things made of glass.
VICTOR
Go away.
GLAZIER
Oh I ' m the type, you know, the
minute I put my nose to the
grindstone, nothing stops me any
more. What can you do, that's me.
VICTOR
If I had the courage I would try to
ELEUTHERIA
8 1
throw you out.
GlAZIER
But you are afraid?
VICTOR
Yes.
GlAZIER
Of what?
VICTOR
Of pain.
(A silence)
GlAZIER
You know, it is time that you
explained yourself.
VICTOR
Explain myself?
GlAZIER
Well, yes. It cannot go o n like this.
VICTOR
But I am at a loss to understand.
Besides, I have nothing to say to
you. Who are you? I do not know
you. Get lost. ( Pause) And out.
GlAZIER
Now, now, it would do you good to
explain yourself a bit.
VICTOR
(With a howl) I tell you I am at a
loss to understand!
GlAZIER
Explain yourself, no, I am not
saying that, I did not put it right.
Define yourself, there . It is time
that you defined yourself a little.
You are around like a sort of what is the way to say it? - like a
sort of ooze . Like a sanies, there.
Take on a little contour, for the
love of God.
VICTOR
Why.
GlAZIER
So that all this may look like it
holds water. You have been impossible up until now. Nobody will be
82
SAMUEL BECKETI
able to believe in it. Why, my
friend, you are quite simply noth-
ing, poor fellow.
VICTOR
It is perhaps time that somebody
was quite simply nothing.
GLAZIER
But of course, but of course, I
know, I have heard that routine .
All that is nothing but words.
Listen. When she - (Enter
Michel) - when she told - you,
what is it you want?
MICHEL
The bulb, Monsieur.
GLAZIER
So, put it in ! When she told you -
MICHEL
Where is it have to be put in,
Monsieur?
GLAZIER
Where is it have to be put in ! Why
in the - in the - in the whatsit,
what else, not in your behind, in
the - in the SOCKET, there we
go, put it in the socket, and
timeclock it, don 't half-cock it.
(Pause) Deep down only words
interest me. I am a poet who
would rather not know it. (To
Michel) So, you are getting there?
MICHEL
I am not getting there, Monsieur.
GLAZIER
You can call me papa right now, it
is break time.
MICHEL
It is too high, papa.
GLAZIER
Get up on a chair.
MICHEL
There is no chair, papa.
ELEUTHERIA
83
GLAZIER
That is true . Then get up on a
box. (Michel drags the toolbox
under the socket, gets up onto it,
puts in the bulb, gets down ) Now
turn on the light. (Michel goes to
the door, turns on the switch, the
bulb lights up) It is working.
VICfOR
(Half-rising) I am going.
GLAZIER
Turn it off. (Michel turns it off.
Victor drops back on the bed)
Come here. Bring the box. (The
Glazier sits down on the box
opposite Victor, puts his arm
around Michel and props him up
against him)
MICHEL
What is the matter with him, the
Monsieur, papa?
GLAZIER
Who is telling you there is something the matter with him?
MICHEL
He looks funny.
GLAZIER
He is funny.
MICHEL
It is because his papa died?
GLAZIER
How do you know that his papa
died?
MICHEL
It is the fat lady who said so .
GLAZIER
Maybe she lied. (Pause ) Take a
good look at him, Michel.
MICHEL
Why is that, the lady, she would
have lied, papa?
GLAZIER
So he would go back with her,
don 't you know. Then home at
84
SAMUEL BECKETI
last they would have locked him
up. (Pause) Take a good look at
him . (Pause) You will not be like
that when you grow up, how
about it, Michel?
MICHEL
Oh no, papa.
(Enter Madame Karl)
MME. KARL
(To the Glazier) You there, you
still haven ' t finished?
GLAZIER
No, Madame, I still haven 't finished, and I am nowhere near
finishing either, at the rate it is
going.
MME. KARL
(To Victor) Here is the bill.
(Moves up to the bed) Here .
(Victor sluggishly takes the bill
and holds it in his hand without
looking at it. ) So you are leaving,
yes or no? (A silence) You are ill?
GLAZIER
Let him think it over.
VICTOR
(Straining) Madame Karl, I ask
only to remain here, but I must be
left alone.
GLAZIER
They are holding open house
here. It is not to be believed.
Nobody even knocks.
MME. KARL
What can I do about it when they
turn up with thugs. They all know
he is here . He should just have
not given out the address.
GLAZIER
Speaking of Tarzan, he is still on
the landing?
ELEUTHERIA
85
MME. KARL
No, he left.
GlAZIER
In the ambulance?
MME. KARL
No, he left all by himself on foot.
GlAZIER
(Rubbing his hands) Now for a
little peace and quiet!
VICTOR
You would not have another
room?
MME. KARL
What difference would that make?
VICTOR
You would be saying that I am no
longer in your place and then I
would be in the other room.
MME. KARL
All the rooms are taken.
GlAZIER
And why don 't you lock yourself
in?
VICTOR
There is no lock.
GlAZIER
No lock! (To Mme . Karl) You are
not ashamed, to rent out rooms
without locks?
MME. KARL
He should not have taken it. No
one forced him to .
GlAZIER
But you mean you don 't see which
- what a wreck you are dealing
with? (To Michel) Quick go get a
lock.
MICHEL
Yes, papa.
GlAZIER
Monsieur.
MICHEL
Yes, Monsieur. (Exit)
GlAZIER
We are going to take care of it for
you.
VICTOR
They'll break down the door.
MME. KARL
So? You are leaving yes or no?
86
SAMUEL BECKEIT
GlAZIER
But give him room to breathe, for
Pete's sake !
VICTOR
I will tell you that in a little while .
MME. KARL
I am giving you an hour. Then I
hang up the vacancy sign . (Exit)
(A silence)
GLAZIER
You hadn 't thought of that.
VICTOR
Leave me alone. Do not say another word. Do what you have to
do and go away.
GlAZIER
Yes, but first, tell me , you hadn 't
thought of that?
VICTOR
Of course I had.
GLAZIER
Of having a lock installed?
VICTOR
But of course.
GlAZIER
But I am not talking about that! I
mean you hadn ' t thought that the
old girl could be lying when she
told you your father was dead.
VICTOR
She did not lie .
(A silence . Enter Michel)
GlAZIER
Where were you dawdling this
time?
MICHEL
I did not dawdle, papa.
GLAZIER
You have the lock?
MICHEL
Yes, Monsieur.
GLAZIER
And two keys.
MICHEL
Yes, Monsieur.
GLAZIER
Good. (He gets up. To Victor) As
for you, I have nothing more to
say to you. I have seen amateurs,
ELEUTHERIA
87
but never anybody as bad as you.
If you' d had your heart set on
being hooted down , you could
not have done better. The answers
are put in your mouth and you
come out with the exact opposite.
Have you any more feeling for
your mother? No. Or for your
fiancee? No. Or for anybody? No.
Only for yourself? None either.
But what's with this bull? Feeling
is what is needed, God damn it!
Why, naturally you love your
mother, why naturally you love
your fiancee, but- BUT - you
have duties, with regard to yourself, your work, science, the party,
and who knows what else, which
make of you a man apart, the
being as exception , which forbid
you the tender bonds of the
family, of passion , fits you out in a
mask mad7 of cellophane. Feeling! feeling, then going above and
beyond, there you have what's
needed. To sacrifice everything, to
the idee fixe, to the priesthood !
At that point you begin to live .
Nobody is any longer of a mind to
lynch you . You are the poor young
man, the heroic young man . You
are seen croaking like a dog at
thirty, at thirty-three, drained by
88
SA.fUEL BECKEIT
your labors, by your discoveries,
eaten away by radium, laid low by
the sleepless nights, by the privations, died on mission, shot by
Franco, shot by Stalin. Your
praises are sung. Mother is dying
of grief, girl friend as well, it
doesn 't matter, men like you are
needed, men with an ideal, above
comforts, above pity, so that toffee
may go on being sold. (Imitating
him) No - no - she told me - I
want nothing - I can do nothing
- I feel nothing - I am nothing
- leave me alone - go away -
please - I implore you. Shit! (To
Michel) The light. But what is
your merit?
VIcroR
What?
(Michel turns on the light)
GlAZIER
I am asking you what merit you
have rotting in this hole?
VIcroR
I do not know.
GlAZIER
I do not know, I do not know. Ah !
go hide i n a corner.
VIcroR
I would like to.
GlAZIER
(To Michel) Give me the tape
measure.
MICHEL
But you are the one who has it,
Monsieur.
GlAZIER
(Thunderingly) No, I am not the
one who has it! (To Victor) Where
ELEUTHERIA
89
do you draw the courage and
strength to evict old ladies, with
the pokes of an umbrella?
VICTOR
I look out for my welfare, when I
can .
GlAZIER .
Your welfare ! What welfare?
VICTOR
My freedom.
GlAZIER
Your freedom ! It is beautiful, your
freedom. Freedom to do what?
VICTOR
To do nothing.
GlAZIER
(Controlling himself with difficulty, to Michel) The tape measure .
MICHEL
Here it is, Monsieur.
GlAZIER
What do we do? Do we finish the
windowpane or do we do the lock
or do we drop everything?
MICHEL
I am hungry, papa.
GlAZIER
You are hungry, papa. Then let's
do the lock first. (He sets to work.
A silence . He sings)
Beautiful is France,
Her destinies are blessed,
(To Michel) Sing!
GlAZIER
(Together)
MICHEL
Beautiful is France,
Her destinies are blessed,
As one we advance,
90
SAMUEL BECKETI
A s hers we live best.
Over the mountains, o -
(Enter Mademoiselle Skunk. She
goes and stands in front of Victor,
still seated on the bed)
MllE. SKUNK
Hello, Victor.
VIGrOR
Hello.
MllE. SKU1'K
Who is that man?
VIcroR
He is a glazier.
MLLE. SKUNK
What is he doing here?
VIcroR
He is repairing the windowpane.
MllE. SKUNK
You broke the windowpane?
VIGrOR
What?
MllE. SKU1'K
You are the one who broke the
windowpane?
VIGrOR
Yes.
MllE. SKUNK
How? Why?
VIcroR
I do not know.
GlAZIER
With one of his brogues, Mademoiselle, and with malice aforethought. All hopes are allowed.
MllE. SKUNK
Why did you do that?
VIcroR
What?
MllE. SKUNK
Why did you break the windowpane?
VIGrOR
I do not know.
GlAZIER
Come, Michel. (Exit the Glazi
er
and Michel)
MllE. SKUr-.'K
You do not want to kiss me?
VIcroR
No.
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91
Mu..E. SKUNK
I am not good-looking?
VIcroR
I do not know.
Mu..E. SKUNK
At one time you found me goodlooking. You wanted to sleep with
me.
VIcroR
At one time.
Mll.E. SKUNK
You do not want to sleep with me
any more?
VIcroR
No.
Mll.E. SKUNK
With whom then?
VIcroR
What?
Mll.E. SKUNK
Whom do you want to sleep with
now.
VIcroR
With nobody.
Mll.E. SKUNK
But it is not possible? (A silence)
You are not being honest! (A
silence) You know that I love you?
VICfOR
You have told me.
Mll.E. SKUNK
You have no pity for me?
VICfOR
No .
Mll.E. SKUNK
You want me to go away.
VIcroR
Yes.
Mll.E. SKUNK
And that I never come back any
more?
VICfOR
Yes.
(A silence . )
Mll.E. SKUNK
What has changed you so?
VICfOR
I do not know.
Mll.E. SKUNK
You were not like this before.
What has made you like this?
92
SAMUEL BECKETI
VICTOR
I do not know. ( Pause ) I have
always been like this.
MllE. SKUNK
Oh no! It isn 't true. You loved me.
You worked. You joked around
with your father. You travelled.
You -
VICTOR
That was bluffing. Besides,
enough . Go away.
(Enter the Glazier and Michel)
GLAZIER
I wanted to be discreet, tactful, a
man of the world, but I see that it
cannot be done. Hence I am
taking up my work again. For
every moment is precious. With
your permission. (To Michel)
Hand me the - (He finds it)
Hold the door. (He starts working)
MllE. SKUNK
Your father is dead.
VICTOR
Jeanne told me.
MllE. SKUNK
Jeanne was here?
VICTOR
Yes.
MllE. SKUNK
When?
VICTOR
A little while ago.
(A silence)
MllE. SKUNK
It makes no difference to you.
VICTOR
What?
MLLE SKUNK
That your father is dead? (A
.
silence) You know what he said to
me last night? (A silence) He
made me promise to look like I
ELEUTHERIA
93
was living so you too would look
like you were living. I don 't understand. (A silence) This is what I 've come for, for you to explain to me
what that means. (A silence) You
understand what that means?
VICfOR
No.
MLLE. SKUNK
You don ' t even try.
VICfOR