a tray with three cups of coffee on it. The coffee has slopped into the saucers.

KARL
. Well?

LESTER
. Is that . . . ? (
He puts the tray on the table
RC
and pours the coffee into the cup from one of the saucers
)

DOCTOR
. (
into the telephone
) No . . . No, I'm afraid he can't. (
He slams down the receiver
) Another of the ghouls. (
He crosses to the sofa and sits
)

KARL
. What can they hope to get out of it?

DOCTOR
. Increased circulation, I suppose.

LESTER
. (
handing a cup of coffee to
KARL
) I hope it's all right. It took me some time to find everything.

KARL
. Thank you. (
He crosses to the desk chair and sits
)

LESTER
hands a cup of coffee to the
DOCTOR
, then takes his own and stands
RC
.
They sip their coffee. There is quite a pause.

DOCTOR
. Have you ever seen herons flying low over a river bank?

LESTER
. No, I don't think I have. Why?

DOCTOR
. No reason.

LESTER
. What put it into your head?

DOCTOR
. I've no idea. Just wishing, I suppose, that all this wasn't true and that I was somewhere else.

LESTER
. Yes, I can see that. (
He moves up
C
) It's so awful, not being able to do anything.

DOCTOR
. Nothing's so bad as waiting.

LESTER
. (
after a pause
) I don't believe, you know, that I've ever seen a heron.

DOCTOR
. Very graceful birds.

KARL
. Doctor, I want you to do something for me.

DOCTOR
. (
rising
) Yes? What is it?

KARL
. I want you to go back to the court.

DOCTOR
. (
crossing to
KARL
and putting his cup on the work-table as he passes
) No, Karl.

KARL
. Yes, I know that you promised. But I want you to go back.

DOCTOR
. Karl—Lisa . . .

KARL
. If the worst happens, I would like Lisa to be able to see you there. And if it isn't the worst—well, then she'll need someone to look after her, to get her away, to bring her here.

The
DOCTOR
stares at
KARL
for a moment or two.

I know I'm right.

DOCTOR
. (
deciding
) Very well.

LESTER
. (
to the
DOCTOR
) I can stay and . . .

KARL
looks at the
DOCTOR
and shakes his head very slightly. The
DOCTOR
is quick to take the hint.

DOCTOR
. No, you come with me, Lester. (
He moves up
C
) There are times when a man has got to be alone. That's right, isn't it, Karl?

KARL
. Don't worry about me. I want to stay here quietly with Anya.

DOCTOR
. (
pulling round sharply as he is on his way to the door
) What did you say? With Anya?

KARL
. Did I say that? That's what it seems like. Leave me here. I shan't answer the telephone if it rings. I shall wait now until you come.

LESTER
exits up
C
.
The
DOCTOR
follows him off and closes the door.
KARL
leans back in his chair. The clock chimes six.

“While the light lasts I shall remember,
And in the darkness I shall not forget.”

There is a pause then the telephone rings.
KARL
rises, ignores the telephone, takes his coffee cup to the tray, at the same time collecting the
DOCTOR
's cup as he passes the work-table. He then exits with the tray up
C
to
L
.
While he is off, the telephone stops ringing.
KARL
re-enters and moves down
L
, leaving the door open. He pauses for a moment, staring at the work-table, then goes to the record cabinet and takes the Rachmaninoff record from it. He goes to the desk and sits, putting the record on the desk in front of him.
LISA
suddenly enters up
C
from
R
, shuts the door behind her and leans against it.
KARL
rises and turns.

KARL
. Lisa! Lisa! (
He goes towards her as though he can hardly believe his eyes
) Is it true? Is it?

LISA
. They found me not guilty.

KARL
. (
attempting to take her in his arms
) Oh, my darling, I'm so thankful. No one shall ever hurt you again, Lisa.

LISA
. (
pushing him away
) No.

KARL
. (
realizing her coldness and aloofness
) What do you mean?

LISA
. I've come here to get my things.

KARL
. (
backing above the armchair
) What do you mean—your things?

LISA
. Just a few things that I need. Then I am going away.

KARL
. What do you mean—going away?

LISA
. I'm leaving here.

KARL
. But surely—that's ridiculous! D'you mean because of what people would say? Does that matter now?

LISA
. You don't understand. I am going away for good.

KARL
. Going away—where?

LISA
. (
moving slowly down
C
) What does it matter? Somewhere. I can get a job. There'll be no difficulty about that. I may go abroad. I may stay in England. Wherever I go I'm starting a new life.

KARL
. A new life? You mean—without me?

LISA
. Yes. Yes, Karl. That's just what I do mean. Without you.

KARL
. (
backing down
L
) But why? Why?

LISA
. (
up
R
of the armchair
) Because I've had enough.

KARL
. I don't understand you.

LISA
. (
moving to the sofa
) We're not made to understand each other. We don't see things the same way, and I'm afraid of you.

KARL
. How can you be afraid of me?

LISA
. Because you're the kind of man who always brings suffering.

KARL
. No.

LISA
. It's true.

KARL
. No.

LISA
. I see people as they are. Without malice and without entering into judgement, but without illusions, either. I don't expect people to be wonderful or life to be wonderful, and I don't particularly want to be wonderful myself. If there are fields of amaranth—they can be on the other side of the grave as far as I am concerned.

KARL
. Fields of amaranth? What are you talking about?

LISA
. I'm talking about you, Karl. You put ideas first, not people. Ideas of loyalty and friendship and pity. And because of that the people who are near, suffer. (
She moves to
R
of the armchair
) You knew you'd lose your job if you befriended the Schultzes. And you knew, you must have known, what an unhappy life that would mean for Anya. But you didn't care about Anya. You only cared about your ideas of what was right. But people matter, Karl. They matter as much as ideas. Anya mattered, I matter. Because of your ideas, because of your mercy and compassion for the girl who killed your wife, you sacrificed me. I was the one who paid for your compassion. But I'm not ready to do that any more. I love you, but love isn't enough. You've more in common with the girl Helen than you have with me. She was like you—ruthless. She went all out for the things she believed in. She didn't care what happened to people as long as she got her own way.

KARL
. (
moving towards the armchair
) Lisa, you can't mean what you are saying. You can't.

LISA
. I do mean it. I've been thinking it really for a long time. (
She moves below the left end of the sofa
) I've thought of it all these days in court. I didn't really think they'd acquit me. I don't know why they did. The judge didn't seem to think there was much reasonable doubt. But I suppose some of the jury believed me. There was one little man who kept on looking at me as though he was sizing me up. Just a commonplace ordinary little man—but he looked at me and thought I hadn't done it—or perhaps he thought I was the kind of woman that he'd like to go to bed with and he didn't want me to suffer. I don't know what he thought—but—he was a person looking at another person and he was on my side and perhaps he persuaded the others. And so I'm free. I've been given a second chance to start life again. I'm starting again—alone.

LISA
exits down
R
.
KARL
crosses and sits on the sofa.

KARL
. (
pleadingly
) Lisa. You can't mean it. You can't be so cruel. You must listen. Lisa. I implore you.

LISA
re-enters down
R
.
She carries a small silver photo frame. She remains down
R
, facing
KARL
.