The Mousetrap

MRS. ROPER. (offLin the Hall) All right, Miss Koletzky, I’ll see to it before I go home.

MRS. ROPERenters the hall fromL. She is a rather shifty and unpleasant cleaning woman. She is carrying her outdoor clothes and a shopping bag. She crosses toRof the hall then returns with great stealth, entering the room with her back against the right-hand door. She obviously does not seeLESTERwho is engrossed in a book. She creeps towards the downstage end of the desk where there is a packet of cigarettes. She is just about to pocket them whenLESTERshuts his book with a bang.MRS. ROPER, startled out of her wits, spins round.

Oh, Mr. Cole—I didn’t know you were still here.

LESTERgoes to return the book to the top shelf and nearly overbalances.

Do be careful. (She crosses above the armchair LC to R of it and puts her bag on the floor) That thing’s not safe, really it isn’t. (She puts on her hat) Come to pieces any minute, it might, and where would you be then, I’d like to know? (She puts on her coat)

LESTER. Where indeed?

The lights begin to fade slowly for sunset.

MRS. ROPER. Only yesterday I read in the papers of a gentleman as fell off a pair of steps in his library. Thought nothing of it at the time—but later he was took bad and they rushed him to hospital. (She puts her scarf around her neck) Broken rib what had peneterated the lung. (With satisfaction) And the next day he was—(She gives her scarf a final pull round her throat) dead.

LESTER. What jolly papers you read, Mrs. Roper. (He becomes engrossed in a book and ignoresMRS. ROPER)

MRS. ROPER. And the same will happen to you if you go stretching over like that. (She glances at the desk where the cigarettes are, then back atLESTERagain. Seeing that he is taking no notice of her she starts to sidle over to the desk, humming quietly to herself and keeping an eye onLESTER. She empties the cigarettes from the packet into her pocket then movesCholding the empty packet) Oh, look! The professor’s run out of cigarettes again.

A clock strikes five somewhere outside the window.

I’d better slip out and get him another twenty before they shut. Tell Miss Koletzky I won’t be long fetching back that washing. (She picks up her bag, goes into the hall and calls) ’Bye!

MRS. ROPERexits in the hall toR. The front door is heard opening and closing.

LESTER. (without taking his nose out of the book) I’ll tell her.

A door is heard to slam offLin the hall.LESTERjumps, knocking the pile of books off the top of the steps.LISAKOLETZKYenters upCfromL. She is a tall, handsome, dark woman of thirty-five, with a strong and rather enigmatic personality. She is carrying a hot-water bottle.

Sorry, Miss Koletzky, I’ll pick ’em up. (He comes down the ladder and picks up the books)

LISA. (movingC) It does not matter. A few more books here and there are of no consequence.

LESTER. (placing the books on the tableRC) You startled me, you see. How is Mrs. Hendryk?

LISA. (tightening the stopper on the bottle) The same as usual. She feels the cold. I have a fresh bottle here for her.

LESTER. (moving toRof the sofa) Has she been ill for a very long time?